Running The Bases

Chapter 11
I woke up to the feeling of my pillow vibrating. I half-sleepily pulled my phone from out of my pillow and read the LED screen.
One New Message
The screen blinked. I pressed the button and waited for the message to pop up.
You free today?
I blinked a few times, not realizing who the message was from. I looked at the sender and stared for a few moments.
After practice I am…
I replied, typing in the letters. I glanced over at the time and groaned hitting my head against my pillow and closing my eyes for the next ten minutes.
After another hour of sleeping and what not I arrived at the baseball diamond for our practice.
“Good morning!” Michael called out to me
“Hey!” I called back; I sat my duffel bag down from my shoulders on the bench and stretched.
“You’re late.” Dana came walking over and hitting my back with her hand.
“Heh, sorry.” I said rubbing my head.
“Yeah, right. Anyway, Brett isn’t here today.” said Dana tapping the clipboard she had in her hand. “Go pitch for them.” she pointed to the field and raised both of her eyebrows.
“Alrighty, mom.” I said opening my duffel bag and taking out my glove. I waved off and jogged out to the field.
“Finally, Ms. Sleepy is here.” Robert said pointing his glove at me.
“Aw, shut up.” I said, holding my glove up to catch the baseball that Nick threw towards me.
“You really need to get back on a good sleeping schedule.” Andrei said to me as he came walking towards me.
“No I don’t.” I muttered. We looked at each then quickly darted our eyes away and blushed. A lot.
“Let’s warm up.” he said. I nodded and began to warm up. It’s been a week since that day was here, and after that day everything seemed to be…better?
The nine of us all took turns throwing and catching the ball with our mitts until Coach Amy signaled for us to have a practice game. I took the pitcher mound and took a deep breath in.
For the past week, this was where I was. Every day for hours, I stand here pitching to the catcher.
This was completely new to me.
Hours passed and we all collapsed on the dugout floor. Dana came around handing out water bottles and foods.
“It seems I’m doing all the work now.” Dana said handing me a water bottle.
“It’s not my fault.” I said taking the bottle and chugging it down.
“Well I think that’s enough for today!” Coach Amy clapped her hands together, and her hair swished around. She had no braids in today so it dangled behind her back and on her shoulders going all over the place.
“Finally.” I heard Nick muttered. I grinned and stood up from where I collapsed into the ground. I walked over to my duffel bag and zipped it open and threw my glove into it.
“You free today?” I heard behind me. I turned my head to get a glance of Andrei who stood behind me patting his glove against his fist.
“Uh…” I rolled my eyes the other way and glance at my red phone.
“No, I’m not.” I said. “I uh… have chores.”
“Chores? Ah, okay then.” he said.
“Heh, sorry.” I said. I zipped my bag close and threw it over my shoulder. “Well anyway, bye!” I said waving and quickly leaving the dugout before he could say or do anything else. On my way to the fence I said good bye to Dana and left.
Once I passed the tree and was out of sight I pulled out my phone and dialed in the number from this morning.
“I’m on my way.” I said.
“Great, see you then.” he said on the other line. I hung up and smiled to myself.

I headed down the road and made my way around town until I found the place I was looking for. He stood outside the door waiting for me. I saw him, his tall form with his over shaggy hair. He kind of reminded me of Andrei for a moment…
“Hey!” he said jogging over to me halfway.
“Hi.” I said adjusting the straps of my bag.
“It’s been a while huh?” he asked.
“Yeah.” I said. “I guess.”
“Wanna get some practice in?” he asked pointing to the batting cages behind him.
“Duh.” I said giving him a grin. I sat by bag down and pulled out my bat. We paid for coins and got helmets and headed over to the many cages that stood along each other.
“So how’s the tournament go?” I asked. “Geneva must have been in top shape this summer.”
“We lost in the fifth round.” he said sliding the helmet onto his head and adjusting it.
“Eh, that sucks.” I said leaning against my bat. He just shrugged and put a coin into the machine and adjusting the speed to medium.
“Not fast?” I teased adjusting mine to medium as well.
“I’m only warming up.” he said throwing his bat over his shoulder. I watched as Jack stepped into his cage and took a few practice swings. The machine made a beep signaling for it to be ready. I watched the tall boy hit every ball he was thrown at. I stepped into my cage and began swinging at the balls that were thrown.
“How are Alex and Rian?” I asked him as we put in our next coin for the next fifteen pitches.
“They’ve been a little unfocused lately, who knows why.” Jack said. He took his helmet off and and slid it back on. “They also miss you. Now that they know what you’re doing.”
“Oh.” I said. “I never really thought I would actually get back into baseball.”
“It was that catcher huh?” Jack asked sliding back into his cage again.
“What do you mean?” I asked him.
“He was the one that got you back into baseball. Don’t lie.” Jack replied.
“Maybe.” I said.
“You got the hots for him?” I could see Jack grin and raise his eyebrows from where I stood.
“I-uh-“ I decided to not answer that.
“It’s okay if you do. I got over you.” said Jack swinging away at a ball. I could hear the sound of the ball hit the center of the bat. I almost jumped from how loud the sound was. It scared me knowing that Jack could hit like that.
“At least I think I am.” Jack continued his sentence turning his helmet towards me. He smiled and gave me a thumbs up. I couldn’t help but smile and give a small laugh.
“You’re still silly as ever.” I said taking a swing at the ball.
“Nice swing!” he said. I stuck my tongue and focused on hitting the baseballs that were being thrown by the machine.
Sooner or later we changed to fast and were hitting like crazy. I got a few fouls and finally stopped around two hundred. I could have gone more I just didn’t feel like it. I returned the helmet and slid my bat into my duffel bag again.
“You should really come back to Geneva.” Jack said the minute we left the batting cages.
“Why?” I asked. We began walking down the sidewalk not sure where we were supposed to be going.
“You just need too. The team misses you ya know.” said Jack slipping his hands into his pockets.
“I like where I am though.” I said. Jack sighed.
“I don’t know how to put this.” he said. “I don’t know how to get you back.”
“Huh?” I asked.
“I don’t know anymore.” Jack sighed once again. He hung his head low. “I guess I’m just being selfish.” he laughed.
“J-Jack?” I asked him.
“Oh nothing!” he lifted his head and smiled directly at me. I raised an eyebrow in a joking matter and shrugged those comments away for the next few minutes.
We walked in silence wondering what to do next. It was getting near that time where the sun set and everything changed to the tone of red and orange.
“I, uh, enjoyed hanging out with you today.” I said. “It’s nice to catch up with old teammates.” I playfully punched him in the arm..
“Heh, really? I enjoyed it too!” Jack said smiling once again. Did he ever not smile? We passed the park and the town and sooner or later we passed my street without even realizing it.
“That’s my street.” I said.
“Should you get home?” Jack asked.
“Probably.” I said. “I’ll talk to you another time?”
“Okay, cool!” Jack said.
“Bye!” I said, turning around on my feet.
“Uh, wait-“
“Hmm?” I spun back around on my feet.
“Uh-“ Jack looked around real quick. “Hug goodbye?” he held his arms open and a foolish grin on.
“Of course.” I said. I gave him a hug as he returned it.
“See ya!” he said waving his hand in the air as we both parted our ways.
“Later!” I called out heading on down to my house.
I reached my house to stare at my front porch. I saw a familiar face and ran over to them.
“Hey!” I said. “What are you doing here?” He looks up for me to see half of his face swollen, black and blue.