Running The Bases
Off To Pitch
Chapter 12
“What the fuck happened?!” I asked Andrei.
“I don’t have the slightest idea.” he muttered. “I come home, and the next thing I know is that I’m on the floor with a bruised up face.”
“My god.” I said kneeling down to sit with Andrei on the front porch. I grasped onto his shoulder, my eyes wide and alarmed.
“I’m fine.” he said.
“How?!” I asked him.
“I just need a place to stay.” he said staring at his feet. I glanced back at my front door, to see no lights leaking through.
“I could probably sneak you in.” I said. “Come on.” I grabbed his elbow and lead him to the front door. I quietly opened the door and guided him in. We each tiptoed up the stairs. I pushed him into my room, while it was dark still. I silently slammed the door shut and turned the lights on. Andrei stood in the middle of the room, his head wondering.
I took a step forward. “Why did you come here?”
“Who else could I go to?” he asked. “I don’t think anyone else would actually understand.” He walked up to the window, lifted the curtain, and looked outside.
I twirled my foot against the hardwood floor and stared. This was one of the few rare moments in the past week where it was just the two of us.
“So, uh, what plans did you have today?” Andrei asked. He tiptoed over to the and sat down.
“I went to see Jack.” I said.
“From the Geneva team?” Andrei asked. I nodded.
“Yeah, he asked if we could hang out, and I said yes.” I said. I took baby steps over to the bed. “You’re not mad right?”
“Mad?” Andrei half laughed. “Why would I be mad?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged and sat down next to him. “I mean after that one thing…” I stopped my words. I bit my lip.
“I do like you.” Andrei confessed. “I really do. I just didn’t know if-“now he stopped.
Now it was awkward between us. I didn’t know what to say, neither did he.
“I-I like you to.” I muttered. I could feel Andrei turn his head to face me. I slowly angled my face to look up at him.
He smiled. I half grinned, feeling my cheeks blush. My eyes darted in the opposite direction. Andrei laughed, and wrapped his arms around me. I laughed a little and pushed myself off of him. I yawned.
“Someone’s tired.” Andrei said. “You should get some rest.”
“Fiiiiiiiiiiine.” I said stretching out the word. I laid my head on the pillow and closed my eyes, not caring what Andrei did now. I heard him lift himself off the bed and move around. I was beginning to feel how tired I was. I tried opening my eyelids, yet I couldn’t from how heavy they were now. I heard noises then finally decided to let go and drift off to sleep.
I sat up in bed and looked around. The clock blinked seven thirty. I rubbed my head and looked next to me. There laid a piece of paper. I picked it up.
See you at practice.
It read. I blinked trying to remember what happened last night. I face palmed myself and realized that Andrei had spent the night.
Wait-
Where exactly did Andrei sleep? I went to bed before I could see where he laid down. I panicked a little. The covers on the other side of the bed looked undisturbed. That made my breathing calm down. I actually really didn’t mind, it just made me wonder. Very much.
I stretched my arms and slowly crawled out of bed. I lazily yawned and grabbed a pair of fresh clothes. I grabbed my phone and hopped down the staircase to walk into the kitchen.
“Oh-“ I stop halfway into the kitchen. “Good morning.” I said to my mother as she sat at the counter eating a bowl of cereal.
“Good morning.” she said. She took a bite of her cereal. I opened the freezer and pulled out a waffle. I closed the door and chomped down on the waffle. “Why are you up so early?”
“Uh, going to practice.” I said munching on the frozen waffle. Yes I eat frozen waffles.
“Practice? For what?” Mom asked setting her spoon down. She laid her head on the palm of her hand, as her elbow supported her.
“Baseball.” I said through all the waffle that I shoved into my mouth.
“Baseball?” she sounded surprised. “You taking up that again?”
“Yeah mom, I thought you would be happy.” I opened the freezer to grab another waffle.
“I guess I am. I mean it took you how many years to even touch another baseball?” mom said sliding her bowl over to the sink.
Damn, no more waffles left, I thought as my hands searched the empty waffle box. I closed the freezer door and waved off to my mother.
“Off to pitch some balls.” I said to her and slammed the front door.
“What the fuck happened?!” I asked Andrei.
“I don’t have the slightest idea.” he muttered. “I come home, and the next thing I know is that I’m on the floor with a bruised up face.”
“My god.” I said kneeling down to sit with Andrei on the front porch. I grasped onto his shoulder, my eyes wide and alarmed.
“I’m fine.” he said.
“How?!” I asked him.
“I just need a place to stay.” he said staring at his feet. I glanced back at my front door, to see no lights leaking through.
“I could probably sneak you in.” I said. “Come on.” I grabbed his elbow and lead him to the front door. I quietly opened the door and guided him in. We each tiptoed up the stairs. I pushed him into my room, while it was dark still. I silently slammed the door shut and turned the lights on. Andrei stood in the middle of the room, his head wondering.
I took a step forward. “Why did you come here?”
“Who else could I go to?” he asked. “I don’t think anyone else would actually understand.” He walked up to the window, lifted the curtain, and looked outside.
I twirled my foot against the hardwood floor and stared. This was one of the few rare moments in the past week where it was just the two of us.
“So, uh, what plans did you have today?” Andrei asked. He tiptoed over to the and sat down.
“I went to see Jack.” I said.
“From the Geneva team?” Andrei asked. I nodded.
“Yeah, he asked if we could hang out, and I said yes.” I said. I took baby steps over to the bed. “You’re not mad right?”
“Mad?” Andrei half laughed. “Why would I be mad?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged and sat down next to him. “I mean after that one thing…” I stopped my words. I bit my lip.
“I do like you.” Andrei confessed. “I really do. I just didn’t know if-“now he stopped.
Now it was awkward between us. I didn’t know what to say, neither did he.
“I-I like you to.” I muttered. I could feel Andrei turn his head to face me. I slowly angled my face to look up at him.
He smiled. I half grinned, feeling my cheeks blush. My eyes darted in the opposite direction. Andrei laughed, and wrapped his arms around me. I laughed a little and pushed myself off of him. I yawned.
“Someone’s tired.” Andrei said. “You should get some rest.”
“Fiiiiiiiiiiine.” I said stretching out the word. I laid my head on the pillow and closed my eyes, not caring what Andrei did now. I heard him lift himself off the bed and move around. I was beginning to feel how tired I was. I tried opening my eyelids, yet I couldn’t from how heavy they were now. I heard noises then finally decided to let go and drift off to sleep.
I sat up in bed and looked around. The clock blinked seven thirty. I rubbed my head and looked next to me. There laid a piece of paper. I picked it up.
See you at practice.
It read. I blinked trying to remember what happened last night. I face palmed myself and realized that Andrei had spent the night.
Wait-
Where exactly did Andrei sleep? I went to bed before I could see where he laid down. I panicked a little. The covers on the other side of the bed looked undisturbed. That made my breathing calm down. I actually really didn’t mind, it just made me wonder. Very much.
I stretched my arms and slowly crawled out of bed. I lazily yawned and grabbed a pair of fresh clothes. I grabbed my phone and hopped down the staircase to walk into the kitchen.
“Oh-“ I stop halfway into the kitchen. “Good morning.” I said to my mother as she sat at the counter eating a bowl of cereal.
“Good morning.” she said. She took a bite of her cereal. I opened the freezer and pulled out a waffle. I closed the door and chomped down on the waffle. “Why are you up so early?”
“Uh, going to practice.” I said munching on the frozen waffle. Yes I eat frozen waffles.
“Practice? For what?” Mom asked setting her spoon down. She laid her head on the palm of her hand, as her elbow supported her.
“Baseball.” I said through all the waffle that I shoved into my mouth.
“Baseball?” she sounded surprised. “You taking up that again?”
“Yeah mom, I thought you would be happy.” I opened the freezer to grab another waffle.
“I guess I am. I mean it took you how many years to even touch another baseball?” mom said sliding her bowl over to the sink.
Damn, no more waffles left, I thought as my hands searched the empty waffle box. I closed the freezer door and waved off to my mother.
“Off to pitch some balls.” I said to her and slammed the front door.