Running The Bases
Missing
Chapter 13
I walked to the field feeling tired, as I yawned. I passed the tree to see Audrey reading a book like any other day. I waved wondering if Brett was here or not.
I entered the fence letting the strap of my duffel bag fall off and land onto my wrist. I looked around to see the regular team warming up on the diamond.
“Morning!” Dana smiled at me as I entered the dugout.
“Hey.” I said throwing my bag across the dugout. “Is uh Andrei here?” I asked scratching my arm.
“Uh, not that I’ve seen him.” Dana said. She was holding onto a clipboard and it seemed like she wouldn’t let go.
“Oh, well thanks.” I said turning my head to look over my shoulder. I heard laughter and voices coming from the diamond, yet I couldn’t understand what they were saying.
“Are you going to practice today?” Dana asked me. I leaned against the bench playing with the hem of my shirt.
“Probably throw around a couple of balls.” I said. “Is Brett here today? I saw Audrey…”
“I saw him earlier but then he left somewhere.” exclaimed Dana. I nodded and grabbed my mitt from my duffel bag and spun my head around.
“Where’s the balls?” I asked.
“I think in the locker room.” Dana said. “I’ll go get-“
“Nah, stay here. I’ll go get them.” I said waving her off. I jogged over to the locker rooms even though it was such a short distance. I paused at the front door to see if anyone was in there. I leaned my ear against it and heard nothing…
My hand went towards the handle, right when I heard a loud crashing noise that came from inside. I twisted the handle and threw the door open.
There lay a sight I never wanted to see…ever…
I had found Andrei; I guess he was hiding out in the locker room this whole time. With Brett…? The two were on the blank floor. I saw dust floating around, knowing that Brett’s butt did that when it landed on the ground signaling that this place was filthy as hell. Brett sat on the floor arms behind him, hands on the floor holding his weight up as Andrei was leaning over on top of him. Andrei’s arm snaked through the gaps between Brett’s arms and stomach. Their faces…too close…so close…
“Uh-“was all I could say. I assumed it was just an accident like they tripped or something. It was probably the noise I heard…
Both boys stared at me. Their faces filled with so much emotion at that moment I couldn’t tell what they were possibly thinking. I bit my lip.
“Eh-“ Brett spoke, but didn’t finish. I slowly took a few steps back from the two and decided to just leave, and so I did.
I left the two not sure why, and without asking questions. I mean it was just an accident. But, it was just…an awkward site to see…I walked back to the dugout to see Dana writing away on that clipboard.
“Did you get them?” she asked.
“Uh, no. I ran into Brett and Andrei in the locker room. They said they would get them.” I lied.
“So they are here!” she said.
“Er yeah.” I patted my mitt that rested on my hand and looked out to the field. I watched as Nick and Robert did a few drills together. The two went back and forth at each other throwing the ball and nonsense. I smiled at those two glad that I knew they enjoyed baseball. I switched my attention to the rest of the team. They sure did enjoy baseball huh? I saw as Joey laughed as he had a triple. Michael gave him a high five and the two smiled.
I smiled to myself, but to feel a hand on my shoulder, my smile went down.
“Julia-“
“There you are!” I said. “You left this morning, so yeah. I was just wondering where you were!” I half laughed like a total idiot and swore to myself that I would beat me mentally later.
Andrei raised an eyebrow. “Uh, yeah. Sorry about that.” His eye was still pretty messed up. I wondered if anyone had asked him…
“Anyway, about what just happened-“
“What are you talking about?” I asked bluntly. I stared at his white uniform. It was covered in dirt, and other things from running round the field.
“Don’t ignore it!” he said. “It was accident!”
“I know.” I smiled. “I know.” He gave me a blank look. I laughed, sort of.
“Can I at least talk to you later?” he asked me, waving a finger.
“Yeah.” I said. “Go catch some balls.” I shooed him off as I saw Brett making his way towards us. He looked pissed as his brows were down hinting anger in him. His eyes darted towards me and he gave me the coldest stare I could ever imagine. His fists were clenched and I wanted to ask him why he was so mad. He stomped past me, and exited the fence running over to the tree where Audrey sat.
“Brett wait!-” Dana called out to him, but no luck getting his attention.
“I think we should leave him.” I said, poking Dana in the shoulder.
“Why is he so mad right now?” she asked to the air.
“Who knows?” I shrugged.
“Hey, are you free today?”
“I think so.” I replied. “Why?”
“I need to talk to you.” Dana said, she pushed her hair over her ears.
“Uh, sure.” I said. “We’ll go after practice.” I left the dugout waving over to Michael.
“Hey, throw!” I said holding my mitt up. He took his mitt off of his head like usual, and slipped it into his right hand. He asked Nick for a ball. His wrist went with the motion of the ball as he caught the small thing. He took it and wrapped his fingers around it and held it up for me to see.
I nodded and he let his arm swing hard. I saw the ball coming towards me, the little white ball heading my way. It was right in my view the whole time, I kept my eye on it, and I really did. I held my glove up straight in the path of the ball.
I waited, and waited…I heard no sound, I felt nothing. Actually, I felt something rolling next to my foot. I looked down to a 3 inch white leather ball with red stitching.
I looked up to the sky.
Jakob, I missed.
I walked to the field feeling tired, as I yawned. I passed the tree to see Audrey reading a book like any other day. I waved wondering if Brett was here or not.
I entered the fence letting the strap of my duffel bag fall off and land onto my wrist. I looked around to see the regular team warming up on the diamond.
“Morning!” Dana smiled at me as I entered the dugout.
“Hey.” I said throwing my bag across the dugout. “Is uh Andrei here?” I asked scratching my arm.
“Uh, not that I’ve seen him.” Dana said. She was holding onto a clipboard and it seemed like she wouldn’t let go.
“Oh, well thanks.” I said turning my head to look over my shoulder. I heard laughter and voices coming from the diamond, yet I couldn’t understand what they were saying.
“Are you going to practice today?” Dana asked me. I leaned against the bench playing with the hem of my shirt.
“Probably throw around a couple of balls.” I said. “Is Brett here today? I saw Audrey…”
“I saw him earlier but then he left somewhere.” exclaimed Dana. I nodded and grabbed my mitt from my duffel bag and spun my head around.
“Where’s the balls?” I asked.
“I think in the locker room.” Dana said. “I’ll go get-“
“Nah, stay here. I’ll go get them.” I said waving her off. I jogged over to the locker rooms even though it was such a short distance. I paused at the front door to see if anyone was in there. I leaned my ear against it and heard nothing…
My hand went towards the handle, right when I heard a loud crashing noise that came from inside. I twisted the handle and threw the door open.
There lay a sight I never wanted to see…ever…
I had found Andrei; I guess he was hiding out in the locker room this whole time. With Brett…? The two were on the blank floor. I saw dust floating around, knowing that Brett’s butt did that when it landed on the ground signaling that this place was filthy as hell. Brett sat on the floor arms behind him, hands on the floor holding his weight up as Andrei was leaning over on top of him. Andrei’s arm snaked through the gaps between Brett’s arms and stomach. Their faces…too close…so close…
“Uh-“was all I could say. I assumed it was just an accident like they tripped or something. It was probably the noise I heard…
Both boys stared at me. Their faces filled with so much emotion at that moment I couldn’t tell what they were possibly thinking. I bit my lip.
“Eh-“ Brett spoke, but didn’t finish. I slowly took a few steps back from the two and decided to just leave, and so I did.
I left the two not sure why, and without asking questions. I mean it was just an accident. But, it was just…an awkward site to see…I walked back to the dugout to see Dana writing away on that clipboard.
“Did you get them?” she asked.
“Uh, no. I ran into Brett and Andrei in the locker room. They said they would get them.” I lied.
“So they are here!” she said.
“Er yeah.” I patted my mitt that rested on my hand and looked out to the field. I watched as Nick and Robert did a few drills together. The two went back and forth at each other throwing the ball and nonsense. I smiled at those two glad that I knew they enjoyed baseball. I switched my attention to the rest of the team. They sure did enjoy baseball huh? I saw as Joey laughed as he had a triple. Michael gave him a high five and the two smiled.
I smiled to myself, but to feel a hand on my shoulder, my smile went down.
“Julia-“
“There you are!” I said. “You left this morning, so yeah. I was just wondering where you were!” I half laughed like a total idiot and swore to myself that I would beat me mentally later.
Andrei raised an eyebrow. “Uh, yeah. Sorry about that.” His eye was still pretty messed up. I wondered if anyone had asked him…
“Anyway, about what just happened-“
“What are you talking about?” I asked bluntly. I stared at his white uniform. It was covered in dirt, and other things from running round the field.
“Don’t ignore it!” he said. “It was accident!”
“I know.” I smiled. “I know.” He gave me a blank look. I laughed, sort of.
“Can I at least talk to you later?” he asked me, waving a finger.
“Yeah.” I said. “Go catch some balls.” I shooed him off as I saw Brett making his way towards us. He looked pissed as his brows were down hinting anger in him. His eyes darted towards me and he gave me the coldest stare I could ever imagine. His fists were clenched and I wanted to ask him why he was so mad. He stomped past me, and exited the fence running over to the tree where Audrey sat.
“Brett wait!-” Dana called out to him, but no luck getting his attention.
“I think we should leave him.” I said, poking Dana in the shoulder.
“Why is he so mad right now?” she asked to the air.
“Who knows?” I shrugged.
“Hey, are you free today?”
“I think so.” I replied. “Why?”
“I need to talk to you.” Dana said, she pushed her hair over her ears.
“Uh, sure.” I said. “We’ll go after practice.” I left the dugout waving over to Michael.
“Hey, throw!” I said holding my mitt up. He took his mitt off of his head like usual, and slipped it into his right hand. He asked Nick for a ball. His wrist went with the motion of the ball as he caught the small thing. He took it and wrapped his fingers around it and held it up for me to see.
I nodded and he let his arm swing hard. I saw the ball coming towards me, the little white ball heading my way. It was right in my view the whole time, I kept my eye on it, and I really did. I held my glove up straight in the path of the ball.
I waited, and waited…I heard no sound, I felt nothing. Actually, I felt something rolling next to my foot. I looked down to a 3 inch white leather ball with red stitching.
I looked up to the sky.
Jakob, I missed.