Running The Bases

Chapter 4
I blinked. I blinked twice. In front of me he held a small electronic device. It was red.
“That’s my cell phone.” I said. Andrei nodded and dropped the phone into my hands.
“On accident I took it last night. Sorry. Did you miss it?” he asked.
“Actually I had totally forgotten. Um, thanks again.” I said stuffing the phone into the pocket of my jeans. I wasn’t wearing a hoodie today considering someone forgot to do laundry last night while they were eating ramen.
It was seven in the morning like usual, the whole team does warm ups, run bases, play catch, hit a few balls, then return to the dugout and change in front of me thinking I’m totally okay with it.
“Hey Julia, you wanna throw around a ball for a while?” Michael had asked me later on that morning.
“No thanks.” I said. “I’m really tired.”
“Eh, we’ll try another day.” he said and walked out onto the field, the mitt on his head once again. What a strange boy.
I sat down outside of the dugout today with nothing to do since I had already done my jobs for today. I focused my attention on the team’s battery today.
I still haven’t officially met Brett yet. I know everyone else pretty well, except for Brett. He’s such…an outcast here. I had never really paid any attention to him due to the fact that he didn’t strike to me as a baseball player at all, so I rarely watched him pitched, but today was different. I shifted my whole body to sit in the direction of where Andrei and Brett were practicing.
My jaw was dropping.
“Amazing huh?” I looked up to see the second baseman Robert standing over me. He was watching Brett and Andrei throw the ball back and forth. Robert’s eyes following the ball back and forth, back and forth.
“He has amazing control.” I said.
“Surprisingly he wasn’t in little league or anything. He started last year.” Robert said, pushing his glasses up as they were falling off of his nose.
“Are you kidding me?” I asked standing up. “He had to be. He couldn’t’ have been hiding that skill all these years!”
“They background checked him and everything.” said Robert. “Nothing.”
“Damn.” I muttered under my breath. “This kid…” I saw Andrei stand up from his catcher position and held his hand up to motion Brett to stop. The two walked by Robert and me as they discussed different breaking balls. Andrei did most of the talking. I stood up from the ground and headed over to the dugout. I shivered for a brief second. Damn laundry.
I turned to see Brett staring at the many kind of bats they had. He would reach for one then quickly pull his hand back and try to find another one. I walked next to Brett and look down at the bats. I reached for one and pulled it out.
“Here.” I said handing it to him. “I think this would be a good one for you.” He nodded and literally ran out of the dugout. I sighed and shrugged. A sudden breeze came through.
“Gah!” I said wrapping my arms around myself. I squeezed tighter wondering who turned the freaking AC on? Just then for a moment my field of vision became dark. My head also felt something warm and soft. I ripped the article of clothing from my head and looked at it.
“You seemed cold.” I heard Andrei say from behind me as he was looking at bats. I turned and smiled a little.
“Thanks.” I said. I slipped my arms through the long sleeves and zipped it all the way up. I walked out of the dugout with Andrei and he waved off and headed over to the batting practice. I stayed behind and wandered along the fence.
“Hmm?” I looped my fingers through the fence and leaned forward. I squinted my eyes to look at the base of a tree that was next to the field.
A girl, probably a student, sat under the tree. She was tall, and a ginger. It seemed like she had her nose in a good book. Her eyes ran across the page in a rhythm it looked like.
“Heh, the manager’s slacking off.” I looked behind to see August, arms folded, staring right past me.
“Shut up.” I said, grunting while walking past him. I gave him a push with my shoulder. August and I hadn’t really built a friendship yet. We were basically enemies right now. I stomped over to the dugout like I always do and sat down on the bench.
What was I suppose to do? Why do I even have to be here? What does a baseball manager do? I have no idea. Who does?! I tilted my head to stare down my shoes. I need new ones.
“Hey manger.” I looked up.
“Yeah?” Amy walked over to me and sat down next to me.
“You think you can get the batting order for Geneva’s team?” she asked leaning back.
“Sure.” I said. “Whatever the team needs.”
“Why don’t you head out early today?” asked Amy.
“Huh?” I asked raising an eyebrow.
“We’re only doing batting practice this morning. Go on ahead, they won’t be needing you.” said Amy. Her voice was soft, still loud, but softer.
“Oh, thanks!” I said. I rose from my seat and headed out.
“Oh, and Julia?” Amy stopped me.
“Hmm?” I stopped my feet from walking.
“I want you to start coming to the afternoon practices next week as well.” said Amy. “Our whole practice will be changing due to finals coming up.”
“Sure thing.” I said. I held a thumbs up and began to walk away again.
I stopped at the main gate of the fence and turned to watch the guys bat.
“Oh!” I looked down at Andrei’s hoodie. “Oh well.” I smirked. I walked through the fence and made my way over to the school building. I glanced at the tree I was staring at earlier, to only notice that the ginger girl wasn’t there anymore.
“Strange?” I muttered. I pulled my hood over my head like always done, and slowed my pace down. No rush to go to school. I had about a half hour to kill.
I reached the main building with twenty minutes left to do nothing. I stopped in my tracks at the staircase to look at the main door. There was a girl. No, not the ginger but another girl. She was around my height with long blonde hair. She looked around nervously as her feet were turned inward and her arms were straight down her sides. Must be a new girl I thought. Well it didn’t matter with me now did it? I sat down on the bottom step watching people pass by as the minutes ticked away.
“You’re here early.”
“Yeah they let me out early this morning. It was only batting practice.” I said to Mariah. Her hair was pulled back into a curly mess; I could tell it was one of her laid back days.
“So how many weeks till the big game?” she asked as I stood up to walk with her to class.
“Who knows? I’m not counting.” I said. We walked up the flight of stairs to get to the main door. She was still there.
She got a glance of me as Mariah and I were walking by. Her whole face lit up for a moment as it seemed. I looked away as I opened the glass door to get inside. I listened to Mariah ramble on about some new band she became obsessed with, but I couldn’t understand anything. My mind was blank for the day.
I sat down in my normal seat and rested my head on my hand.
“You left early.”
“Yeah, Coach let me.” I said to Joey. I didn’t even bother to look at him.
“We wanted you to bat with us.”
“Why me?” I asked. “I’m just some girl apparently running a baseball team.”
“Weren’t you in little league? You have to have some arm.” said Joey.
“Did Andrei tell you that?” I asked this time shifting my vision to Joey instead of the window.
“Actually, Coach did a background check on you, just like everyone else on the team.” smirked Joey. He put two hands on my desk and he leaned forward.
“Damn.” I muttered.
“What’s so wrong about being in little league? That’s bragging rights since you’re a girl.” said Joey.
“I hate softball.” I said.
“Yes, so you joined little league. What team did you play?”
“You know I was also on my middle school team, not that it matters.”
“Why aren’t you playing in high school?” asked Joey. “That’s the real question. Andrei says you have quite a pitch.”
“Just shut up and go away.” I said turning away. Just then Mr. Barakat had saved my life.
“Alright class, sit down we have an announcement!” Mr. Barakat said, smooth out his lavender shirt and cleared his throat. “We have a new student.”
I was staring out the window still not catching a single word Barakat was saying. I took a deep breath and turned my head to the chalkboard.
HUH? My eyes grew wide as standing in front of me was the girl from this morning. She seemed even smaller in front of the whole class, and with her blonde hair almost swallowing her up from how long and thick it was.
“Hello.” she said smiling. “Nice to meet you all.” Everyone replied back.
“I think there’s an empty spot next to Julia over there.” Mr. Barakat pointed out. He gave the girl a small shove so she could sit down. Mr. Barakat then continued with whatever he was saying.
The new girl turned and stared at me for a few moments, I just sat there pretending I didn’t notice. Class went on until lunch period and I stood up from my desk but to be stopped. I looked behind me to see the girl tugging on my hoodie.
“Oh sorry!” she said. “I-uhm-“ she paused and let go. Nervous much? “I’m new and I was wondering if you could help me.” I bit my bottom lip and looked down at her. Her face was turned to the side and she twirled her fingers around.
“What’s your name?” I asked her.
“Oh, Dana!” she said.
“I’m Julia.” I said. “Come on, I’ll help you around.” Her face lit up as she stood up. I lead her to the lunchroom hoping that she wouldn’t mind sitting at an empty table like I always do.
“Where do you sit?” Dana asked me as we stood near the main door of the cafeteria.
“Uh-“
“Hey!”
I blinked then turned.
”Oh hi!” I said noticing Andrei. “Wait, you probably want your hoodie back…don’t you?”
“Keep it for the day. I don’t mind.” he said waving his hand. “Actually I came over to get you.”
“For what?” I asked.
“Lunch of course.” he said. “The team was wondering if you wanted to eat lunch with us.”
“Uh, sure.” I said. “But I gotta help around this girl.” I pointed to Dana who nervously stood there.
“She could come with.” Andrei shrugged.
“Alright.” I said.
“Meet us out on the baseball field soon then.” said Andrei. He waved then walked off.
“Oh, who was that?” Dana asked.
“That was Andrei. He’s on the baseball team.” I said.
“Is he…something more than a friend?” asked Dana raising an eyebrow.
“NO!” I said holding my hands up. I half laughed. “Not at all! Why would you say that?” I rubbed the back of my head.
“Oh nothing.” Dana sighed. “Just wondering. Anyway, let’s go to the baseball field!” she tugged on my head and pulled me out of the cafeteria.
Dana stopped and turned.
“What?” I asked.
“Uh, where’s the baseball diamond?” she asked glancing away. She let go of my hand and we both laughed with each other.
I guided the blonde over to the baseball diamond, passing the tree from this morning. No ginger.
“Hey.” I called out to the empty dugout. I raised an eyebrow and turned to the pitcher mound. All ten members dressed in their street clothes, no white blobs of their uniforms against the tan dirt that they played on, were all crowded together, chatting, and eating. Such an unusual thing for me to see
“How do you know all these guys?” Dana asked me as she tagged behind me as we walked over to the pitcher mound. I sigh and turn my head to look at her.
“I’m the team’s manager.” I said trying to put on a cheerful mood about it.
“Oh!” once again Dana’s face became wide with excitement.
“Ah, look who showed up.” Michael said munching on a sandwich. I smirked. I sat down near Nick and Robert, as did Dana.
For the rest of lunch, I bet the whole school could hear only our shouts, laughs, and the meetings of new relationships.