Just a Game

Chase's POV

It was a long weekend, I didn't go to school on Monday so it seemed as if it were longer. I wouldn't miss today though, it was our first league game. Baseball was pretty much the only thing I cared about. I would have flunked out by now if baseball didn't motivate me to keep my grades up. It's te only thing that makes getting up at 7 in the morning everyday worth it. We got out of class early to mid fifth period and apparently so did the softball team. Kelly was in my class and she left with Alex and I.

I walked over to my locker to throw my book in there and Keaton was at hers. Empty halls, this was as good a time as any to give her the stuff from the other night. I walked over to her locker and she closed it and screamed when she saw me. "Oh my God," she said, "you almost gave me a heart attack." She put her hand on her heart trying to calm herself down.

"Just thought I'd give you your stuff," I said handing her a plastic bag with her dress, bag and jacket in it.

"Oh thanks," she said opening her locker again, "I've got your stuff too." She took out my folded clothes and handed it to me. I took it and then she smiled and walked over to Michelle. As I said it was a long weekend.

I walked over to the gym and went to get ready and grab the equipment. Jake was back there taking everything out of the closet. "Why are we leaving so early," I asked grabbing a bucket.

"We're sharing a bus with the girls," he shrugged. Never in the four years I've been on varsity have we ever shared a bus with the softball team. With JV yes, but not with the girls.

"Are you serious," I said and he nodded.

"And Kelly said they want the back, so we gotta hurry and beat em to it," he said.

We got the whole team to hurry and we all raced out towards the bus and we took the girls by surprise because they were just all sitting there waiting. I heard Kelly yell, "Jenna hurry up and get us the back." There was no way or chance they could catch up. Jake and I were the first to get on the bus and we high fived voctoriously.

"You don't really think we're so dumb as to have the whole team just sit there," Michelle said raising her eyebrow and Keaton smiled next to her with an eyebrow raised as well. They were sitting across from eachother.

"These back 12 seats are reserved for the softball team, sorry," Keaton said making a fake sympathetic face.

"No way those are our seats," I said walking over to pass them.

"That's not fair," Keaton said standing up to guard their claimed territory, "we got here first, it's ours, we won fair and square."

"So," I said, "I don't care, who's going to stop me from sitting back there."

"I am," she said getting in fighter stance.

"You," I said almost laughing at the idea, "you're tiny, you couldn't stop me, and besides you're a girl you stand no chance."

"Oh really," she said with a sinister smile and I nodded, "your black eye last year begs to differ Chase." Yeah, we had some problems, I lied to mess with her, but sometimes I took it too far. Don't get the wrong idea though, I don't believe in hitting girls.

"Dude, you so got owned," Jake said surrendering and sitting down in front of his girl friend. I decided to do the same I'd just let it go, it was a short bus ride anyway. We had to watch the girls game until we would go and start to warm up for our game. So we stayed till the top of the fifth. We were ahead by one and Kelsey comes into the dugout and walks over to the third base coach.

"I think I'm car sick from the bus ride, can I sit," she asked. Car sick and you want to sit out, that's what I hate about girls. There is no way a guy would want to stop playing from car sickness. I mean Kelsey is hot and all, but that just kills me. How are you not car sick for four innings and suddenly now you are.

"Yeah," the girls all screamed and I turned to the feild, base hit. Keaton surprises me everytime, usually pitchers are one dimentional, but she can hit and I've seen her play short. She's just plain good. Like Jake, I wouldn't place him anywhere except that mound. I don't know how fast she is, but she takes a pretty ambitious lead, and not afraid to dive back, she's done it twice now. Kelly was up and had a ball and a strike, and as son as the next pitch touched the ground Keaton took off to second. The throw would have gotten her out if it weren't for an amazing back door slide.

"Did you see that," I said to Jake who probably hadnt since he was too busy waving to Michelle who was on deck.

"No," he said looking up, "what happened." I waved him off and watched closely, I'll never admit it, but I love watching the girls play. They're really good. Kelly hit the ball to the pitcher and she bobbled it and Keaton went to third sliding just under the tag. She smiled knowing she had saved Kelly from being out and wiped some of the dirt off, only to have to dive back again.

Michelle hit the first strike she got to the third baseman and on the throw Keaton went making for another close slide at home. "That's great base running Keaton," theri coach said as she picked up the bat and trotted into the dug out with Michelle.

"Keaton thanks for at least giving me an RBI," Michelle said.

"No problem," she said, "its not like I was going to waste an opportunity to score Michelle." She turned and walked to the end of the dugout taking off her helmet and gloves and just tossing them aside. Everyone was congradulating her. She grabbed the first aid kit and dragged it to the end of the dug out. She pulled her pants up over the cut and it was gushing blood.

"Keaton," he coach said coming over to the fence, "you oky."

She turned around and smiled, "yeah coach, it's just a cut." She laughed as she showed it to him and then put the bandaid over it.

"I'm not talking about that, I'm talking about you hurting your wrist going into second," he said raising his eyebrow.

"That was a perfect slide," she said defensively and continued, "I did not hurt my wrist." The coach shook his head and turned. Keaton turned back around with a smile that faded into pain. She grabbed her wrist and clenched and unclenched a her hand into a fist a few times. That's a real athlete, she's going to pitch three more innings with a hurt wrist. We had to leave soon. Our game was lame, not really exciting. Their softball team is better than their baseball team, so it was an easy win.

Of course the girls got on the bus while we were talking about the game. I was sitting right in front of Keaton who was looking out the window probably day dreaming. I f there was one comment to make about her it would be that she zones out far more often than normal people. She was holding her wrist.

I jumped back to her seat and said "you okay."

"Yeah," she said droping her arm trying to hide it along with the jump she had when I started talking. "Why wouldn't I be okay, besides the fact that you are now sitting next to me."

"I know you hurt your wrist," I said.

"No it's fine," she said.

"Then why have you been holding it since your game," I asked with my eyebrow raised.

She put her head down, "okay, but don't say anything, we have a game on thursday and I am not sitting because you decide to all of a sudden care."

"I won't tell," I said, "so have you started the English project."

"Haha, I cn't help you, I'm actually not supposed to," she said, "so don't expect a word from me."

"So you haven't started," I said.

"No," she said, "and depending on how tired I am I may not start until tomorrow morning." It was amazing that people like her could write an entire history report at lunch time and get 100% and I could actually work a full week on it and barley get a C. That really happened by the way. She was definately tired, because within a minute of silence she was out and I couldn't move. I didn't want to wake her up, besides I didn't really mind.