When Brock and Bryan had moved here, they had been better-than-average ballplayers. Over the last three years, I’d watched them mature. Bryan had become a load to get out at the plate. He had an excellent eye and quick-enough hands to make it hard to fool him without him getting a piece of the ball. He’d also learned the patience to wait for a pitch he liked.
I cheered him on as the count went full, and Bryan fouled off three straight pitches.
“Straighten it out!” Tim yelled to his teammate.
“What the …” I muttered.
“What is it?” Tim asked.
I didn’t get a chance to tell him because Bryan had squared up to bunt. Saint Viator’s pitcher was as surprised as I was because he ended up throwing the pitch into the dirt, walking Bryan.
I grabbed my gear and stepped out to the on-deck circle to warm up while Wolf took his at-bat. On the first pitch, their pitcher threw inside and clipped Wolf’s wrist. He represented the go-ahead run, and I was now up.
Saint Viator’s coach had seen enough and called for a lefty out of his bullpen to face me. While he warmed up, Coach Haskins had a word with me.
“Just focus on putting the ball in play. We don’t need you to try to win it all with a home run.”
With that advice, I took my place in the batter’s box.
From what I’d seen of the kid warming up, he was good but not great. I was confident I could hit him.
I dug in and ran through my ritual at the plate, then took a couple of deep breaths to center myself as I dropped into the zone. Our crowd was on their feet, making a lot of noise. I knew I was ready when the noise began to fade in my head.
As he released it, I saw the ball in the pitcher’s hand. It was going to be a slider, which I assumed would try to nip the outside corner of the plate. I made good contact with the ball. The first baseman made a jump to snag it out of the air. Both Bryan and Wolf thought it would get through. I cursed when he came down with the ball and ran to first to get Wolf out.
The first baseman fired to second, but Bryan made it back in time.
I was tempted to snap the bat over my thigh but remembered we used aluminum bats, which might just add to my woes.
Brock saved my bacon when he hit a homer to give us a 2–1 lead, which held up as the final score.
◊◊◊
I was signing autographs when two brothers were next.
“Keep your head up,” the older one, who had to be twelve or thirteen, said. “You tried your best.”
“You’ll know not to throw your glove next time,” the younger one added.
I couldn’t help the smile that crossed my face. They reminded me of when I was younger and playing the game just for fun.
“Sometimes you make mistakes out there,” I said. “I had a coach tell me to stay in the moment and focus on the next play. Remember that when something goes wrong out there.”
“That’s what our dad tells us when we mess up,” the younger one replied.
“Sounds like you should listen to your dad,” I said.
I spotted him behind the boys, and he tipped his cap to me. Honestly, that was the best part of my day.
◊◊◊
Chapter 28 – Act Like You’ve Been There Thursday May 4
For the sectional finals, we finally had to travel. We were facing number-one seed Lemont, located in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. On the positive side, we were getting out of school early to travel the two-plus hours it would take to get there.
When we all exited the field house, I was reminded again how much I loved our booster club. We found a charter bus waiting for us, rather than the yellow school buses most high school teams traveled in. After putting my bag with my baseball gear underneath, I climbed on. I looked around to find the perfect seat and spotted my brother sitting next to Roc. I couldn’t think of a better distraction than being able to torment Phil for the ride.
“Go sit with Yuri,” I told Roc.
“He had chili last night and smells,” Roc complained.
“You live on a farm,” I reminded him. “I’m sure you’ve smelled worse.”
“You wanna bet on that?” Phil asked.
“Just move. I need some bonding time with my brother.”
“Really, there’s no need …” Phil started.
Roc thought it was a great idea and made Yuri move so they were across the aisle in position to watch me wind my brother up. Phil’s best friends apparently thought this would be something to marvel at, like a distant and wild storm that was about to hit. He eyed me like I was the cheese in a mousetrap that attracts its prey and then whacks them dead.
“Hey,” I said to break the ice.
“You’re squirrelier than a bag full of squirrels, sometimes,” Phil said.
“Dude,” Yuri said as he shook his head in disappointment. “That was your best one?”
Phil leaned forward to see the amused looks on his friends’ faces and flipped them off.
“I’ll make this fast,” I said to get us back on track.
“Make it faster than fast,” Phil grumped like my three-year-old niece would.
“Did you finally man-up and ask … wait for it,” I said as I held up a finger. I gave my brother a look that said his ex was like dry brush to the flame of my imagination. “… Jill to Prom?”
As soon as the words hit the air, I realized it was precisely the wrong thing to say. Phil’s face turned bright red.
“I’d tell you what I really think of you, you illiterate piece of crap, but I’d have to use words bigger than two syllables, and you wouldn’t understand,” Phil huffed.
Yuri looked at Roc, and they nodded to say that was better than the squirrel shot.
“If you had,” I continued, ignoring his little snit, “I wanted to let you know I reserved a hotel room for you.”
Phil’s mind must have locked up because he just gaped at me. Big brothers weren’t supposed to surprise little brothers with excellent gifts, like a room to get busy in after Prom.
“Give me the key. He would just waste it,” Yuri suggested.
That made me laugh. Phil told me I was number one with his middle finger as I left to go sit with Wolf, Tim, and Johan.
◊◊◊
Before the game, our bus stopped down the street at Turnabout Pizza so we could eat. I walked in and spotted a group of teenage girls. One, in particular, caught my eye. She was cute as hell, with pixie-like features topped with huge blue eyes and strawberry-blonde hair twisted along her nape. Something about the quirk of her mouth said she wasn’t as innocent as one might think at first glance.
“Oh, crap. I’ve seen that look before,” Tim said.
“I’ll bet you a dollar you can’t act like a jerk and get her number,” Wolf challenged.
“Don’t encourage him. He’s taking Cassidy to Prom tomorrow night, and she would kill us all if we ruined that for her,” Johan reasoned.
Our Mennonite friend cracked us up when he acted as the voice of reason.
“He’s not planning to take her to the bathroom and have his way with her,” Tim said and then turned to me. “Are you?”
Wolf whacked him in the back of the head for me.
“Thank you. Now let’s see if I can get those digits,” I said confidently.
All four girls’ heads snapped around as I strolled up to their table. With her in a group like this, it would be infinitely harder for me to pull this off than if she were alone. The pixie looked at me in an appraising way that made me want to turn and run, but I’d been challenged. I knew hot chicks like her were used to guys falling all over themselves to get close to them. That was why they fell for the bad boys.
“I like your look,” I started with my eyes locked on my target. “A lot of girls are cute, but you’re not concerned about that. You have character.”
“Character?” she asked as her eyebrows rose high on her forehead.
“Yeah. It’s like your clothes; they tell me you don’t care what anybody thinks.”