My cheeks burned that he’d just lifted me like a rag doll. At least Ben had already taken off.
I slunk down in the seat, using my hand to cover my face. “Let’s go, Dad. I need some ibuprofen or something.”
“No problem, kid.” He revved the engine and took off out of the parking lot.
I dropped my head and relaxed against the seat.
“Long day?”
I turned to look at him, trying to decide which direction I was going to let my emotions swing. “You could say that, yeah.”
“How’d you get hurt again?” he asked, pointing to my ankle.
I shifted, accidentally bumping my ankle against the door. Closing my eyes, I breathed in, trying not to let the tears from the pain overtake me. This was definitely not a simple sprain.
When I knew my voice wasn’t going to give me away, I said, “I tripped over a girl on my team when I went to set the ball.”
“Weren’t you supposed to have a tournament today?”
I glanced at the road before shaking my head. “That was last weekend, Dad.”
“I’m so sorry, Rena. You should have said something.” He slowed down as we came to a stoplight. “When’s the next one?”
“That was the last one for club volleyball. I’ve got all of my stuff on the calendar in the kitchen. I have two months until the high school season starts, and I’m hoping I didn’t do serious damage to my ankle.” I pointed to my ankle and waited for whatever was about to come out of his mouth. Steve Gates was definitely a wild card when it came to sympathy.
I folded my arms over my chest. Biting my bottom lip, I pushed the tears back. Now was not the time to cry. I could see regret etched on his face out of the corner of my eye, and it almost made me give in. Almost.
“I’m sorry, doll. With practices coming up soon, my mind has been everywhere but here. Can you forgive your old man?”
Taking in a deep breath, I tried to decide if that was something I was capable of. It was almost a sad cycle now. I’d tell my parents I have an event, usually a volleyball game, they promise to come, don’t show up, plead for forgiveness, and usually give me some present to show how sorry they were. That’s how I’d gotten my car the day I turned sixteen.
Blowing out a breath, I nodded. Part of me wanted to throw a fit, but I wasn’t five. Sadly, that was about the only way I got attention these days.
“Let’s just get home,” I said, turning to stare out the window as the hot Texas wind blew through my hair. I knew some people envied my life, having celebrity parents, but they didn’t understand what it was like being an afterthought.
Seven
Ben
“Where’ve you been?” Jake asked when I picked up his phone call. I was a couple of blocks from the park after dropping off something for my mom at the house of one of her friends. My thoughts were back with the girl with clear blue eyes. My heart was still pumping fast after talking to her. It had been a couple of weeks since school let out, and with my travel baseball team, I hadn’t had much time to think about anything but trying to impress the scouts at each of the tournaments we went to.
“I was at the park,” I said, hoping he’d let it drop.
Jake groaned, and I knew what he’d say. “Your arm is going to fall off if you don’t stop practicing every single day. Your slider is just fine, but it won’t be if you don’t let your arm rest. We need you this weekend, Ben.” He sounded like a fatherly figure, just not my father.
“How do you know I wasn’t on the swings or going down the slides?”
Loud laughter echoed through the phone, and I chuckled, just thinking about trying to fit my long limbs down the twisty slide. I’d grown out of the park when I was around ten, although that didn’t stop me from trying back then.
“That was a good one, Clark. Anyone else there with you? I haven’t heard from Dax in a bit.”
“No, I saw Serena Gates there.” I flipped my turn signal, coming to a stop in the left-hand turning lane right before the light close to home. I was glad we weren’t face to face.
“I didn’t know you were friends with Serena. When did that happen?” Jake asked. A sound like water turning on in the background filtered through the phone.
What I wouldn’t give to have friends who weren’t so alert about things. “We sat next to each other at the play before school got out. I wouldn’t say we’re friends. I barely know her.”
“But you could be friends, or more than friends.” From the sound of Jake’s voice, he was teasing. “Maybe you should double with Penny and me. She’d love to have one of her friends hanging out with mine. You’re the most normal, so that’s a plus.”
“What’s not normal about this?” Dax’s voice sounded over the phone, and I pulled mine away, wondering if I’d been cut off.
“Dax, we were just talking about you,” Jake said, his voice sounding far away for most of the sentence. “Catcher of the Year just showed up at my house,” he said into the phone this time.
Jake and I both chuckled. “Nothing is normal about you, Dax,” I said as I pulled onto my street.
When the laughter subsided, Jake said, “Are you free next week? I’ll have Penny set things up.”
I hesitated. I wanted to go out with Serena, but having my friend set it up would make me look like a chicken. It would definitely be easier than working through my stutter in front of her, but knowing the guys she’d dated in the past, I knew I had to be more confident. “Yeah, but text me the details and I’ll ask her myself.”
“Really? You’ll really ask her out?”
I took in a long breath, knowing they wouldn’t let me go back if I committed to it. “I’ll give it a try.”
“Nice. Will do.”
“Okay, family dinner awaits.” I pulled into our driveway and turned off the engine.
“Hey, Ben. We’re planning a guys’ night over at Nate’s house Monday night. Just meet us there around eight,” Dax said. “And that means no girlfriends.” I could only assume he was staring Jake down right then.
“I got that from your emphasis on guys’ night, Dax. Penny’s busy with her dad and brother Monday anyway. It will be good to just hang out with all of us.”
“Sounds good, guys. I’ll see you then.” I slid my phone into the pocket of my gym shorts and walked inside.
My thoughts turned to Serena again. She’d been kind of ornery when I’d first sat down by her, but by the end of the conversation, she’d relaxed somewhat. I’d be mad too if I hadn’t been able to keep playing my favorite sport, but at least it wasn’t a major tournament or anything.
Where did Serena live? The thought caused me to pause. I really shouldn’t worry about her. A girl like her would never go for a guy who struggled to put two sentences together around her.
Then again, I’d surprised myself by keeping the stuttering to a minimum when we were sitting on the bench. I even felt somewhat cool when I entered my number into her phone. And she’d smiled like she couldn’t believe I’d done that.
Man, I liked her smile.
Giving out my number was something I’d never had the guts to do before with other girls, but some unknown courage helped. Maybe it was the thought of what Jake or Dax would do that helped me not panic. If only I were as smooth as they were instead of tall and awkward.
With a full summer of baseball ahead of me, I was better off forgetting about her. That would make going into senior year a whole lot easier. But there were some challenges I still couldn’t back down from, and asking Serena out was now one of them.
Eight
Ben
I spent Monday morning at baseball practice and then helping my mom with her flower gardens. She spent so much time out there day after day that I liked to tease her that they were her favorite child. She didn’t love that, but she’d learned I was usually kidding when I said it.
Daniel and I had built a sandcastle that sunk on one side in our play area around back. At least it was under a large weeping willow, giving
my body time to acclimate after being out in the heat all morning.
“Where are you going with the bucket?” I asked Daniel as his little legs ran through the crabgrass toward the house. He put it beneath the outside faucet and turned the wheel, sending water crashing into the bucket and then all around. By the time he got it turned off, his shirt and shorts were soaked, as were his socks. It didn’t seem to faze him as he beamed, picking up the bucket and lugging it with uneven steps over to the sand pile.
“We need a river,” he said, turning the bucket over. Instead of landing in the hole we’d called a moat, it splashed over the castle, making it look like the sand was melting away.
I laughed loudly as I watched his face go from excited to confused as he knelt by the smooth mounds of sand.
“I killed it.”
“You definitely did that, Daniel. Can we play later? I have to go to work and then Nate’s.”
“Can I come?” he asked, his hands clasped together as he stared into my eyes. It was always hard to turn him down when he did that.
Breathing out a sigh, I said, “If Mom says it’s all right, I’ll come back and pick you up.”
He hopped up and down, practically bouncing around the yard. I’d taken Daniel with me to hang out with the guys a few times, and it was usually pretty fun. Daniel’s infectious personality made it hard not to love him.
I walked inside to grab a different hat than the one I wore to games, and threw on my work polo and some cargo pants.
“I can’t go.” Daniel stood at the door to my bedroom with tears in his eyes.
With my phone and wallet in hand, I turned and squatted down, making it easier to be eye level with him. “Mom said no, huh?”
He nodded. “She said she’s taking me to the store. I got holes in my shoes and need new ones.”
I ruffled his hair and pulled him to me, giving him a big hug.
When he stepped back, I said, “What if we have a movie night or something tomorrow? I don’t have work or practice, and we can ask Mom if we can make popcorn. Maybe she’ll let you get some treats when you’re shopping.”
He danced from foot to foot, his eyes bright with the idea of a movie night. “Can I pick the movie?”
I stood, feeling the numbness in my legs from squatting for so long. “Of course.” It would be the same movie he’d watched every chance he could for the past month, but I’d survive one more viewing of it. I practically had the thing memorized.
Stepping past him, I walked over to the stairs. “Be good for Mom, okay?”
I saw him nod before I turned and sped down the stairs. “Mom, I’m heading to work and then Nate’s,” I called.
She stepped out of the laundry room on the other side of the kitchen. “Okay, just remember not to stay out too late. You have a dentist appointment in the morning.”
“I know, Mom,” I said, trying to keep my tone even. She was just trying to watch out for me, but I was usually on top of my schedule. It made me wonder how she’d react if I weren’t so responsible.
I drove to the clinic, glad I had an earlier shift than usual. That meant I wouldn’t have to stay and wipe everything down after everyone left. To be honest, work wasn’t the first thing I wanted to do now that it was summer, but it was worth it to get some experience and a little money.
Stepping through the doors, I glanced at the schedule of people who’d checked in, recognizing most of the names. I scrolled over to see the ones who’d be coming in later, which helped me prepare things for my boss to use. As I made it down to the times at the end of my shift, the very last name stood out to me, and panic took over.
Serena Gates.
Nine
Serena
As much as I dreaded going to the physical therapist, I was over hobbling around, unable to walk like normal. It had only been two days, and I knew I wouldn’t survive in a cast for weeks or months.
My mom dropped me off on her way to her shop in downtown Pecan Flatts since it was too painful to drive with my right foot.
“You’re not coming in, Mom?” I asked as she pulled up to the curb.
She grabbed her wallet from her purse and pulled out an insurance card with my name on it. “I’m already late for a meeting, Rena. Here’s your insurance card, and just use your credit card for the co-pay. Your dad should be free to pick you up. He said something about finishing with his trainer around six.” She pushed up her sunglasses and fixed her hair in the mirror. “I’ll be home for dinner tonight, though. I think Liza made your favorite: chicken and kale.”
I opened my mouth to say that was most definitely her favorite dinner, while I could probably find something better to eat in the trash. But now was not the time to argue. She was already irritated as it was. Just another reason for my ankle to get better. I needed the freedom driving myself places could afford, because when my parents forgot about me, at least I wasn’t begging them to be dropped off places like I’d done for years before I got my driver’s license.
I got out and hopped on one foot to open the back door of my mom’s SUV. I grabbed the crutches I’d been using the past day and a half. They were from when my dad had knee surgery three years before, and even on the lowest setting, they were awkward to maneuver. But anything was better than hopping or putting my full weight on one foot the whole time.
Walking through the door, I was greeted by the receptionist, who took all my information, insurance card, and payment before ushering me into the back room.
“This is John Talbot. He’s the owner and head physical therapist of the place and will get you fixed right up.” The woman left me in front of a guy who looked like he could’ve taken on a truck in a game of chicken.
“Serena Gates, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” He reached out his hand, and I placed mine in it, surprised that it disappeared beneath his thick fingers.
I frowned, wondering who he could have been talking to about me. “Finally?”
“Your dad talks about you all the time. He said you’d be in today when I saw him this morning at the gym. We go way back.” The guy’s broad smile was infectious, and as curious as I was about the truth of his words, I couldn’t stop a smile. I just wished my dad would spend more time talking to me than about me.
A few seconds ticked by, and as John dropped my hand, the pieces clicked. “Are you Big T?”
The man chuckled, the sound so deep I was sure he had to be using a voice synthesizer. “That was my nickname back in college. Your dad and I played together and then got drafted in the same round. I ended up with too many concussions after a few games and the doctor said if I got hit one more time, it wouldn’t go over well.”
“I’m surprised I haven’t met you before. Dad talks about you all the time.” I leaned onto the crutches, the burn in my good calf making it hard to focus.
John waved. “I met you a few times when you were a kid, but with how busy your parents are, it’s hard to find a time to get together.”
“You’re telling me,” I mumbled. The words struck too close to home, and I was just ready to get going with this appointment.
He patted a table and said, “Hop up here. We’ll get you warmed up and going. Did you bring your x-rays?”
All the air rushed out of my lungs. “Um, I didn’t get an x-ray done.”
“MRI?”
Shaking my head, a wave of shame rushed up, the heat singeing my neck and cheeks. John seemed to understand my embarrassment and patted the table again. I’d just trusted my dad when he said I wouldn’t have to go to a doctor for the injury. My worry now was that I’d have to go to the hospital and my ride had already left.
“I’m going to push around a bit, just to check things out, if that’s okay?” He looked me in the eyes, waiting for confirmation.
“Do what you need to. The sooner I can walk on my own, the better off I’ll be.” I hated the desperation in my voice, like I was one burst of wind away from blowing down the castle of cards that was my life.
He pu
shed and prodded, bending and flexing my foot at different angles. When I cried out the last time, he stood. “From what I can tell, it’s a severe sprain. Hey, Clark,” he said to someone across the room. “Bring me a heat pack, will you?”
A tall, lanky form came to my side with the heat pack, greeting me with a nod and a nervous smile. “Hey, Serena.”
“Ben? What are you doing here?” I stared at him, wondering if I was dreaming. He’d been in my thoughts a lot since Saturday, probably because I was trying to figure out if he was for real.
The corners of his mouth turned up, his eyes bright. “I-I’m an intern here. So pretty much the errand boy.” He grinned, glancing at John.
“Now, now. Errand boy makes it sound bad. How about my personal servant?” John chuckled, the sound even deeper than before. “It looks like you two know each other.”
I nodded. “From school.”
John grabbed some cords from the machine next to me and peeled off the plastic square attached to two square pads. He placed them above and below my ankle, the cold from the pads making me jump a bit. He turned to the machine, pressing the arrows upward. The pads created a few pulls, like a massage to my ankle.
“Let me know when to stop. You don’t want it to be stabbing pain, just enough to stimulate the muscles.” His finger slowed down, waiting a few seconds in between. The massaging turned to stabbing, and I cried out. “Okay, let’s go to the level below that.”
I leaned my head back on the small pillow, trying not to glance at the boy still standing to my left.
“Clark, how’s the wing feeling?” John asked him.
Ben bent his arm and then waved it around in circles. “Feeling good. I was going to talk to you about that. I, um, we have a tournament this weekend, and we have to leave Thursday night. Can I come in during the morning shift?” Ben bit his lower lip, his whole body tense. It seemed odd to be so worried about a job, but then again, I’d never had one.
The Perfect Game: A Young Adult Romance (Rosemont High Baseball Book 2) Page 5
