Desolate - h.s. ✓

° seven °

     My friends had agreed to go to the game with me on Tuesday. My mother couldn't go, nor could my father, so I was simply glad that I wouldn't have to be alone. There were a lot more people here than I had anticipated, but I realized that it was one of our smaller rival teams. Shaking my head, I sat down, Ella, Lex, and Blair following. They all looked pretty stoked about being here, which I thought was funny considering we could have gone to a baseball game at any point in time. The teams stood in front of the dugout about ten minutes later, the national anthem playing.

The rival team was up to bat first, which I thought was strange, but then again, I didn't know everything about baseball. However, I did know how the bases and scoring worked. Harry was the pitcher, and he had been for two years now. Ethan kept his position at the back field, always being good with throwing the ball fast from a far distance. At least, that was what my father was always praising him for when it came to baseball. We watched as Harry threw the first pitch, then the second, and the third. He struck the first batter out, my friends shaking me and pointing.

"Damn, your man is so good at baseball."

"You guys are ridiculous," I laughed. "I'm here for Ethan. It's his senior year, and he needs people here. Especially since neither of my parents could come."

They all acted like they believed me, though I knew they definitely were thinking otherwise. It irked me, but there was nothing I could really do to fix it. I was certain that was why I avoided telling them about Harry staying over entirely. They would make a big deal about it, whereas I saw nothing from it. After all, Harry was the one who was still an absolute asshole toward me. Like today when I had asked to use a napkin on his tray, he purposely spilled milk all over them. It was uncalled for, and rude, and I didn't understand his need for being so irritating around me.

"Ooh, look, another one out. That's two!"

The parents that were in front of us turned around, giving us dirty looks. Personally, I was thankful for them, or, I was until Lex told them off. She said it was rude of them to not mind their business, leaving me to apologize as they got up from their seats and moved away. After they had left, I shoved Lex. She appeared shocked, but I told her what she had done was overly disrespectful.

"It's fine. They're adults. They'll get over it."

Rolling my eyes, I watched as the person at bat got a hit. The rival team cheered, only for Ethan to catch the ball in the outfield. Our side then cheered, the next batter getting to first base. It was followed by Harry striking out the fifth batter, leaving the teams to switch. Just as the second hitter was coming out of the dugout, I saw a familiar head of brown hair, the woman holding a girl's hand who appeared to be about six, and a boy who was probably four.

"Gemma!" I called, the woman turning around and smiling up at me when I waved.

We were about three rows up from the ground, the seats in front of us vacant now due to my friends misbehaving. Gemma hurried over to where we were sitting — or, as quickly as she could with two younger children. They sat down, Emily looking back at me and grinning. "Ethan's sister!" she grinned.

"Oh, sweetie, that's Nicole," Gemma corrected.

"Hello, Nicole!"

The little boy was much quieter, Emily stepping behind her mother and asking if she could sit beside me. My friends shifted down, making room for Emily to sit on the bench next to me. Gemma asked how the team was doing, and I explained that Harry had done most of the work so far.

"I've been trying to come to more games with everything going on. He needs more support."

Everything going on? Harry said nothing about something really bothering him the other night. Of course, it wasn't my business to pry for information, but there was definitely a part of me that wished I was like Lex and didn't care what people thought of my bluntness. Sighing, I watched as our team got a run, Ethan coming up to bat. There was cheering from a bunch of girls a little farther away, but my friends and I also cheered.