Batter Up!

Chapter 8

This was originally the last chapter of the book, but I have decided to get into more detail about the game with the recruiters and the ending of the chapter. there will be a ninth chapter and a Epilogue also so the story is not completely over yet. Enjoy!

I was shocked. But his mom has to be like 36 years old. Stanley is 50! I step back from the trophy case.

"Let me explain. I was a result of an inappropriate teacher-student relationship. My mom was 17 when they started their affair. A year later, she got pregnant. The student body found out the father was coach Johnson, they ridiculed my mom. Calling her a whore, slut, pushing her around. They didn't fire him." He clenched his fist.

His eyes were still dark of anger. "They said it was consensual, and she was 18 years so it counts. Meanwhile, mom dropped out of school due to the intense bullying. She stayed here even though they hated her. Even though he was the coach, I love baseball so much that I didn't care, I just wanted to play."

He punched the wall with such power, I stepped back in fear. "He tortured me every day. Calling me names, putting me down, always saying sly comments. And sometimes, he would hit me."

My eyes widened. This guy is a monster! I can't believe he still coaching like nothing happened. This man should be in jail.

"Then somehow they found that I was his son. The bullying started, and I would fight everyday. We couldn't take it anymore, so we moved to Dansville."

I looked at him with pity. He was fighting back tears. "The day we left was the day that Mecatown faced y'all the first time in the season, you know what he said to me the day before, when I told him that I will be leaving the team?"

I waited for him to continue. "He told me that it was a great thing that I'm leaving. That nobody wanted to see the "whore who screwed her teacher's" son play baseball. That he only had me on the team because he felt sorry for me."

Tears flowed down his cheeks. "Now I have face the bastard that ruined my life!"

I pulled him into my arms. I can't believe that he went through all of this. I thought he had the perfect life. At school, he looked like he didn't have a care in the world. I guess that shows me to never judge a book by its cover.

"You are the first person that I told about him." He said, sobbing.

I was taken back by this, he is opening up to me like this. I hug him tighter, and kiss him on the forehead. I used to do this when Thomas got scared at night. He would come in my room, and climb in. I would just hold him for hours. Mom used to do this for me when I was younger, and I was scared of the storms.

Used to......

I wanted to apologize to Marcus about what happened at the dinner, but I feel like that wasn't the right time.

"Thank you." I said.

He raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"For opening up to me." I smile.

He smiles also, that smile can light up a Christmas tree. We intertwined our fingers and walked back to the car. By the time I got home, it was dark and late for dinner.

I walk inside, they were already sitting at the dinner table. I reluctantly sat next to Thomas. I grabbed some (a lot) chicken Parmesan, and slapped it on my plate.

After a moment of awkward silence minus forks clinking on "fine china" as mom would say, dad finally addressed the elephant in the room.

"Where have you been?" He asked.