Batter Up!

Chapter 9

Happy Thanksgiving!! and if you don't celebrate or don't have it in your country, Happy Thanksgiving still. Enjoy!!

Today is the day. The day that the recruiters were coming, and also we are going to face Mecatown, and Marcus's father.

I was starting, Marcus hasn't been to practice since the time he told me about his father. He must be very nervous to see his old coach and father. I am very worried about him.

What happened that made Marcus act this way. At school, it was like he didn't want to talk to anyone. I look at coach Johnson, he looks like an older version of Marcus. I look at the bench where dad is usually at, but there is another person. It was, Mom? She looks a mess. I looked at her with sadness.

I do feel guilty for lashing out on her like that, but she needed to know how I felt eventually. I'll talk to mom later, right now I need to focus on the game, and Marcus.

Ten minutes before the game started. Marcus arrives. He sits down and stares straight ahead. I went over to Marcus. I pulled him outside of the dugout.

"Where the hell you been?! You have been missing practice, you are not answering the phone, it's like you don't want to talk to no one."

Marcus looks behind me. I turn at his direction, he's looking at Coach Johnson. I look back at Marcus, he still looking at him.

"It's about him isn't it." Marcus turn his gaze to his phone.

I pull his face up to my face level. "Isn't it!"

Marcus eyes darken. "Mar-"

"Look just leave alone! Focus on the game, it's about to start!" He walks back to the dugout.

For the next 8 innings, I play my hardest and turn up the energy another level. Marcus however, is the opposite. He is not hitting as much I know he can. he is not putting in any effort. he kept looking at his phone the whole time.

It was the bottom of the ninth. Bases loaded. It was Marcus's turn. He puts his phone down and steps to the plate. The pitcher gets in position, and throws a ball Marcus could easily kill out of the park, but he didn't do anything.

"Strike 1!" The umpire shouts.

Oh snap! I look at his phone, it was opened to face book. I grab the phone. It was opened to his messages.

There were of course sex requests from his groupie hoes, then I came upon a message from coach Johnson. I clicked on it and read it. I was shocked, I can't believe that he would do this to his own son. I hope he dies in a hole. I looked at the date, it was sent on the day that Marcus and I went to Mecatown, and he told me about that monster.

"Strike 2!" I hear the umpire shout.

I looked at coach Johnson, he had an evil smile on his face. No, this is not going to end this way, he's not going to win. I ran to the home plate. The umpire jumped up.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

"What are you doing Watson!" Coach squeals.

I reach him. Marcus gives me a confused look.

"Don't listen to him!" I harshly whispered. "You are a great baseball player, and I believe in you. I was mad because you are so good. That you wanted to take my spot away from me. I looked at the message, is that why you have been avoiding us?"

Marcus didn't respond. "You are the best player I have ever known and....."

My face turned red. I can't believe that I'm going to say this. "I like you.."