Home Run || j.m.b [ON HOLD]

05 | act like i said nothing

Joey insists of spending the whole day with me - meaning following me back home, watch me get my softball gear from the corner of my room, snatch three packets of Zooper Doopers and confidently walking to our softball pitch even though he doesn't even know where it is.

"If we continue walking in whatever direction," he explains, "we will find the place eventually."

"Yeah, in like, a gazillion years, stupid," I sigh, flicking him on the forehead.

"But we will get to our destination eventually," he argues, swinging the bat he found in my bag beside him.

The rest of the walk to the field is filled with him telling me stories he's making up in his head as he goes, about two little sushi's on an adventure to find their seaweed wrap. The mind he has is peculiar in its own way, and to say the least, I'm interested in finding out how it works.

Nobody would ever think of two sushi's on an adventure - except for Joey.

"Oi!"

A person jumps on my back, her long brown hair blocking my eyes. "You traitor! You're supposed to meet me at Bubble Cup!"

Harper jumps off me and looks at me in mock disappointment. "And here I thought you were my friend."

"Sorry," I say, "a leech was stuck on to me." Glancing at Joey, I send him the strongest glare I could do.

Harper takes a look at him too, and does a double take. "Ah," she says. I can tell she's trying not to freak out by the shakiness of her irises, making me smirk a little.

"Hi," Harper grins once she regains her cool, letting out a hand, "I'm Harper."

"Joey," the boy answers, shaking the hand, "the supposed 'leech' Alissa was talking about."

"Right you are."

I watch from the side as Harper and Joey converse among themselves, mostly asking about their favourite colours, if they're a cat or a dog person - in which Harper says almost immediately that's she's a bird person.

I swear, it's like they've been friends for all their lives.

As much as I liked it for Harper and Joey to talk so the boy would get out of my way, I can't help feeling of nauseousness in my stomach. It's annoying, like a small kid riding his yellow bike holding a red balloon while licking his lollipop, asking you if they could go to the playground over and over again.

I want to vomit.

All through practice, I can feel a certain pair of hazel eyes watching me from the sidelines. I try my best to ignore it, but my eyes always look his way.

Joey gives me an excited wave, so I smile in return.

Why did I let him come?

To be honest, he's ruining my concentration a little and so far in this practice, from what should've been getting a minimum of five home runs, I haven't made one. Honestly, how can someone have the power to make someone else lose concentration. What kind of witchcraft is that?

"Come on, Alissa!" Coach Anne shouts in encouragement, "we only have a few weeks left to audition for the world camp! We have to get this right!"

Ever since our team won nationals last month, Coach Anne has been pushing us harder and harder. To secure our spot for the international games, we have to get the right coaches and that's why Coach Anne is making us go do these auditions for the camp.

I find it pointless - why do we have to audition? We are perfectly capable.

But whatever Coach Anne says we do, she and her team is the reason is why we're up here today.

I walk off the field to the side for a while, signalling Joey to get my drink. Joey rummages through my bag, when he finds it, he holds the bright yellow drink bottle in the air in victory with a grin, mouthing a 'found it' proudly.

Cute.

Sitting next to him, I smile gratefully at the boy as he gives me the bottle.

"I love water," I sigh after downing some, feeling refreshed as the familiar cool feeling goes down my throat.

"We all do," Joey tells me, his hand reaching out and I give him the bottle so he could put it back in the bag.

"So ..." I say, "how do you think I did?"

Glancing at Joey through the side of my eyes, I see him tilting his head at the thought, his eyes seeming to be far away. "I think you did good," he finally says, looking at me with a smile. "But act like I said nothing," he adds quickly, "I don't know much about the sport."

We laugh together, falling into silence.

"Do you think we can make it to international competitions?" I randomly ask him, watching the rest of the team do their own thing.

"Sure," he says. "From what I think, you guys can and when you do, I'll definitely watch you," he continues, "but what really matters is: what do you think?"

Man, this guy's got me thinking.

"I don't know," I say, "maybe?"

The rest of practice, I try as hard as I can, Joey's words lingering inside my head, repeating over and over again as if a broken record has suddenly shrunk and implanted itself in my brain.

Even when I arrive home that night, after Joey insisting that he'll walk me even though his bus stop is the other way, they somehow managed to get comfortable at the back of my head.

My head had a lot of things going through it, I didn't pay much attention as to what Joey was saying. Girls shouldn't walk alone at night, was the only thing he said that I caught, the world is a scary place. I almost had a heart attack.

Once I've showered and smelled all nice and flowery, my bed - which had been a tough something to restrain from jumping on to - is finally able to welcome me and now, I'm in a sea of blankets, warmth slowly wrapping around me.

My eye lids get heavier and heavier as sleep begins to take over my exhausted body. It's been a long day, and to match it, a good sleep will do good.

I'm in the brink of sleeping when a flash of light turns the lock screen of my phone on, but before I can reach out and see what it is, slumber has taken over.

      joey
      today was fun
      thanks for putting up w/ my
      annoying ass
      we should do it again sometime:)

•

its pretty short i know, but i tried my best:) i had a major major writer's block on this chap, but i hope you like it haha♡

oh and the fact we're 👌 close to 14k is amaaaaazing by the way♡♡♡♡(times that by millions and that's how much i love you guys haha-maybe even more)

p.s. new cover? oh yeeessssss