On the Run: The Texas Files ✔

Chapter 38: The Girl on the Team

Nothing has changed.

Both of my brothers are ignoring me. Dad leaves for a majority of the night, or at least, he has every night this week. I don't know what he's up to, if anything, but this is certainly strange. He's never left his room except to go to work and eat dinner with us.

Parker still doesn't know. Like I said, I don't know how to tell him. 

With our game coming up, I definitely didn't disclose it to any of the team either.

Really, I'm all alone in this.

"Robinson!" Tyler shouts.

I shake my head to wake myself from my own thoughts.

"Are you ready?" he asks.

I look around and remember where I am. Oh, mother of all that is good and pure. We're about to go on the field for our first game.

I nod. "Yes. Let's do this."

I'm not ready, but I may never be ready, so I have to swallow my fears and go out there. I put my hat on and jog after the team as they run onto the field. We then line up in front the home dugout and wait for the other team to join us for the national anthem.

The stands are full. I don't understand. No one comes to baseball games, especially high school. Everyone's cheering for us, and even the cheerleaders are here, which I definitely didn't expect either. I see Parker standing with his arms crossed and a smile on his face. He's looking right at me. He gives me a thumbs up.

I smile a little back at him and gulp.

I search the crowd for any other familiar faces. Lily and Marissa are here too, cheering for us. Even Andrew and Noah dragged themselves here. Deep down, I know Noah can't resist a good baseball game. And Andrew is too much like a father figure to not show up to my first team game. I smile to myself. At least I have support from my family. They may only be here because their girlfriends dragged them here, but I can pretend they are really here for me.

The other team walks out, and they look a lot bigger than we do. Taller, more built, and more athletic by almost every standard.  They're going to crush me like a bug...

We stand for the anthem and then the worst part of any organized baseball game: we have to shake hands with the opposing team. Something about sportsmanship, I think.

We have to approach the visiting team. It's polite.

I'm last in line, and I'm preparing myself for the looks I'm about to receive. I make sure to tip the bill of my cap up so they can see right into my eyes. Nothing scares your opponents more than confidence, even if you really don't have any.

I get to the captain. I extend my hand and look up at him.

He doesn't notice me at first, but he does a double-take.

As he stares at me, he doesn't let go of my hand for an uncomfortably long time. "What do we have here? This isn't a sport for little ladies like you, babe."

Ben, who's right beside me, hears him and snaps back around. "Can't wait to see her strike you out, then."

The other captain, who's jersey reads "Delaney," smirks. "Good luck with that, babe."

I roll my eyes and move on to the next player.

I get very strange looks. No verbal comments, but I think I've just put what they, here in the south, call "the fear of God" into fifteen teenage boys.

Here we go...

~~~

After two hours of catcalls and derogatory remarks, I'm about ready to hit someone.