Lollapalooza | Zhu ZhengTing

twENty seVen

~messages between 'Huang Meirong' and 'Zhu ZhengTing'~

ZhengTing: Hey

ZhengTing: me and Justin are going to play baseball in the park

ZhengTing: wanna join?

ZhengTing: if you're free ofc

Meirong: Yeah sure

Meirong: heads up, I can't do shit 

True to her words, Meirong stood uselessly as she watched the boys play. She couldn't even throw a ball without it flying sideways. But nevertheless, Meirong would rather spend time at the park than stay by herself in her apartment.

A loud sound appeared after ZhengTing batted a ball Justin threw his way. Meirong's eyes followed the baseball as it flew across a fraction of the park before gracelessly falling into an overgrown bush. 

"I'll get it!" She volunteered and jogged towards the unsightly bush. Meirong bit her lip when she saw the baseball, right between the tangled branches of the bush, maybe you should reconsider.

"Is there something wrong?" She heard ZhengTing ask from a distance and she shook her head, "no, everything is fine!"

Shrugging, Meirong decided to just plunge her hand into the bush and grab the baseball. She grimaced, not expecting it to hurt that much, but when she retrieved the baseball, her hand had a few scratches from the dry, flaky branches.

"It's nothing much," she muttered, as if trying to convince herself as she went back to join them.

"So, this is how you guys broke my router?" She joked as she tossed the ball over for Justin to catch.

"For the record, it was Justin who threw the ball," ZhengTing said defensively.

"It was you who batted it through Meirong's window," Justin corrected as he fixed his stance.

"Whatever," ZhengTing rolled his eyes when Meirong gave him a pointed look.

"Hey look, I didn't even want to do that in the first place, he suggested it!" ZhengTing jabbed a blaming finger towards the younger boy.

"You literally had the option to ignore me," Justin raised an eyebrow. "But you didn't."

"But-"

"Who's bickering like an old married couple now, Justin?" Meirong chuckled, interrupting their squabble.

"Would you like to... at least give it a try?" ZhengTing asked, ignoring Meirong's comment and quickly changing the topic.

"Eh," Meirong shrugged, "are you willing to teach me? You'll most likely end up hating baseball."

ZhengTing laughed, a clear melodic sound, "I'm sure I won't."

"Great, let's just hope I don't end up breaking anyone's windows," she teased, taking the bat from ZhengTing's hands and noticing his small eye roll.

"First off, don't stand like that," ZhengTing remarked when he saw the way his neighbor stood limply.

"How should I stand then?"

"Take a step back with your right foot, and bend your knees a little," ZhengTing instructed as he demonstrated for her. "And hold the bat with both hands. Raise it vertically, if that makes sense."

"Like this?" Meirong tried to copy ZhengTing's stance and Justin watched them in amusement.

"Yes, just hold the bat properly, high and behind your head to gather momentum as you swing it."