Name Of The Game

~ Chapter 1 ~

"Brandon I don't need your help, I'll be fine on my own." I manage to yell at my brother through the phone. He always treats me like a damn child, but I love him like crazy.

"I just want to know that you'll be okay." He says cautiously. I roll my eyes. Just because I got picked on almost every day in school doesn't mean everyone is like that.

"Who do you even know that lives in Milwaukee huh?" I ask honestly curious who he trust to let me stay with them.

"Christian." He says and I feel my stomach drop. I haven't spoken to Christian since I was like 16. I've seen his post on Instagram, and stuff, everything mlb says about him, but I don't follow him.

He comes home every off season, but I do everything I can to avoid him now. When he comes over to hang out with my brother who comes home whenever he's here I just lie to my brother and say that I'm having girl problems or I don't feel good. Or Whenever his family invites us over and he's there I tell my parents that I already made plans.

The last time I heard his voice was last year when he had to return to spring training, and I told my parents that I needed to study, so I hid in my room until I thought he was gone. It was about ten o'clock at night and I was just watching tv when I heard a knock on my door.

I remember it scaring me because I thought I was the only one awake. So instead of answering it I turn off the tv and pretend I'm asleep.

Christian said to me through the door "I know your not asleep Avery, I heard the tv. I guess I just wanted to know why your avoiding me. We haven't talked since that day. Are you mad at me? Is it because I left without saying goodbye last time. I'm sorry I know I should of, I just didn't know how to." I hear him pause.

"Just know that if you ever need anything I'm here for you, okay?" I hear his voice crack and the sound of his foot prints walking away.

After that day I realized why I was avoiding him. It was because I liked him, but I knew with our age and me being my brothers annoying little sister, that he would never feel the same way. I think I liked him because he was the first guy besides Brandon who was actually nice to me.

I snap out the my thoughts and almost drop my phone out of my hand.
"No." I say and purse my lips.

"Why not." My brother shoots back. I never told him why I was avoiding Christian, he would probably be mad about it anyways.

"I haven't spoken to him in two years, Brandon I can't just all of a sudden ask to live with him." I say with disbelief.

"And who's fault is that?" I hear Brandon say, disappointment laced in his voice.

"You know what Brandon, I'll be fine just leave me alone." I say into the phone and immediately hang up.

I continue packing my clothes and putting my stuff in boxes having no idea what I'm going to do.

Christian's P.O.V

" are you gonna go home and play video games yeli?" Asked my teammate josh mocking me.

A lot of my teammates make fun of me because I'm young, apparently good looking and I have no girlfriend.

I don't really want a girlfriend, I can have one night stands that don't mean anything all I want and no one can tell me otherwise. It's kinda nice actually to still be able to have an intimate relationship with no strings attached.
But sometimes I do wonder what it would be like to have my own girl again.

Not to sound cheesy or anything, but to be able to hold someone in my arms at night. To be able to whisper I love you to her. To know that she loves me back, and one day start a family of my own.

Then I think I'm still young and I want to focus on my game, and not get caught up with some random chick who could possibly be using me for my money or the fame, like amber did. That girl broke my heart.

I continue to say good byes to everyone and then get into my car and make the lonely drive home.

As I'm driving home I hear my phone ring and realize that it's my best friend Brandon calling.
That's weird he never calls me this late at night. Something must be wrong.

"Hey bro, everything all right?" I ask curiously.

"Yeah, sorry if I made you worry, Uh I had a favor to ask, not really for me but for Avery."

I think back to Avery, Brandon's little sister. I remember when she was the eight year old who always sat front row at Brandon's and I baseball games.

She's been avoiding me for a couple years since that day. The day she asked to kiss me. The day I let her.

I know it was wrong, I shouldn't of let her and I shouldn't of kissed her back, but I had just gotten cheated on by my ex girlfriend, and then she left me. I wasn't thinking straight and I kissed her back. It didn't go farther than that though. Once I broke out of the trance I just turned and walked away. Like an asshole.

"Yeah, man what is it." I finally say after a while. My heart starts to race. Oh shit does he know, has he figured it out, most importantly is Avery okay?

" so you know that Avery just graduated, and she decided against going to college for now. Instead she landed an intern ship with your photographer." He says, but I still don't see where the favor comes in.

"That's great, is there anything I can do to help?" I ask trying to get to the point.

"Yeah, um actually I was going to ask if she could stay with you. She'll be making money so she'll still help with rent and stuff, I'm just worried that something is going to happen to her and she'll have no one." He says with concern.

Brandon has always taken really good care of his sister.  Even with there age gap he always took care of her.

"Yeah of course she can stay with me, if she needs a ride to the field and stuff I'm headed there everyday when we're in town  anyways, and on the rode you know I'll watch out for her, always." I mutter the last word.

Brandon lets out a sigh of relief. "Alright thanks Yeli, she's packing right now so she'll probably be down there within a couple days. But now I have to go convince her to move in with you and not get a random roommate, thanks again Yeli bye."

He didn't make sure she was ok with it.  She's avoided me for two years I don't want it to seem like it was my idea.

Is it going to be weird having her live with me. She'll sleep in the room next to mine and we'll ride to the stadium together.  We'll be together all the time.  I don't know if I'm ready for that