Free Fall

Chapter Twenty-Six

Erick 

Today is the last game. The last game of baseball I'll probably ever play.

Kendall comes with Kelsey to every single game. Everytime I see her perched on the third row of bleachers, watching me intently but constantly averting her gaze, an immediate calm washes over me. I lost interest in trying to fight off what I feel for Kendall in the past two weeks. I love how I feel when she's around. 

But I still haven't uttered a single word to her. I feel as if I say even one word or hear one word from her, I'll break and stay here with her.  I can't do that. It's my job to protect my mom, and I can't have any distractions holding me here. 

The sun was brutal today, its rays beating down on the back of my head and neck as I warmed up Cole.

Cole. My best friend since before I could remember, always being the pitcher/catcher team in all of our travel and school seasons. The past two weeks, not saying anything to him either but having to work with him was unbelievably strenuous. Cole's usually relaxed face was hard and he ignored every single signal I gave him. 

Now, as I crouched behind home plate and pulled my helmet over my face, Cole glared at me as he rolled the ball between his fingers. As the batter stepped into the batter's box and settled into his position, I flashed Cole two upside down peace-signs between my legs. I didn't expect him to throw the fastball, but I know the kid batting. I know Cole does too, and he has to get over his irritation at me and throw the stupid fastball. 

Cole brought up his leg and I situated my crouch, holding out my glove as Cole pitched, throwing a massive curveball. The batter swung and I heard the sweet crack on the ball hitting just the right part of the bat and took  off my helmet to see  the ball soar over our left-fileder's head and over the fence. 

Burlington Heights' dugout erupted in screams and I shook my head. I knew Cole was going to do something stupid like that. First game of sectionals and my last game and the very first batter hit a homerun.

Figures.

**

Kendall

I came to this game alone. Kelsey had a doctor's appointment, and my stomach had fallen at the thought of not being able to go to Erick's last game. Despite her not being able to go, I found myself make my way to the baseball field and sit in the familiar third row.

 Silver Lake struggled immensly throiughout the game. Being a softball player, I knew clearly Cole wasn't following what Erick was asking him to do. I inwardly sighed. Erick hasn't talked to any of us in two weeks, sitting by himself in the corner of the cafeteria with his headphones in his ears as he would stare at a certain point. 

The look he always has in his eyes causes me to shudder and I shake my head, focusing back on the game. I glanced at the scoreboard and saw that it was 14-0, Burlington Heights, eighth inning. I winced. The game was definately over. Erick's last game was a reverse blowout. 

Sure enough, the ump blew his whistle and the Bobcats erupted in excrutiatingly loud cheers.  Anger rose to my cheeks at them making the situation for Erick that much worse. I watched intently as Erick disappeared in the dugout, quickly tearing off his catcher gear. Cole was still on the mound, looking at his cleats and utterly frozen. 

I saw all of his teammates try and talk to him, but he just shakes them off. He zips up his bag and slings it over his shoulder. A  tall man make his way towards Erick, USC printed in bold letters on his back. Bewilderment was now settled in my stomach as Erick brushes by him, shaking his head. He takes off so swiftly for the parking lot I had to struggle to catch up to him. 

"Erick-" I grab his arm and he yanks it out of my grip, whipping around to face me. His face is streaked with dirt and tears, his bottom lip quivering. I felt my eyes burn and despite what was going on-or, wasn't-between us, I throw my arms around his neck. "Oh, Erick."

His body tenses and he doesn't hug me back. I immediately release him and take a step back, swallowing. 

"Is there something you need?" He asked, obviously struggling to keep his voice even. 

"I-" I probably look like an idiot, my mouth hanging opening and staring at his angelic face as I struggle to come up with the right words to say. I close it, and was just about to let the one God placed in my life  so obviously walk away, but I couldn't. He had to hear what I had to say. 

"How did you do it so easily? Walk away like I was some..some trash?" My voice cracked miserably on the last word, putting a damper on my wish to be strong. His face fell and he opened his mouth to say something but I put up a finger. "I know you feel something to, Erick. I just know. I know that you have to leave, for a reason I don't know...but I'll still care for you here! Until you come back." The plan of giving him a piece of my mind completely fell through as I was basically begging him not to leave. 

His face was unreadable. "I can't, Kendall. I can't do that to you. To myself. I can't have anything here that makes me even wish I hadn't of left. "

"So you want to find someone else?" My voice was small and I wrapped my arms around my chest, feeling the familiar hole from Charlie's death start to tear itself open again. 

He looked the other way and bit his lip, contemplating. He sighed. "Hoenstly? No. But do I have to? Yes." 

A single tear slid down my cheek and I forced a smile. "Okay. Good luck, Erick. I hope you succeed in everything you have planned for life. "

"Kendall, wait-"

I turned on my heel and hurried to my car, almsot unable to see the cars with the blur of tears in my eyes. But once I yanked open my door and plopped into the driver's seat, I let all the pain I've ever felt about anything come out. The crazy thing about him is I didn't even know he'd become so important to me. It's like watching a snowstorm. You see the flakes falling, but you don't see how they add up. Then suddenly your whole lawn is covered. All the little things have finally added up, and Erick Sanchez is my snowstorm.