Celebrity Status [1]

33.) Practicing

“How bad am I?” I asked after the first hour of practice.

“Well, I’ve pitched about twenty perfect pitches at you and you haven’t hit a single one. So I’d say pretty bad.” Ryder told me, sitting beside me on the small bench that was sitting beside the baseball diamond.

I groaned an aggravated groan. “I’m exhausted.”

Ryder chuckled and handed me a bottle of water. “We’re just getting started.”

“I can’t do this.” I said, shaking my head.

“Yes you can.” He told me. “You just need some practice. You dance, right?”

I nodded.

“Well, you don’t, like, dance perfectly to a song the first time you listen to it, do you?”

“No, it takes us more than a month to perfect a routine, though.” I told him.

“Then put your big girl thong on and try harder.” Ryder smirked.

“I don’t wear thongs!” I defended, causing Ryder to laugh as he walked back over to the awaiting diamond of dirt and hell.

“Sure you don’t.” He called over his shoulder.

I flipped him off as I followed  him and stood where he told me to stand earlier, grabbing the bat of doom and watched as Ryder grabbed one of the baseballs from the large white, dirty bucket of balls and slipped the mitt back in his left hand.

“Ready?” He asked.

I sighed and nodded. For Kale. I told myself. I’m doing this for Kale.

“Put your elbow out more.” Ryder instructed.

I did as he said and gripped the bat, preparing for the pitch.

“Keep your back straighter.” He told me.

I fixed my back and after another long inspection, he seemed satisfied with my posture. I watched intently as Ryder threw his arm back  and pitched the ball, looking like a professional player while doing so. The ball flew towards me and I made it my goal in life to make contact with the ball, using the bat of course.

I closed my eyes and swung, coming up empty. When I opened my eyes again, I saw the baseball landing along the tree line behind me.

“I almost had that one.” I insisted.

“No you didn’t.” Ryder chuckled. “You can’t close your eyes. You can’t hit a ball that you can’t see, got it?”

I nodded and he grabbed another ball. As I watched him get another ball, I wondered how he had so much patience for me in this sport that he’s so good at. I mean, when I tried to teach dance to a bunch of little kids, I would always snap at them when they couldn’t do something right. And then they fired me.

“Remember- Elbow out, back straight, but lean a little farther this way.” He told me and I leaned a little in the direction that he was pointing his finger.

“Is this good?” I asked, trying my best to look like the players on TV that I’d watched last night after I got home from spending the day with Kale.

“It’s better.” Ryder commented with a small smile. “Okay, here we go.”

And again, I watched as he threw the ball expertly towards me. I tried my best to keep my eyes open and on the ball as it flew through the air towards me at full speed. When I did, I swung when I thought it was time but to my disappointment and aggravation, I missed.