The brand-new baby is screaming. In French.
In German.
No, in French. It's definitely in French.
It isn't obvious, at first. It's not like she's screaming for a Weiner schnitzel or demanding a
...
[+]
Baseball is my life. But lately I'd realized that I don't want that. I want to be all in, by taking
more chances off the field, not just on the field.
I'm standing in the dugout of the Maine Kings, the crowd's roar like thunder, the stadium
lights cuts through the evening air, and somewhere in that noise I can hear my Dad's voice. He would have been proud.
"Starting for the Maine Kings, star pitcher, Kai Robinson!"
There's my cue. I jog onto the field, adrenaline pulsing through my veins. Baseball is what
everyone notices, but lately I've been wondering if I've been playing it half-hearted, hiding myself behind fastballs and strikeouts. Unfortunately everyone only sees and wants the baseball version of me.
I glance toward the stands and spot my friend, waving like a maniac. He is one of the only
ones to knows the real me. After my father's death I chose to focus on baseball because most of the people I encounter showed either pity or they wanted something from me. I hated that so I started closing myself in, never giving anyone a chance but Bec didn't give up on me.
Then I see her. A redhead in a sea of navy blue, hair glowing under the floodlights. Moss-green eyes, with a flicker of ocean blue. Suddenly, my world stops. She's laughing at something, oblivious to the chaos of the stadium. And then, I feel it, the urge to let someone know the real me and weirdly, that doesn't freak me out.
Every time I wind up, my eyes drift to where she's sitting. She reads through most of the
game, but when she looks up, and smiles, it's like I forgot to breathe.
Last inning. Finally, we're ahead by two. I wipe the sweat from my forehead, nod to the
catcher, and throw my final pitch.
Last strike and we won.
The crowd explodes. My teammates hoist me up, shouting, laughing. But my eyes are
already searching the stands. She's cheering now, book forgotten, beaming like sunlight in
human form.
After the game, her face stays in my mind. I'm still catching my breath when Coach Tyson
finds me near the dugout.
"Proud of you, Rodgers," he says, giving me a solid pat on the shoulder. "You kept your head
on, even with all that pressure."
I laugh lightly. "Barely."We're still talking when someone walks up beside him, her voice soft but teasing.
"Head in the game, huh? Looked more like your head was somewhere else."
I turn and there she is. The redhead from the crowd. My Redhead.
Coach chuckles. "Ah, right. Kai, this is my sister, Rory."
Of course. His sister. I play with her name on my tongue and I decide I really like it. It fits her like how sunlight fits the morning.
"Pleasure to meet you, Red, I didn't know you payed attention, with your nose being in a
book 95% of the time." I say before I can stop myself. The nickname slips out, and when she
smiles, it's like all air left my body.
I make my excuses and decides to leave before I embarrass myself further.
The second I walk towards Bec, he greets me with a smirk.
"So... you and Red?"
I groan, why does he have to be so damn perceptive? "We just met."
"Yeah, sure. Tell that to the way you were staring at her during the game."
My mouth opens to argue, but nothing comes out. Maybe he's right. Because even now,
when the night's quiet and the crowd's gone, my thoughts are still filled with her.
Rory:
The stadium's almost empty when I find my brother again. He's glowing with pride, first
game they've won in while, thanks to Kai.
Kai's across the field, laughing with his friend, but when he glances my way, the noise
around me fades. There's something unreadable in his eyes. Something real.
For a moment, it feels like the world tilts just a little, and I don't mind.
Tyson calls my name, snapping me out of it. I smile and wave, but my gaze drifts back to
Kai, who's already turning away.
He might go all out for baseball, but somehow, I get the feeling that there's something he's not telling the world.
And maybe, just maybe, I'll go all in to try and get to know the real Kai Robinson. Baseball might not be all for him...