The Hitting Zone

"So much arrogance for a shrimp." Marie commented.

Zeke ignored her, and kept his eyes on Noah. "You have two minutes to explain."

Noah started from the beginning from when we going to sit behind the twins. He even went into detail about the challenge between both teams since Kyle and Marie couldn't play nice. As for us sitting three to a seat, he ended his mini speech with, "We'll agree to sitting in the back, but we refuse to sit with an extra person. Jake has a valid medical reason."

I do?

"He does?" Marie rolled her eyes. "Stop lying and go already. If we're late to our game, we won't have enough time to warm up properly."

Zeke looked down at her, tilting his head. "It's never been a rule that freshman have to triple up. If anything, the girls should since they're smaller."

"Of course you're siding with your littlest brother." She glared at Noah directly. "Nepotism won't get you far in life."

Uh oh. Noah's least favorite word.

Noah was ready to attack, but Zeke held him back by resting a hand on top of his head. "Go sit."

"But-" Noah wanted to protest, yet stopped with a single look from Zeke.

Zeke turned back to Marie. "You should try acting more like a proper captain and less like a middle schooler. You're not only the representative of your team, but also of the school. Don't shame us with that ugly attitude." Zeke glanced at us two. "Didn't I say to go sit?"

We nodded and hurried to the back.

"Zeke was too cool." Noah said, happily as we sat in the very last row. "Like ice cold. He shut down that Marie like it was nothing."

I nodded. Then I peeked forward to see how she would reply to Zeke. At this point, most of the players for both teams were on the bus and finding seats. Even though it was a packed bus, no one spoke since all eyes were on the two captains of the two different teams.

Marie stood up again, this time trying to face off with Zeke. But Zeke didn't give her the chance. He merely turned his back to her and walked to the front of the bus and took a seat in one of the front rows, just behind the coaches. Marie stormed up the aisle, only a few seconds behind. She skipped over Zeke and went straight to the unknown coaches. She spoke with one of the women, who in turned got up to speak with Coach Wilcox. She must be the head coach.

I nervously looked at Noah. "Do you think coach will get mad and force us to get a third person?"

Noah shook his head. "No way. If Zeke won't make you, then coach wouldn't either. He knows everything, remember? Worse comes to worse, we'll get off and call mom and dad for a ride."

"They're going even though it's an away game?"

Noah nodded. "Yep. I told you they go to all games as long as they don't have something previously planned."

The woman coach finished speaking with our head coach, and turned to Marie. We could see her lips move, but at the back of the bus we couldn't hear a word. It didn't matter though, because Marie stomping back to her seat said it all. Coach must have told the softball coach what was wrong with me.

I slumped back in the seat, a sense of relief washed over me. How exhausting. Is my life always going to be like this? I looked into my hands and saw beads of sweat. My sense of anxiety hasn't gotten much better. I thought I was doing well, speaking more, not flinching as much, but I'm still the same. I stood behind Noah and didn't speak up. Strangers shouldn't make me so afraid. I let out a sigh.

Noah leaned forward, looking at my distraught face. "What's wrong? Do you want the window seat instead? Would you be more comfortable with your back to everyone?"

I shook my head violently. "N-n-no. Definitely not. I want to see everyone." I looked out the window behind Noah. Then looked at the aisle. "I'm good here." I didn't want to feel even more trapped. Even though it was just Noah, I don't think I could stand being boxed in.

Noah shrugged and leaned back, trying to find a comfortable position on the very firm bench we shared. "This isn't so bad. Whenever we went on field trips as kids, everyone wanted to sit in the back so it'll be like reminiscing."

I blinked. "Why did everyone want to sit in the back as kids, but not now?"

Noah tilted his head. "Have you never been on a bus?"

"I wasn't allowed on field trips. You need a parents' signature on a permission slip. And I couldn't take a bus to school because that cost money..."

Noah looked like he was fighting off a smile as he clapped my shoulder. "Looks like you're in for a treat! You're going to love this! Maybe..." His vague comments made me nervous.

The bus finished filling up, and once it got moving, the players from both teams started to chat, laugh, and some even gossiped about what happened before. Three of our four sophomores, sat in the last row on the other side of the aisle. It was Theo, Bryce, and then Sean in the aisle so I wasn't too uncomfortable. Both seats in front of us had the girls team and they also sat three to a seat. I felt a little self-conscious since Noah and I were only freshmen and didn't have to squeeze on a tiny seat. But I was also happy with the fact.

Sean smiled my way as the bus left the parking lot. "Rough encounter with surly Marie, huh?"

I swallowed and worked up the courage to answer. "I can see why Kyle didn't want to ride with the softball team." I whispered so the girls in front of us couldn't hear.

Sean laughed, attracting unwanted attention. "I've seen them go at it before at lunch. I'm not surprised it's like this on the bus too. But I'm surprised Marie had so much animosity to you and Noah. She was very against the two of you getting your way."

"Yea, no kidding. She must be on a power trip or something. Being a captain as a junior isn't that big of a deal." Noah stated. "I'll be able to do it too."

"It's because she received the same treatment as a freshman on the varsity team." The girl right in front of me, on the aisle seat, turned halfway so she could look at us in the back. "Marie really isn't that bad. But her freshman year, some boys on the varsity team made her triple up with some of their sophomores under the pretense of that being the rule."

"Just because you were once bullied doesn't give you the right to bully others." Noah told her. "And my brother Zeke would have been an underclassmen when she was a freshman. So he probably sat with her. No biggie."

The girl let out a condescending laugh. "Who would make Zeke do anything? He had his own seat even as a sophomore. It's no wonder Marie has a grudge against you guys. Always bending the unspoken rules."

I shifted uncomfortably. This was my fault.

Noah narrowed his eyes. "How do you know? It's not like you were here."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm Kaylee. Her younger sister. Of course I heard all about the day she came home. And then every day that she had an away game. Last year she finally got even, by making your brothers move due to the seniority rule."

Oh. Because she had one more year than the twins?

"How petty. It's not like Zeke decided she should sit like that. He wasn't the captain then." Noah shot back. "Your sister needs an attitude adjustment."

"Maybe you guys shouldn't be so entitled all the time. Try joining the common folk." She eyed the empty space between me and Noah.

"You don't even know what you're talking about. Just like your sister." Noah shook his head. "If you simply asked why Jake can't sit three to a seat, we would kindly inform you that he's claustrophobic."

"And so am I." She scoffed, rolling her eyes, making her seat mates giggle.

I turned red with embarrassment and looked down at my hands, wishing I could disappear.

A familiar hand gripped my shoulder. "Don't let yourself be ashamed of who you are, Jake." I looked up and saw him smile at me with confidence, making my nerves settle down. He faced Kaylee. "Shaming a fellow classmate on his valid medical condition is grounds for a suspension." His smile turned to a glare. "If you paid any attention to school news, you would know that Mrs. Golladay was dismissed from her position because she was also rude to Jake. If my mom can get her fired, I doubt she would have any trouble getting you and your sister suspended for bullying."

Kaylee's jaw dropped, stunned. I was too. I've never seen Noah threaten a girl without any mercy. But...even though he told me not to feel ashamed, I felt even more with him standing up for me. It's like I can't fight my own battles.

"Okay, settle down." Sean waved his hands between Noah and Kaylee. "No one is getting suspended. Noah, you know Zeke would make you run endlessly for acting inappropriately. The girl was just defending her sister like you defend Jake. Let's make peace?"

"Fine." Noah leaned back like me and started to let the tension leave his body. I didn't realize how tightly he was wound.

Kaylee bit her bottom lip, like she wanted to say something, but just gave a nod before facing forward.

After half an hour on the bus, I started to understand Noah's meaning of liking the back row as a kid. The back of the school bus was definitely the bounciest. We were practically lifted for every speed bump or pothole. And sitting on the vinyl seats had us sliding left and right with every turn.

One thing's for sure, I didn't love it like Noah said.