The Hitting Zone

After school, we switched our backpacks for our baseball bags and met with the others by the baseball field. Everyone was rather quiet, with most of the team listening to music with their headphones on. Coach didn't rush us to load up the bus until the school parking lot was mostly empty.

Just as we got on, I saw Mrs. Atkins car pulled right up next to the bus. She brought bags and bags of food onto the bus, which helped to liven up the atmosphere.

Noah grinned proudly as he ate a bowl of fruit. We were finally heading to the stadium, crawling along with the freeway traffic. "This was a good idea. I probably would have been dead of starvation if you hadn't said anything."

I gave a small nod, munching on my leftover lunch. After Mr. Petrus small talk, I felt less jittery and more relaxed. The food helped too. It helped the whole team, who were now chatting with one another merrily. It started to feel like any other normal game. Up until we arrived at Stanford.

The bus pulled into the parking lot just by the stadium.

Coach stood up. "Well boys, we're here." He looked around the bus. "We have half an hour to kill before they open the clubhouses. Even though West Valley is the home team, they requested the first base dugout, so we'll be using Stanford's home dugout along third base. Be respectful."

"Especially since it's Zeke's future home!" Noah hollered and some of the guys chuckled.

Coach narrowed his eyes at Noah. "Alright, go burn your silliness away before warmups. If you guys want to walk around, go ahead, me and some of the coaches will be here to watch the gear. If any of you want to rest for the next thirty minutes, that's okay too."

The team started to divide, with about half leaving the bus, including me and Noah.

"Ugh, I would not want to spend another minute trapped in that bus." Noah said as he stretched. I nodded in agreement.

"You never could sit still." A familiar voice said a few feet away.

Noah whipped his head around and raced to the guy. "Rhys!!" He jumped up at him.

Rhys caught him with ease and laughed. "Aren't you ashamed to act like a kid still? You're 14 now. Come on, grow up."

Noah pouted as Rhys set him back down on his own feet. "You're sounding more and more like Zeke."

"That's not so bad." Rhys flicked Noah's hat off his head.

Noah bent down and picked it up, putting it back on his head after dusting it off. "Hey man, be careful. This is about to be a hat of a California state champion."

Rhys laughed. Then he noticed me joining them. "Hey, kid, how's it going?"

I looked away, feeling shy. The last time I saw Rhys, I was jealous about how much his parents cared for him. It's embarrassing, looking back. I'm even more childish than Noah.

"You remember Rhys, right Jake?" Noah asked.

I nodded. Then I glanced at his left arm. He was wearing a sweatshirt, but I knew where his scar was. "He had elbow surgery."

"That's right." Rhys laughed, waving his left arm around. "I'm doing great though!"

Yea...me too. I thought to myself, feeling happy for the both of us.

"Rhys." Zeke joined the group too. He slapped hands with Rhys, and pulled him into a half hug. "You made it."

"Yea, I couldn't miss this." Rhys said, smiling. "The closest I'll ever be to a state championship."

Zeke looked him in the eyes. "We could be National champions together." He lifted an eyebrow and tilted his head to the stadium. "Community college is a waste of your talent."

Rhys took a look around, slowly but he took it all in. "You know...it's not a bad idea. Do you think they accept last minute walk-on's?"

"Wow!" Noah exclaimed. "Seriously?! It would be so cool to see you two play together on the same team!"

Zeke pulled his phone out of his pocket. "If you're serious, I can have someone come talk to you about it? The process of signing with a school isn't much."

Rhys threw his head back and laughed. "Look at you, acting like the boss here already! You can't make decisions like that just yet."

"I can though." A loud voice announced, making us jump. Okay, only I jumped, but the others did turn to look. We saw a big-bellied man in a maroon colored hoodie.

"Coach Leroy." Zeke stepped up to greet him, shaking his hand. "Good to see you. I didn't think you'd be free to see the game."

"Caught us on an off day. I can't pass up the chance to see my future star play a game at my own home." The man laughed really loud. He was the Stanford coach! He looked to me and Noah. "Good to see you two as well."

I nodded.

Noah was quick to react, pulling Rhys by his arm. "Coach! This is Rhys! He's a friend. He used to play with Zeke. He's a really good left-handed pitcher."

Rhys turned a light shade of pink, caught by surprise. "Uh yea, what he said."

Noah really pushed him now, getting Rhys as close to Zeke as possible. "Don't be shy! This is your chance! Come on, you don't really want to pass this up without trying, do you?"

Rhys glanced at Zeke, but Zeke didn't say anything. Seeing that, Rhys stood up straighter when facing the Stanford coach. "Hello sir. As Noah said, my name is Rhys. Rhys Johnson. I'm a senior, but currently not on a baseball team. I'm recovering from Tommy John surgery so I haven't tried out for any colleges." He smiled at Zeke. "But I would like to try out for yours for a chance to play with this guy."

Coach Leroy scratched his his cheek, smiling. "I've heard of you. I wouldn't mind setting up a weekend for you to come on down and talk about playing ball here. How are your grades? We don't have any more athletic scholarships available, but we can work something with an academic counselor."

"Money isn't a problem." Rhys grinned. "My grades are good, but my SAT score is a little lacking. If you like the way I throw the ball, then I'll need your help pleading for leniency."

Coach Leroy chuckled. "Well, alright then." He glanced at Zeke. "I'm going to spend some time talking to your friend here. Why don't you go let your team into the clubhouse and get comfortable? You guys have a very important game to play." He reached in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. He handed them over to Zeke. "Good luck."