The Hitting Zone

Friday night, Mom made sure our suits fit us properly then took them away so she could iron. The twins were tasked with finding Zeke's and making sure he had everything since we were going to meet him at the Johnson's house. Mom invited Rhys and his parents after getting the 'okay' from Rose, but his parents declined.

Noah thinks it's because of Mr. Johnson. He did work for the opposing team across the bay.

Saturday, we did our usual morning routine of running and playing with the twins until lunch. Mom had sandwiches ready for us, then she hurried us to take showers and get dressed so we could hit the road. We didn't have to wear the suits during the car ride, just sweatpants and t-shirts. Once we got to the Johnson's, we changed outfits and met up downstairs.

Even though his parents weren't coming along, Rhys still was. He had also dressed up and had done his hair. We all took one car to the stadium, squeezing beyond max capacity.

At the stadium, a parking attendant directed us where to park, close to the team offices where Rose would take us through sometimes. We still had to go through security, then walked into the building, directed down a few halls.

"Where's Rose?" I asked Noah softly as we walked among strangers.

"She's probably with Jeremy, right?" Noah shrugged. "If we're surprising him, someone has to be responsible for bringing him here."

I nodded. That made sense.

We were guided to the banquet hall, tables with place cards were scattered around. Mom asked someone where to find our seats and we were taken straight there. I sat between Mom and Noah, happy that we weren't in the middle of the room.

Noah started to point out all the players, naming them with ease. Jack Maberry came over with his wife and kids, sitting at our table. Mom and Dad were happy to have some other adults to speak with despite the age gap. Maberry had also brought his brother and cousin, both of which sat near Zeke and Rhys. Parker and Conner were only a little bit older than them and had plenty of topics to talk about. Especially when it comes to baseball.

As we got closer to Jeremy's projected arrival time, Noah dragged me to the bathroom so he wouldn't have to go alone. I didn't mind getting away from the big crowd that had now gathered in the banquet hall. I stood just outside the restrooms, casually checking my phone.

"Hey." Someone called out, making me look up.

I didn't recognize the voice, but it wasn't like there were too many people standing idle in the hallway.

The person that called out was a teenager. Brown hair and eyes. Slightly dark. I knew him in an instant. He and I shared a few of the same features. A lot of people say that Jeremy and I were a lot alike, but this guy...definitely looks more like Jeremy's brother than me. Maybe it was the temperament.

I swallowed a lump in my throat and gave a small nod for a greeting. I couldn't come up with anything else. What do you say to a cousin you've just met for the first time?

He wore a suit and tie like me, but had more of Jeremy's build. He was shorter than the twins and Zeke, but carried more muscle. I flat out look like a kid next to him. With that thought, I unconsciously took a step back, hitting the wall.

His eyes flashed and he stuffed his fists in his pockets.

I stared up at him, unsure if he was waiting for me to speak up or what.

I could vaguely hear a flush, then water coming from the sink, the automatic paper towel dispenser, and finally Noah came out.

"Hey, Jake, do you think-" He stopped mid-sentence, catching onto my wary attitude. He turned his attention to my cousin. "What's up? Can I help you?" He squinted.

He looked away. "I need to use the restroom." He walked by, going in where Noah came out.

Noah glanced at me. "You good?"

I bit the inside of my cheek, unsure. I tilted my head to the way we came, signaling that we should head back. Only when we got further away, did I tell him who that teen was. "Jack's kid."

It took Noah a minute to realize I wasn't talking about Jack Maberry. "Your uncle Jack?" His eyes went wide. He glanced back. "He didn't say anything mean to you, did he?"

I shook my head. "He only said 'hey'. Nothing else."

Noah relaxed a bit. Only to tense up again. "If he's here, then your uncle must be here too." His eyes roamed around the room as we headed back to our seats.

"You're looking really sketchy, Noah." Kyle told him as we sat down. "Did you guys do something wrong?"

Noah didn't stop looking. He lowered his voice. "I think Jeremy's family is here. We ran into the cousin outside the bathroom."

Kyle leaned forward to look at me, frowning. "What did he say?"

"...'hey'..." I shrugged again.

Kyle blinked. "That's it?"

I shrugged for the millionth time. It's not like we know one another. I don't even know his name. Jeremy may have mentioned it before, but I didn't remember.

Kyle nudged Noah. "Quit moving like that. You're being suspicious. Just wait for the dude to come back from the bathroom and see where he goes to sit down."

Noah quit it like Kyle instructed and focused on the door.

The teen eventually walked in, heading straight to his table and sitting with two girls and a woman. Uncle Jack's family, but no Uncle Jack.

Dave leaned in. "Was that him?"

Noah nodded. "Is it possible his uncle didn't come?"

Kyle nodded. "It's possible. It's not like they're on good terms at the moment."

"But...the rest of them came..?" I whispered.

"Well, it's not like Jeremy can blame his cousins for what their dad did. They were just babies. They also can't control the money moves their dad makes." Kyle was the voice of reason.

"Things have to be so awkward." Dave said. "On one hand, it's your cousin, on the other, it's your dad. Being underage makes it worse. You can't bite the hand that feeds you."

"He doesn't look underage to me." Kyle said.

Noah looked to me. "Do you know?"

I scratched my cheek and thought about it. "I think...he's the same age as the twins?"

Dave nodded. "Yea, I remember him saying that at dinner one time. He had a cousin our age."

Kyle shrugged. "If you say so."

"What are you boys whispering about over here?" Mom asked from the other side of me. She was occupied earlier, but now had time to turn her attention to us.

Noah explained the whole thing as quickly as possible, even gesturing to where Jack's family was.

Mom thought about it. "If you see him, ignore him. As for his family, be polite and show some respect for Jeremy's sake." She directly stared at Noah. "I'm talking to you. It's Jeremy's special night so don't go picking fights."

Noah smiled innocently. "Mom, I'm fifteen. Give me some credit."

Mom laughed outright.