Dare You to Fall for the Catcher (Rock Valley High 3)

“To the third member of this troop of Wonder Women,” Mason said, holding the flowers out to me with a small smile. “I’m not sure if you have a date to prom or want to go, but we’d love to be your escorts, too. If you’ll have us.”

The gesture made my eyes prick with tears. They didn’t have to do that. I took the flowers and stuck my nose deep in the lilies to smell them. They were my favorite. The guys had really done their homework.

“Thank you.” I smiled at them, emotion filling my voice. “I’m not sure yet if I’m going, but this means everything to me.”

“Any time,” Collin said with a wink. He turned back to Audrey to pull her into a hug.

The cafeteria was buzzing with news about the promposal. I could feel a hundred pairs of eyes staring at the back of my head. The whole place felt like it was closing in on me. I made an excuse to my friends that I was just going to run to the bathroom, before jumping from my chair to make a swift exit.

The bands tightening around my chest made no sense. I was fine with this. Ecstatic, in fact. I’d always been too focused on my running to care about anything as silly as prom or cheesy promposals. But now, with my foot in a boot and the end date of my banishment from track uncertain, I didn’t have anything to distract myself from my utter lack of involvement in normal teenage situations.

My sister’s words were coming back to me. Why do you have to be such a fun sucker? Why can’t you be cool, like Trina and Audrey?

Was she right? Had my obsession with running made me a fun sucker?

My feet came to a complete stop when I spotted Jayden walking down the hall with two of the baseball players, clearly on his way to the cafeteria. Blood rushed to my cheeks when I thought about how my brain had been so quick to consider him as a possible prom date. Yet another questionable decision.

I darted into the nearby girls’ bathroom to cool my face off with water and collect myself. Staring up into the mirror, water running down my cheeks, I took a deep breath and looked myself deep in the eyes.

Time to get real.

If I hadn’t injured myself, none of this would’ve been an issue. I wouldn’t have been questioning whether I was any fun or if I was a total loser for not having a prom date. I just needed to get back to what I was good at. No one could do it for me. There was one week and a single day left until I was done with the manager job and my ankle would be healed.

Positive thinking. That’s what it would take to make it to the finish line.

If anyone could do this, I could.

And then everything would return to normal.

Chapter Thirteen

The shocks on the old school bus had been worn to nothing. It bounced and jiggled the entire baseball team as we drove home from the away-game at Randolph Friday night. Most of the team had gathered near the front and were still celebrating their recent win. I’d taken up residence near the back for a bit of peace and quiet, my knees and shins pressed up against the seat in front of me as I slumped down low and stared out the window at the dark night passing us by.

Ever since the promposal yesterday, I’d been fighting off a black cloud that seemed intent on hanging around. Even now, it lingered over my head and left me with a throbbing headache right between the eyebrows that warded off any chance of sleep. I rubbed my fingertips over the spot, squinting against the pain.

At least it was Friday. One week left of this mess.

If...my ankle healed.

“Hey. Are you trying to sleep?”

I looked up to see Jayden hovering in the aisle next to my seat. My heart did a little spasm at the sight of him in his uniform. His baseball cap was missing, but his hair still had a messy, unkempt style that looked good on him. He’d managed not to shed any blood this time around, which had made for an uneventful game, but we hadn’t gotten to interact much.

For probably the first time I could ever remember, that felt like a bad thing.

“I was trying to nap, but I think I’ve given up on finding a comfortable position,” I said, shooting him a tightlipped smile.

He glanced over his shoulder at the boys chatting in the front and then back at me. “Mind if I join you? I can’t sleep either.”

“Um...sure.”

I hid my surprise and slid over as close as I could to the window to make room for him. He sat next to me, his shoulder pressing up against mine. I tried not to think about the fact that just two thin layers of cloth—my long-sleeved tee and his jersey—lay between us.

“You looked like you could use a friend tonight,” he said, leaning his head back against the seat and looking at me. “I’m here, if you want to talk.”

I huffed softly and glanced over at him, waiting for the punch line. “What? No teasing insults? No smart-aleck remarks to pass my way?”

“Absolutely not.” He made a zipping motion across his lips. “All wisecracks have been locked up until further notice. Tonight, I’ll just listen, if that’s what you want.”