Pitched
My shortstop’s jaw drops. “What?”
“The West crowd is stale. We’ve been staring at these same faces for the majority of our lives. We need new blood.” Logan’s stuck in this mindset that only one girl can move him, but I think it’s because when you’re playing a sport, it’s all consuming. You don’t have time to meet new people. Maybe someone new could change his mind. “Maybe ten?”
“You want me to get ten smoking hot chicks to the party that we’ve never seen before?” Tommy can’t believe me.
I flash a grin. “I believe in you, man.”
“Fuck you, Slider.” But Tommy is smiling back. He likes a challenge, and he likes that I think he’s up to it.
I take a quick shower and then start toward B pod where my AP history class is. The module is World War II, and our teacher is obsessed with military maneuvers. If he shows up in full camo and tries to blend in with the chalkboard, I will not be surprised. Last night I had to identify thirty different pieces of weaponry and explain their modern counterpart. I’m sure I’m going to have a lot of use for this in the real world. I’m tired of school, tired of classes, and just want to jump forward to the part in my life where I play baseball for a living. I get to the door of AP history when my phone rings.
Dread sweeps over me. There’s only one person who would call me at school, and it’s not my brother.
Someone taps me on the shoulder. I look down to see the shiny blond head of Tricia Long. She flips her hair back and bats her lashes. “Hey, babe, you know I love looking at your fine ass, but it’s blocking the door.”
“Sorry.” I step to the side. My phone keeps ringing.
“Aren’t you going to answer that?” Tricia asks.
Not while you’re standing here. “Tommy’s having a party tonight,” I say as a diversion.
“I heard, but I’ve been to Tommy’s parties before, and it’s the same thing every time. All you guys get hammered, someone pukes in the pool, Frankie is ‘caught’”—Tricia uses finger quotes—“having sex with some jock, and Coraline and Perry get into a fight.”
“Sometimes Coraline and Perry get caught having sex. It changes.”
Tricia huffs. “Forget it. I’d rather watch paint dry. Now if you were going to have a party, maybe it’d be a different story.” She trails a fingernail along the edge of my biceps.
“I’ll be at Tommy’s party.”
Her hand drops to her side. “You being totally unresponsive to flirting is a huge blow to a girl’s ego.”
“I think you’ll survive. See you tonight?”
“I guess.” She makes a face and heads inside but turns at the last moment to say, “One of these days you’re going to regret being such a straight during high school.”
“Maybe so.” My phone starts to ring again. No, probably not. “Tell Teach I’m sick, okay?”
Tricia nods, worry clouding her eyes. “If you need something, I’m here and not just because I want to peel your tight baseball pants off.”
“I appreciate it, Tricia. Go on now before you get marked tardy and your perfect attendance is marred.” I don’t want to see if she does what I tell her because I’m already walking toward the exit. “Yeah, Mom. What do you need?”
Chapter Four
Georgia
I sit at my desk, waiting for the bell to ring to start class. I keep checking the door, knowing class is going to start soon. It’s the last one of the day. I smile when Tricia comes gliding in a few moments before the bell rings.
She drops down in the chair next to me. In the few days that I’ve been here, no one has really noticed me. I suppose it's better than being bullied like I’ve seen in some of the movies I’ve been watching. I think a lot of the students here have already checked out and are ready for college. It’s something I never gave much thought to in the past. There hadn’t been a reason to.
Months ago, while living at Guiding Temple, my whole life had been mapped out for me. I was set to marry the prophet Jerima. My stomach turns thinking about him. He’s a horrible man that already had three wives. I was sad to find out that he was one of the people that got away. I’m sure my mother is right by his side. She’d been thrilled when Jerima showed interest in me. She said it meant that I was special. And that I should be celebrating that he picked me to be his next wife.
“GG.” She gives me a chin nod. I only smile bigger at the nickname she gave me. Tricia is the only person that has gone out of their way to make me feel comfortable here. On my first day we had to pair up in partners for our lab assignment. I had felt so awkward at that moment. Until Tricia shouted out that she was taking the new girl. It took me a second to realize she was talking about me.