The Hitting Zone

Mr. and Mrs. Atkins were surprised to see all of us relaxing in the living room late into the afternoon. We were exhausted from playing in the cages and Zeke even let us use his money for video games and to get some pizza for lunch. After a fun-filled day, there wasn't any time or space for me to be upset. Because Zeke is right. Why get mad at someone you don't know? Pointless.

Our good mood spread to their parents and led to enjoyable dinner. It really was like flowers after the rain. No one brought up the man that disowned my existence in front of the nation. Instead, we talked about tomorrow's games, finished our weekend homework, and prepared for the school week.

It gave me a sense of security, knowing that I didn't need Jeremy. That didn't mean I was prepared for school on Monday morning. Jeremy Patterson's mom being in prison was big news. It felt like the whole school was talking about it.

Okay...maybe not the WHOLE school, but all baseball fans at the least. If they weren't fans of the A's, they were making fun of him for having a killer mom. If they were A's fans, then they were mostly on the defensive, trying to protect their team's player.

"Noah! Did you hear about Patterson?" A classmate asked after we both sat down.

Noah's face darkened. "Yea. I don't want to talk about it." He glanced at me.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

"It's crazy, right?" The kid continued to ask. "It's not everyday you hear about a player's personal drama. I bet it's just the tip of the iceberg." He lowered his voice. "Wasn't it weird how he wrote off the younger brother that almost died?"

My heart started to pound out of my chest.

"Weird?" Noah echoed, not lowering his voice. "If anything, it was wrong. Rude. Mean. He didn't even ask how the brother is doing or where he's at."

"Well we don't know all the facts just yet." A girl said from the side. "I don't think Patterson is an evil person because his mom almost killed someone. Your parents don't define who you are."

Noah's eyes narrowed at the girl. "You're right. It's not your parents actions that define you, but your own. After finding out that his mom almost killed someone, what did he say? That he doesn't have any siblings. He didn't even ask how the victim was." The class got quiet, listening to Noah's rant. "As an A's fan, it's hard for me to talk bad about one of my own players, but this is different. This is about being a good person. A person with morals. That guy didn't care how the victim was recovering, even if he's not related to him, he didn't show sympathy to someone who almost lost their life."

No one spoke up. The only thing I could hear was my heart in my chest.

"Take your seats." The teacher walked in. Then paused at how quiet it was. "You all must have had a tiring weekend. Okay, let's get started by turning in your homework." Everyone sat in their assigned seats and started to pull out what was due.

Noah glanced at me as we both went through our backpacks. He whispered. "Just because you're strangers, still doesn't make it right. I don't like him and I'm not afraid to say it."

I stifled a laugh. Noah is never afraid to say anything. Ever.

Even though it's a topic I want to ignore, Noah standing up for me made me feel better. I wasn't the one in the wrong so why should I feel bad?

The rest of the day followed a similar pattern of us hearing about Patterson and then Noah standing up to let our classmates know that he wasn't a fan of him anymore. He just let everyone know his opinion on the matter and it seemed to quiet the talk around us. Unfortunately it picked back up in the clubhouse this afternoon before the game.

Of course a baseball team would have something to say about a baseball player in the news. Noah must have figured that it would happen, because he spoke up as soon as he walked in and made his stance clear.

A few of the guys looked surprised. Some didn't care. And the others who looked like they would have a different opinion were quickly shut down by Zeke walking in.

"The only conversation I want to hear is concerning our game today." Zeke declared after walking in, just a few steps behind. "Everyone's focus should be on winning today. 100%." He looked at me. "What should we be thinking about?"

"..." Seeing that he was waiting for an answer, I spoke up. "On how I can help the team win today..?"

Zeke nodded, then looked to Garret. "What are you thinking about?"

Garret flexed. "That I should be ready to pitch today just in case we need a strong closer."

"Hey!" Dave shouted. "Don't be jinxing me." He looked to Zeke. "I'm thinking about striking every batter out!"

"I want to get a hit today!" Jason yelled out.

Soon the whole team was calling out what they wanted to accomplish today. Zeke pumped everyone up by putting our focus on a team goal: win today's game.

Coach didn't need to say any words of encouragement throughout warmups. We were all geared up to go.

1 2B Jake Hollander

2 LF Garret Knudsen

3 RF Mahki Holstrom

4 CF Zeke Atkins

5 1B Julian Wilson

6 SS Noah Atkins

7 3B Jason Morris

8 C Alex Farrell

9 P Dave Atkins

The lineup was given and we took the field to start off the game. Dave completed his warmup with a smile and not a shred of nervousness could be seen. He was a different kind of calm compared to Bryce, who is always eager to pitch. Dave just has the composure of a good pitcher. And he really showed it against the first three batters of Quincy High School.

Dave struck out the side with nine pitches! That's three in a row, three times. He pumped his fist as he walked back to the dugout, wearing a giant grin. It's a stark contrast compared to last time he pitched against Quincy: two doubles and a ripped nail that took him off the mound for a couple of weeks.

His energy and excitement could be felt in the dugout. I grabbed my bat and helmet to start our offense.