Page 13 of The Perfect Play

I dipped my head, raising an eyebrow as I asked, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just that. You have so many talents if you’d just apply yourself. One of your friends said you aren’t planning on going to college.” There was no trace of sarcasm in her voice, only a hint of disappointment. Much like my own mother’s opinions.

“I never said that. But maybe college isn’t the route I’m meant to take.”

Reaching her hand out to emphasize her words, Penny said, “Right, Jake. Just give up like you do everything else.”

Something about her words burned me, and anger rushed to the surface, heating me all the way to the tips of my ears. Doing my best to keep my voice even, I said, “Just because things got a little complicated in my life doesn’t mean I give up on everything. Look at baseball. I’ll still be on the all-state team no matter what happens.” I omitted the state of my grades as I didn’t want another emotional kick to the gut. My coach had mentioned something about getting my grades up or I would be on the bench more than on the field. But I couldn’t let Penny’s words get to me.

“Is that all you want? Because you have the talent, and the arrogance, to go much further than that. The way you swing the bat, scouts would be killing themselves for you to play in the higher leagues.” She licked her lips, which drew my eyes to them. They looked so full and pink. If someone had told me a week ago that I’d be thinking about kissing Penny right now, I’d have thought they’d lost a few screws.

I shook my head and went back to the dishes, her words playing on a loop in my mind. “I’m not cut out for the majors.”

She sighed, and when I looked over, I saw her eyes roll. “Right. If you’d just try, you might surprise yourself.”

I couldn’t tell her that the thought of being too far from home for an extended amount of time caused such a fear to grow inside me that it left me almost paralyzed. Leaving my mother and twin sisters alone with my father when he came home from one of his drunken binges was not something I could consider. I’d had too many nightmares that he’d hurt them beyond repair.

After a few minutes of silence, her voice came out a bit softer. “How’s Nate? Did he come to practice today?”

I reflected on seeing Nate at lunch, and the same wave of guilt flooded me as it did then. Nate had been good-natured about it, with bandages covering part of his forehead and down the side of his face where the stitches were. He’d been told to take a week off from any physical activity, but if everything looked good, he’d be able to play in the home opener. I was already suspended from that game, and the only reason I hadn’t been kicked off completely is because Nate and the other guys vouched for me. At least Nate didn’t hold a grudge.

“He’s good.” I watched her expression, curious if Nate could be her mystery crush. I shrugged off that idea as I remembered a conversation with Penny in the treehouse out back about how she would never be in a relationship with someone younger than her.

Deciding to explore the subject, I asked, “What about you? Are you seeing anyone? Have a crush on someone special?”

Her cheeks flared red, and she bit the side of her lip as her eyebrows cinched together. “No. To all of the above.” She turned and grabbed several plates from under the warmer, setting them on the large brown serving tray.

I couldn’t let it go. “But what about your notebook? It seems you have a crush on someone.”

With her eyes closed and her face tipped toward the kitchen ceiling, she took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Just leave it be, all right? That’s ancient history.”

I took a few steps toward her, wiping my wet hands on my apron. “So, it’s true. The tomboy has a crush.”

“Had a crush,” she said harshly, baring her teeth at me. “He isn’t worth my time anymore.”

Without another word, she picked up the tray and turned to the door, not glancing back once.

I’d hit a nerve, which only caused my curiosity to grow even more. I’d have to watch her at school and see if there was anyone she paid particular attention to. The fleeting thought that I wished it was me caused me to chuckle out loud. She’d always been the tomboy next door, the girl I could talk to about anything until my family’s problems escalated to the point where I couldn’t have anyone over when my father was in town.

But the memory of her lips drew me in, and I went back to the dishes. There was no way she could like me, not with how badly I’d hurt her back in middle school. But there was a whole school full of options for her. I’d just have to see which guy drew her interest.

Chapter 11

Penny

That week and the next passed with little fanfare, and I was ready for our first game against a team from the next town over. Coach Ambrose had been working us hard, and as much as I loved to hone my skills and reach the crazy goals I’d set for myself, I was sick of running like a track star.

Walking out to the field, I caught sight of Jake on his field taking grounders from his coach. It had been a while since I’d seen him put in the extra effort, even with the thing he loved the most. Maybe my conversation about him going further than one more year in high school had had some effect on him.

I continued in the direction of the softball field, my thoughts running from one thing to the next. Jake had surprised me with his work at the diner. He’d always been the one to let everyone else do all the work, but he actually stuck with it through the shifts I’d trained him without complaint.

He hadn’t given up his quest to figure out who I had a crush on, though, and that was the most frustrating part. He was a dog going after a buried bone, and I knew that any conversation over two minutes would eventually move into that territory. Even at school, he’d taken to saying hello and walking with me to the classes we had close to each other.

The thirteen-year-old me would have been ecstatic to have him there, even romanticizing the walks as though he returned the crush. But I’d been jaded for too long when it came to him, and I had to stop myself from thinking there could ever be anything between us. Even if the little voice in my head still held out hope.

It took two batters to get my head in the game, but I only gave up one hit and we got the win. The team’s goal was to take the state championship, and in Texas, that was something to aspire to with all the teams that worked for the same opportunity. Each win would help.

Derrick had come to the game, saving a spot for my dad, and each time I heard them cheering, it fueled me to do better, pitch faster and hit harder. I didn’t notice Jake standing behind the outfield fence until after the Varsity game ended and the JV team was warming up. I had to go shag the balls for the JV girls and turned to see him smiling at me only a few feet away.

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