Page 35 of The Perfect Catch

Dax

Iwas tired and groggy the next morning as I woke up for school, having gone to bed long past two in the morning.

When I reached for my phone, I saw a note on the floor next to me.

We headed out to school already. Figured you could sleep some more. See ya after.Karsten.

I checked the time on my phone, seeing I’d missed first period entirely. Jumping up, I ran and brushed my teeth. It took about five seconds to change clothes and throw a hat on before I grabbed my backpack and keys. Once inside the car, I turned the ignition and sped into reverse, adrenaline pumping through my system.

Mr. McKee hadn’t mentioned anything about me missing classes in my punishment, but I wasn’t going to challenge him on it. As much as it would’ve been nice to just skip the rest of the day, I had to get to class or risk having to sit the bench.

I was determined to graduate from Rosemont High. And even though I hadn’t confessed my feelings for Kate, the thought of leaving made me even more determined to stick around.

After finding a parking spot near the back of the parking lot, I sprinted in, hearing the tardy bell ring above me. I turned right once I got to the commons and dashed down the hall, hoping I could slide into class without my math teacher realizing it.

“Daxton Stratton.”

The voice caused me to freeze in the hall. I turned and saw Mr. McKee standing several feet away, arms folded tightly against his chest. His expression was a mixture of disappointment and frustration. I was in trouble.

“What are you doing out of class, young man?” If there was anyone who put the fear of a father into me, it would be that man.

“I, uh, I slept in on accident. Didn’t hear my alarm. So I was just trying to get to math right now so I wouldn’t miss too much.”

The principal eyed me, long seconds passing as he waited to say anything. In the meantime, I could hear my teacher droning on inside the room, and I couldn’t decide whether it was better to be out here or in there. Both were pretty torturous.

“Get to class, Stratton. Remember, you have to stay in line or you’re done.”

I didn’t waste a moment before I stepped into the classroom, taking my seat near the back. I didn’t need anything ruining my chances of graduating.

Chapter 26

Kate

“Hey, how’d the game go last night?” I asked Dax when I walked into fourth period. He was sitting in a desk on the side of the room, and I took the seat in front of him.

He chuckled a bit. “We lost. Of course, when you aren’t there, I actually hit a home run.”

“Really?” I asked, my lips hurting from the wideness of my smile.

He nodded. “Yep. We ended up losing bad, though. I have to leave before this class ends for the next game. Are you coming tonight?”

I started nodding my head and then remembered my mom’s appointment. “I have to do something with my mom tonight, but if we get done early, I’ll definitely be there.”

His expression fell a bit, and then he said, “We’ll probably be playing a few games tomorrow, so you’ll have to stop by then.”

I laughed. “You kind of like having me come watch you, don’t you?”

He gave me a coy side-smile and nodded. “It’s nice to have someone cheering for me. My siblings have their own things to get to, and since my grandma is older, she can’t really drive to get there. With you there, I can tell the guys I have at least one person in my cheering section.” His cheeks turned a rosy pink, and he glanced down at the top of the desk where someone had scratched the word “boring” into the surface.

“Well, I like watching you.” I paused for a moment, trying to understand where he came from with that. I was so used to having my mother and stepdad at anything important that I forgot some students weren’t as lucky.

We started class with Ms. Shiels up front trying to get our attention. There wasn’t much to talk about since we’d finished the Harvest dance and the next big activity wasn’t until we did the Christmas fundraiser at the end of November.

Soon enough, Dax stood to leave, and I was kind of sad I couldn’t go with him. Now that I knew how much he cared about me at the games, a thrill ran through me. I’d never been truly needed in my life. Most people just took advantage of my willingness to help out and always just assumed I’d be there.

I had Dax on my mind the entire way home and was distracted as I tried to get some of my reading homework done. With whatever my mom had planned for the night and the possibility of going to Dax’s games tomorrow, I wasn’t sure how I’d get all the reading done for my English class if I didn’t work on it now.

A knock came on the door about an hour later, the rhythm typical of my mom.

---