“Is the game, like, thirty minutes now instead of three hours?” Larissa asked.
“No, but it’s shorter.”
“You have not been to a game in a while, have you? I remember Alicia wasn’t a fan.”
“No, she wasn’t. Hated all sports.”
Harlow ate the second-to-last cookie and held out the last one to Larissa, who shook her head.
“We should go,” Larissa suggested.
“Go where?” she asked.
“To a game.”
“Why would we do that? You hate sports, too.”
“No, I don’t. I’m just not a big fan. Butyouare.”
“Baseball starts in the spring.”
“Okay. Then, let’s go to a game in the spring,” Larissa said, shrugging a shoulder.
“You’re volunteering to go to a baseball game with me and spend three or more hours in a stadium with semi-drunk baseball fans?”
“You said it was shorter than three hours now.”
“Yes, but we have to get there before it starts and stay till the end. You know I don’t like to leave early even if my team is getting slaughtered.”
“Okay. I’ll stay the whole time,” Larissa replied.
“Why are you volunteering for this? Is it because you think I’ll just forget about it when the season starts? Because I willnotforget about this.”
“No.” Larissa laughed. “You’re always telling me to get out of the house more. Why can’t I do that at a baseball game with you?”
“You can, but I don’t want you to go because you feel like you have to.”
“I’m not. God, you and Aggie are both so annoying. I try to give you the thing you want, which also happens to be the thing I want – in this case, to go to a damn baseball game with you – and you’re all over me for that, too.”
“What did she say to you?” Harlow asked.
“Nothing this time. She’s just on me to finish school and meet someone, so she’s driving me nuts. Then, I want to go to a game with you, and you’re driving me nuts, too.”
“Hey, if you actuallywantto go, I’m down.”
“I do, okay? But you might have to explain the rules to me again. I get the whole balls and strikes thing, but when can they steal a base again?”
Harlow smiled and said, “Whenever they want, technically. Well, when the pitcher has the ball, before or right after he pitches the ball to home plate.”
“Can I ask other stupid questions like that when we go, because I never paid attention when my dad tried to teach me about sports?”
“Yes, you can. I’ll just ask that you drive so I can have many, many beers to help me cope.”
“I’m going to make you drink?” Larissa laughed as she shook her head. “Then, I should just be quiet.”
“We’ll be fine,” she replied and swallowed. “So, Aggie asked you about dating or something?” she asked and went to open her water to help her dry throat.
“She brings it up every so often, checking in. She’s just being a big sister, and I get that, but we’re not kids anymore. I don’t need her to check in on my love life or lack thereof. She asked about you, too.”
