Abbi shakes her head. “No, we’re just dropping off Sera,” she says, and I can hear the post-pharmacy-visit anxiety in her voice.
“Great!” Maddy says, looping her arm into mine. “I’ll watch our girl. You two have a great afternoon.” She pulls me around without waiting for them to say goodbye. I’m so grateful I promise her as much candy from concessions as she can possibly eat.
“On your part-time art teacher salary? For me? Wow, I’m spoiled.”
“Please, it’s the least I can do. Those two have been hovering all morning.”
“Why?” Maddy asks, her eyebrows knitting together. The medicine thing is actually good news. This is the dose Dr.Lee wanted me on; we just had to work up to it.
I shrug. “They like to fuss. Okay, so I need to find the…” I pull out Rose’s flyer and point to the circled team name. “Sandpipers.”
“That’s Marissa’s team! Perfect. I think they’re on the back field.” We walk past the concessions stand, where we say hello to the Stones, who own Lorell’s. I buy myself some sour worms and a Snickers for Maddy while trying to convince her to bring Mrs.Stone a batch of her newest cookies.
“Cardamom cookies with yogurt chips,” I tell her. Mrs.Stone’s eyes light up, but Maddy insists they’re not ready.
“When they are, you bring them by. Okay?”
“Promise.”
We fill up our waters and stuff the candy into the cooler of orange slices Maddy has with her so it won’t melt. Then we locate the Sandpipers by spotting Marissa’s long brown ponytail on the field closest to us. She’s stretching with Rose, who stops and shouts when she sees me.
“Hi, Miss Sera!”
I wave to her as Maddy and I find an open space a couple rows up in the bleachers. But I almost trip when the coach stands up from the end of the bench and looks around for who Rose is so excited to see. Maddy has to lower my frozen arm down and tug me into my seat. It’s Luke. Of course it’s Luke. He gives me a confused smile and calls the girls into a huddle.
“Ugh, he’s going to think I’m stalking him. We hung out a little Monday, but it was awkward. He asked if I wanted to grab dinner, but I had those plans with Jackson.”
“Oooh,plans. Is that what they call it now?” Maddy stifles a giggle.
I feel my cheeks heat up. “Anyway, Luke and I are trying to be friends, but it’s just been…weird.”
“Just act natural,” Maddy says. “We’re here to watch my sister play, that’s all.”
“Right, right,” I reply, crossing my legs and straightening my posture.
Maddy looks over at me and smirks. “That’s not acting natural.”
“Whatever,” I say, slouching again and pulling my ponytail over my shoulder.
Luke looks over at us again quickly, and then back to the team as he has them put their hands in for a cheer. I feel my cheeks heating up. He’s wearing his baseball uniform, and I now vaguely remember that the flyer said the high school team would be playing an exhibition game afterward against the local firefighters and first responders. I don’t know how I wasn’t prepared to see him.
I chance a look at him again. Luke is handsome already, but in his uniform he’s downright hot. There’s no ignoring it or pretending he’s still the nerdy boy from next door who happens to have pieces of my heart in his chest. The whole outfit is formfitting and shows exactly how much he’s grown in the last couple years. His biceps strain against the edge of the short-sleeved jersey with his last name in maroon across the top. Then I notice the number on his jersey.
He’s number forty-two.
The answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything, fromThe Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
And there’s a small light purple towel hanging from one of his back pockets.
“Are you looking at his ass?” Maddy asks. “Because I kind of get it.” She leans forward like she’s trying to get a closer look.
“No!” I whisper-yell.
“Hey, we can all appreciate a nice butt.”
Finally the Sandpipers take the field for the start of the game. Noticing Luke in this way is overwhelming, and I feel a little guilty because even though I’ve hung out with Jackson a few times, I don’t get lost in my head thinking abouthiscalves. Maybe I need to try a little harder there. I pull my phone outand ask if he wants to come to the exhibition game later. When I look back up at the field, I tell myself that Luke’s just another hot guy—there are plenty of those. I went to prom with one two months ago, I’m going on dates with another, and Paris will be full of them for sure.
The Sandpipers are playing against the Minnows, an equally adorable group of kids. We cheer Rose, Marissa, and the whole team on as they keep the score at zero–zero until the third inning, when Marissa whacks a ball so far even she’s shocked. Luke shouts at her to run and she sprints off, making it all the way to third before the other team brings the ball back in.
