The Hitting Zone
chapter-1120

"You don't look nervous at all." Noah commented on Kaylee's calm demeanor as we showed up to chemistry.

Kaylee looked up from her phone and raised an eyebrow. "Did I give you the impression that I was like Jake?"

I rolled my eyes. "It's normal to be nervous." I spoke up for myself.

Noah patted my shoulder sympathetically. "Sorry, dude. You really take it to another level. Maybe someday you can be like us. Calm. Cool. Collected."

"Is your sister nervous?" I asked Kaylee.

She scoffed. "Her? No way. This is what she's been dreaming of. Champion of league champions. Don't tell Kyle, but it kills her that he has a CIF ring and she doesn't."

Noah shrugged. "Meh. Just remind her that he didn't even play in that championship game last year."

Kaylee chuckled. "Yea. I should. Think he'll get a chance this year?"

"No way." Noah shook his head. "Garret gets the start. Dave has first chance to come out. Coach already dealt out the assignments. If the two of them can't handle it, then I don't know what more Kyle could do."

"God, I would hate to be in your bullpen." Kaylee remarked. "The twins and Garret really monopolized the mound all season. The other seniors barely saw any time."

"Coach did a good job of getting the others to work here and there." Noah told her. "It's just…when they're on the mound, it's hard getting them off." He shrugged with a smile. "Doesn't help that we're always winning." He got serious. "Do you know where you're going to school down south? Like if it's any good?"

Kaylee blinked in surprise by the sudden change in topic.

Noah pressed on. "You played two years on varsity here and all you know is winning with your sister. What happens if you go to a crappy school with a crappy team?"

"What would you do?" Kaylee turned it back on him. "No brothers. Just you on a bad team. Like if you somehow made it to the minors. And it was the worst of the worst."

"That's different." Noah pointed out. "There's little value of winning in the minors. It's all about personal stats. I would try my best to bump up my average and tack on as many stolen bases as I could."

"That's all I can do too." Kaylee pointed at him. "High school is basically the minors on my way to college. If it's a bad school, I'll just do my best to shine."

"What if it's a really good school?" I jumped in, trying to be a little more optimistic.

"Yea! That too. What if it's so good, you can't even make the varsity team?" Noah twisted my question into something more concerning.

"Then I quit." She deadpanned. She laughed at our faces. "I'm kidding. Of course I just keep trucking along. I don't know what you expected to hear. I'll just keep going until the end of the line."

That's right. I could see her playing no matter what. She and Noah shared a lot of similarities when it came to their sports. Noah wouldn't just stop playing either. If he didn't make the team, he would up his training until he could be on the team. If the team sucked, he would make it better. Not just by his own physical skills, but by his leadership abilities too.

The bell rung and class started. The day went by pretty normally besides the few guys that came up to ask me if I was hurt since I only went 1-3 yesterday. Noah had to assure them that I was fine and was trying to hit a homer from the other side of the plate.

"Guess you can afford to mess around when you've got a comfortable lead like that." A guy laughed. "We'll be there next week for the finals so try to put on more of a show."

"Sure. Sure." Noah waved him away and we continued walking to our lunch spot. "Gosh, I think you're more popular than me now."

I rolled my eyes. "It's you doing all the talking."

"Well, if I didn't, would you?" He shot back.

I rubbed my nose and tried changing the subject. "What do they mean by show? That I should get more hits or something?"

"Don't bother caring about them." Noah advised. "You just listen to Coach. If he says get a hit, then do it. If he doesn't care, then do what you want." He started to laugh to himself. "If only I could hit on command like you. I would be showing off all the time."

"That's why I'm getting walked all the time." I pointed out. "Because I get too many hits. You think I'll get to hit in the finals?"

"I gotta imagine so. It'd be kind of lame if they chose to pitch around you. Garret would have to make them pay." He shook his fists.

We talked baseball over lunch before heading to our shared elective with Alisha and Kaylee. Kaylee had to leave midway as her bus had to leave the school earlier because of warmups and stuff. She waved on her way out as everyone wished her 'good luck.' The next time we would see her would be at the game.

After school, Noah and I met up with the twins. Noah returned the keys to Kyle, seeing that Dave wasn't interested in his turn to drive. We sat in the parking lot traffic for the first time in forever, watching parents pick up their kids, kids loading up the busses, or kids that had to cross the parking lot to walk home.

I spotted the bus that was taking students to watch the game and saw Alisha in line. I waved as we passed by and she waved back, standing with her friends.

"Are we all sitting together?" I asked the guys.

"Why wouldn't we?" Noah asked, looking up from his phone.

I shrugged. "I don't know. Sometimes Kyle sits with Kaylee and Marie's parents. And Dave sits with other seniors."

"Their parents won't be able to make it because of work." Kyle answered.

"Wow." Dave sounded surprised. "They're usually all about making it to the games and cheering Marie on."

"They are for home guys. It's difficult for away games. Especially on week days. You know they're weird about these things. Like I'm sure they'll make it to the next game and finals."

"Well there's a poster for Marie that you can hold then." Noah told him.

Kyle stopped at a gas station to fill up before we got onto the highway. Noah and Dave used the opportunity to go inside the small station and load up on drinks and snacks. Kyle and I didn't have any complaints seeing that they didn't leave us out.

Noah was organized in the sense that he knew what we should have now and save later for the game.

"Don't eat so much that you make yourself sick." Kyle warned as he started the car now that we were ready to hit the road. "I'm showing up on time for the game even if that mean I have to hear you barfing in the backseat."

I made a face of disgust, not liking the imagine he put in my mind.

"I haven't done that in so long." Noah rolled his eyes as he started in on his third cookie already. "Don't worry about me. Just keep your eyes on the road."