The Hitting Zone
chapter-292

*REMINDER: I'll be writing this mini arc in third person point of view, omniscient. So we'll have access to all thoughts and experiences. Focus will be on Mrs. Atkins. Also, I'll be using her first name.*

The plane ride was quick and easy, not even a few hours long. Mary and her eldest son, Zeke, didn't hit any turbulence or had any delays. The only thing she didn't like was how late the flight was and how much traffic there was in Los Angeles even though it was the middle of the night. They arrived at the hotel and promptly checked in. Mary reserved a two twin bedroom even though her son would only stay with her for the first night.

Mid-morning, they both woke up, showered, went down for breakfast, and that's when she got a call from her husband. Mary listened as he told her about last nights happenings and how he had decided to ground them.

"They're lucky I'm gone for the week." Mary growled. "I would make their week without baseball a living hell. Don't go easy on them, Wayne. The twins are almost adults. They need to know what they did was wrong. You should have yelled at them until your voice ran hoarse."

Wayne sighed. "Maybe I would have, but Jake...honey, you know how jumpy he gets. Plus the twins already think that I was unfair."

She frowned to herself and clenched her phone a little tighter. "We can't make too many exceptions for him all the time. We should treat all the boys the same."

Wayne was quiet for a moment. "Okay, sure, I see where you're coming from. I was maybe too lenient."

"We can discuss their punishment again when I get back." Mary was firm in her declaration. "Their progress reports better be straight A's if they want to have any fun over spring break."

"They have a few games during the break so we can't really plan anything."

"So? I won't be allowing tv and video games all break. Maybe we should buy some workbooks or have them work ahead in their classes." Mary wasn't going to budge.

"Okay, honey, it's up to you." Wayne caved. "Are you about to take Zeke to UCLA?"

"Mhmm." She nodded even though her husband couldn't see her. "Since it's a Sunday, I'll just be dropping him off with a short meeting with the Coach and his host player. Tomorrow morning, I'll be able to meet with the counselor and financial aid office with him and this coach."

"Sooo." He drawled out. "What will you do the whole day?"

Mrs. Atkins glanced around the lobby to make sure that Zeke wasn't nearby. Luckily, he was still in the mini breakfast bar area, getting some food in before he went. "I thought I would drive out and see the house. Where Jake grew up. Maybe walk around the neighborhood and see if any of the neighbors have anything to say."

"Zeke won't be practicing with the team this afternoon?"

"Zeke doesn't need me to watch him tryout. It's probably embarrassing for him." She looked on as her son ate without, not caring that he was alone. "He's very independent, plus it wouldn't be an official tryout today. I'll stick around tomorrow to watch him interact with the team. We also have the tour, lunch, and maybe I'll sit with him in a class to make sure he's actually taking note of what to look for in a school."

Wayne laughed. "We know what he's looking for. A good team. Not a talented team, but one that is hardworking. All other criteria comes second."

"Wayne." Mary let out as a sigh. "Do you really think he'll pick a college or just join the draft?"

"Don't worry, even if he participates in the draft, he can still say no and go to college instead." Wayne explained. "Most high schoolers that get drafted are pitchers, I think. So maybe if he falls a few rounds, he'll see that college will give him more opportunities."

They spoke a bit more about their eldest son and what he might choose in the future. It wasn't long before Wayne had to get back to work, and Mary had to head for the College with her son. She snatched a bagel and milk before getting in the car.

Zeke already loaded his bag and baseball gear in. He looked at her as she started to drive them to their destination. "Is something the matter? You were on the phone for a long time."

Mary smiled. "Just chatting with your father. I told him that I'd let you be on your own today."

"What will you be doing then?" Zeke squinted at her, slightly suspicious. His mother wasn't one to miss a chance to watch her kids play. Especially one that would be playing in college with college players.

"Nothing special." She maneuvered through traffic. Thankfully there wasn't much on a Sunday, and the hotel wasn't too far from the athletics building. "Mostly sightseeing. Take a walk."

Zeke could tell something was off, but didn't push the issue. He was already satisfied with just being able to make this trip. The first school of the week would be UCLA, a school that had a well known baseball program. They had five appearances in the College World Series finals, with one win. A win that had been in the last decade with the Coach that was still present.

Mary found somewhere to park and walked her son up to the athletics building where an older gentleman and a young man were waiting. After exchanging greetings and introductions, Mary left her son with them and headed out. She calculated the time it would take to travel to Jake's old home and figured she would get there by lunch.

"It's a Sunday so I'm sure I can see someone out on the street." She mumbled to herself, getting back into the car. She turned on her gps and got on the highway. Jake's previous place of residence was about 35 miles away; without traffic she could be there in less than an hour.