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Chapter 21

"The Baseball game Ms. Stone was talking about." My father replies.

"OH!: I realize. "Yeah...I'm not going."

"Well why not?"

"I don't like Baseball." I shrug.

"Amber, what's not to like?" My father questions.

"It's long and boring! I don't even understand how the players stand the game."

"Well when you're good at it, you learn to love it."

"That's Brendon's logic." I clear my plate and stand up, dropping it off at the sink.

"Dishwasher, pumpkin." MY mother calls after me.

"And maybe Brendon isn't wrong." My dad speaks up, bringing his plate to me.

"That'd be a first."

"You could love the game. You never know."

"Except I do. And because he plays it just gives me even more reason to not watch the game."

"Amber! That's very rude! Why would you say that?"

"It's true!"

"What about all those times you went with Barbie?"

"She had a crush on the old pitcher." I explain, rendering the argument invalid.

"And so you got nothing from the game?"

"Nothing besides the fact that he was really cute." I tell my dad. I kiss his cheek before going up to my room. Several Snapchat notifications lie on my phone. I pick it up and click on the first one from Barbie.

Titled OMG, I don't expect much more than a cute guy. I hold down on the screen and see that it's the Baseball field at school. It's hard to make out but then I see Brendon, pitching the ball to the batter. The batter swings hard, hitting the ball. And then the ball flies right at Brendon's face. Everything happens so fast, he falls backwards, hitting the dirt diamond ground and lying there motionless.

My hand covers my mouth, shocked by the hit. And just as quick as he got hit, everyone swarms on the field. The Snapchat ends but I'm stuck staring at the screen. My fingers automatically go to Barbie's number and press call.

"It's bad." She picks up on the second ring.

"How bad?"

"They're considering canceling the rest of the game."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that no one wants to play anymore."

"So?"

"There's lots of paramedics, Amber. And his mom is trying to get on the field but no one will let her." Barbie reports.

"How is he?"

"He's not moving. There's some blood on his forehead but I can't determine everything. There's too many people. LET ME ON THE FIELD!" She screams away from the phone.

"ME? I'm his girlfriend!" I hear her yell.

WHAT?!?!?!

"WHAT!?!?!?!" I yell into the phone.

"And I'm his mother." Ms. Stone can be heard too. I hear someone mumble something before Barbie returns to me.

"I had to get out here and no one was letting his mother get on so some lying was needed." She explains, huffing as she runs.

"M'am would you like to ride in the ambulance?" A voice asks.

"Yes, please." Ms. Stone replies.