my better half | c.w. ✓

Chapter 1

McKenna's POV

"How would you like to go to the Little League World Series?"

I'll bet my parents expected some sort of great dramatic reaction when they asked me this, seeing how much I've always wanted to go. But I just laughed.

"Is that even a question?"

They looked at me for a second, then each other. Then they started laughing, too. "Yeah, I guess it's kind of a stupid question, huh?" my dad said.

I nodded, still giggling - though now it was mostly from excitement. "Can Em come with us?" Emma Hart had been my best friend for as long as I can remember. Our mothers were friends in college, so when they got pregnant with us 10 years later, they reunited so their daughters could grow up together. So we've literally been friends since fetus, a fact which never fails to make us laugh.

"Sure, we were about to ask her parents anyways. We figured you wouldn't want to spend two weeks in a hotel room with us," my mom said with a wink.

I grinned. "You got that right."

- - - - - - -

"I can't believe we're going to the Little League World Series!" Emma squealed.

It was two days before we left for Williamsport, and we had gotten together to pack. Well, I was packing, Em was trying on my clothes and gushing about the players.

Holding up a pale blue skater dress against her body, she looked in the mirror before handing it to me. "You should totally wear this. It brings out your eyes."

I raised my eyebrows. "A dress? To a baseball game? You're kidding, right?"

She rolled her eyes at me. "Not just any game. It's a game with tons of cute boys. Don't you want to look good for Cole?" She asked with a wink.

I blushed, ducking my head and avoiding her eyes. Cole Wagner was my favorite player on the Mid-Atlantic team, which was the team we were rooting for. He was talented, he was funny, and most of all, he was cute. Like, cute enough to make every girl who sees him fall in love with him - including me. "Yeah, but if it means wearing a dress then no thank you," I said.

Em just looked at me with a smirk on her face, still holding out the dress.

Rolling my eyes, I grabbed it from her and shoved it in my suitcase. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to bring it."

Grinning victoriously, she went back over to my closet and started going through my shoes. "Girl, I need to take you shopping." She held up a pair of boots that I had bought about three years ago and then completely forgotten about. "These boots are so old they look like something 2006 Ashley Tisdale would wear. And that's not a compliment."

Laughing, I grabbed a pillow from my bed and chucked it at her. "I hate you."

She squealed and ducked before picking it up off the floor and throwing it back at me. "The feeling's mutual, kid."

- - - - - - -

I opened the door to the hotel room, dropping my bags on the bed farthest from the door. Immediately, Emma threw her suitcase down and collapsed on the other bed, sighing dramatically. Everything Em does, she does dramatically. After 14 years, I'm used to it, but most people aren't, which means we get quite a few stares when we're out in public.

"I. Am. Exhausted."

I rolled my eyes. "You slept in the car the whole way, Em."

She rolled over and sat up. "Yeah, but it was still exhausting."

"Because taking a three-hour nap takes up so much energy."

"Exactly."

Laughing, I pulled my phone out and checked my messages. There's 15 total: one from my mom, two from my friends Lexi and Avery, and the rest are from a group chat with my friends back home. I swear, group chats will be the death of me.

I tapped on the one from my mom.

Dad and I are going to stay in our room for a bit, what's your plan?

"Hey Em?"

"Yeah?"

"My mom asked what our plan for today is. I was thinking maybe we could walk around and buy some merch, what do you think?"

She looked up from her phone. "That sounds good."

We grabbed our wallets and phones and stopped by my parents' hotel room for money before heading out.

"Make sure your phone is on! And remember not to talk to strangers!" My mom called out as we left their room.

I laughed and rolled my eyes. "I got it, Mom."

"And I expect some change when you get back!"

Em and I just shook our heads and giggled. "Not likely," she whispered once we were out of earshot.

- - - - - - -

"Oh my gosh, I need that!" Emma exclaimed for the seventh time.

"Em, if you keep this up, we're going to be paying back my parents until we're retired."

She sighed. "I just want it all."

Laughing, I picked out a Mid-Atlantic T-shirt and held it up in the mirror. "Calm down, Sharpay. I didn't say you couldn't buy anything."

"Yay!" She squealed, running over to look at the jerseys. I rolled my eyes and joined her.

"I wish they had a number twelve jersey," She said. "Then I could match Jaden." Jaden Henline was her favorite player from the team, and she was obsessed with him. Like almost even more obsessed than I am with Cole. (And that says a lot.)

"Yeah, well you could always steal his," I said nonchalantly. "Of course, you might get arrested, and he'd hate you, but at least you'd have his jersey."

Em burst out laughing, causing the cashier to give us a dirty look. "Sounds like a great plan."

I chuckled and changed the subject, trying not to encourage her to pursue a life of crime. "Hey, guess what I heard?"

"Ooh, gossip!" Em lived for gossip. She never spread rumors or used it against people, but the girl lived and breathed it. "Spill."

"I heard that some of the guys on the team are transferring to Red Land." I paused for effect. "Including Cole and Jaden."

Her mouth dropped open. "No freaking way."

I nodded, grinning. "Yep."

"But that means we'll be going to the same school as them," she said, still shocked.

We both lived in Etters, Pennsylvania, and were going to be attending Red Land High School in the fall. Em, however, had been going there nearly all her life, while I had been homeschooled up until that point. Most of the guys on the team went there, since that's where the team is technically from. Previously, Jaden, Cole, and a few others had gone to a private school, but this year they were switching to public school. Which meant that I would get to see them every single day.

I don't know whether to be excited or terrified.

"Yep. Now the whole team will be going to our school."

"Holy crap."

"Yep."

- - - - - - -

hey guys! so I just wanted to clarify this: I know Little League is for ages 11-13, but that doesn't exactly work for this story, so I'm changing the ages. McKenna, Emma, Cole, and Jaden are 15 and are going into 10th grade.

anways lol I hope you guys liked this! I tried to make it pretty long to explain things a little more. comment and vote for more!

-linds :)