The Boy Next Door

alex, kurt and connor

I wake up and check my phone, it's 8:30! I jump out of bed and wash my face at the speed of light, then I straighten my hair and apply a bit of makeup. I put on a rose pattern skirt, and a light pink top to tuck into it. Then I put on my gray converse to make the look more casual. It's 8:45, I text Caleb I'll be over in 15 and I run downstairs and eat some cereal and drink a spot of tea. Then I hug Mum, Dad, and Joey goodbye and I'm out the door. I ring the doorbell and Caleb answers he's in his baseball jersey, that's blue and says Gray Sox. He's wearing funny white pants that I laugh at and he pretend rolls his eyes and explains everyone needs to wear them, and hugs me.

"Caleb, I have confession."

"What?"

"I don't know the first thing about baseball. I didn't really even know it was a sport until you mentioned it on the day we met."

He laughs, "it's simple." We walk into the kitchen.

"What's simple?" Asks Hayley, her Annie, and Katie are sitting at the island. Katie's vlogging, like usual.

"Hey Ebony!" They say.

"Hey guys!" I say.

"Baseball is simple," says Caleb, "Ebony doesn't know how to play."

"It's not simple!" Shrieks Annie. I look at Caleb, alarmed.

"She doesn't try to learn, so it doesn't count." Caleb says quietly.

"I heard that!" She shouts.

"Okay, okay guys. Let's get in the car." Says Katie. Caleb grabs his cap, that matches We all get into the car, Caleb and I in the way back. We get to the field that's actually made out of dirt with a bit of grass in the middle, (to my surprise), and shaped like a diamond. Katie, Annie, and Hayley walk to the top of the very empty bleachers. Caleb and I walk to the center of it, where there's a dirt circle.

"Okay so can you explain baseball to me now?" I ask.

"Yes, so there are nine players to a team, who use a leather-covered hard ball, a wooden bat, and padded gloves. Also, the batter, catcher, and home-plate umpire wear special protective gear. Teams alternate turns in the field and at bat, the home team batting last. One turn at bat for each team constitutes an inning, and nine innings per game. In the field there are a pitcher, a catcher, four infielders, and three outfielders. The pitcher throws overhand, giving a variety of deliveries like a curve, knuckleball, or fastball, from the pitcher's mound to home plate. An opposing batter attempts to hit the pitches and safely reach base, while the fielders attempt to put the batter out through the plays. A batter who misses three pitches, or fails to swing at three judged hittable, is out on strikes; but if the pitcher first throws four pitches out of the strike zone, the batter obtains a base on balls, or walks to first base. A run is scored every time a batter becomes a runner and crosses home plate after touching each base in the prescribed order. When the fielding team puts out three batters, the teams exchange places. If the score is tied at the end of nine innings, play continues into extra innings until one team has scored more runs than the other in an equal number of turns at bat." He says. I'm more confused than I've ever been in my entire life. All I picked up from that is there's a ball and someone its it and then you try not to get it out. "You get it?" Asks Caleb.

"Ummm, what position are you going to be playing?"

"Well, when we're playing defense, I'll be the catcher."

"So, where's the catcher go?" We walk to the beginning of the diamond. He shows me how he'll be positioned, squatting to catch a ball if the batter doesn't. "So you're going to have balls shooting at you for like, the whole game?"