There Must Be Something More

7 | Picture Show

"You were in a library," Calum said. He adjusted his catcher's mitt. He gave me a skeptical look.

"I was just lagging around. Don't act like that's weird. I read too, you know," I said. I put on my baseball uniform.

"Oh, yeah. You do read. You read racecar magazines," he said. He laughed.

I made a face. And then I heard the whistle from outside the baseball lockers. Calum and I high-fived and sprinted outside.

Calum and I were in the baseball team only because of one thing: fame. Well, that's what Calum thinks. I liked baseball a lot. My dad and I play baseball on weekend afternoons. I've always been rejected all throughout my years--until this year, tenth grade. I didn't know. This year was probably just my year.

"What were you doing in a library in the first place?" Calum asked again.

I turned to him. I glared. "Why do you keep asking about it?"

"Because," he poked me on the shoulder, "not only is it weird that you went there--Amanda told me you were in the dictionary section. Dictionary. And before that, you were actually asking me about the difference between happiness and joy."

"So what?" I said. "I'm a little curious. You know, my mom says kids who are curious are smart ones."

"Yeah, when you're, like, nine."

"And... Amanda said something about seeing someone with you," he added.

There it is. I felt chills roll down the back of my spine. I wished it was just the heat of the sun, but it wasn't. It was the fearful realization that my friends, all of them, unlike me, did not like Meredith as much.

"Dude?" Calum was snapping his fingers in my face.

"What?"

"Amanda said she saw Meredith with you. What were you doing in there with her, huh? Swapping Bible verses?" He was howling. He slapped his knees. I threw him a dirty look. He ignored me.

"Batter!" Coach Anderson called. That's me.

I stepped up my place. I gripped the bat tightly in my hands. Calum was a few yards away. He was the pitcher.

He pulled his handful of baseball back and threw it high in the air. The catcher caught it. Hours seemed to pass. The sun rose higher. The day grew hotter. And I grew more impatient. The ball was not coming over to me at least once.

I saw infielders, outfielders move. I waited till my turn. Not yet. And the waiting process made me look back at the events from a little while ago.

Have a great day, Charlie!

Happiness is a feeling you feel from something you like. Joy is a choice. Like, always looking at the positive side of things

I'm going to take you to a different kind of party!

The happiest place on earth!

but Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." ~Matthew 19:14

I've been like a little child.

Just say hi.

The series of events scintillated through my head like a picture show being punch forward, emphasizing the details. My thoughts moved in light speed.

But not my hands.

It was only when I saw my coach red-faced, yelling, veins crossing up his neck. That's when I heard him yell: "BORLOCK! BAT!"

Too late. The ball hit me right in the head. The wave was enough to knock me right to the ground.

I saw the sky tilt towards me. I saw my friends running to help me up.

But the last thing I saw was Meredith's disappointed look, in my mind.