KEEPING SCORE

chapter twenty two

Chapter Twenty Two

            Once again, the Cougars won the last game of the tournament, beating another team that had lost its previous three games. Sam pitched two scoreless innings and hit a double. After the win, the boys were anxious to celebrate and eat somewhere other than the ballpark. We all drove to the boardwalk in Ocean City and found the largest pizza place on the beach. The boys hung out together in one huge clump, laughing and poking at each other.

            The parents had sequestered themselves at separate tables, and I had no idea where I belonged. The married couples were together. David and Vanessa were in a corner by themselves. Zoe and Penny were talking to Barbara and Denise, and I really didn’t want to get into another conversation about Vanessa and David.  

            “Shannon! Over here!”

            I couldn’t believe it. Melissa was waving me over. Probably a bit too eagerly, I joined her and Carol.

            “Sam had a really nice tournament,” Carol said. “He’s coming along so fast.”

            “Let’s hope Mike doesn’t ruin him,” Melissa added.

            So that’s why I was suddenly worthy of sitting with the Queen Bee moms. Sam had performed well, so I was good enough to sit with them. If he struggled next week, I’d probably go back to being persona non grata.

            While we waited for our order, Carol and Melissa debated whether Blake and Jordan should go to the local public high school, which had a great baseball team, or attend one of the private Catholic high schools, which had phenomenal teams and sent at least five players a year to Division One colleges on baseball scholarships? They droned on and on like honeybees. I thought the conversation was a little premature, considering they hadn’t started middle school yet, but what did I know?   

            After we’d scarfed down our pizza, Melissa turned to me. “I saw you talking to Kevin Jerome after the earlier game. So I guess the rumors are true?” 

            My face got hot. “I’m not dating Kevin. Maybe you could hang that out there on the grapevine.”

            “That’s good,” Carol said. “Because sleeping with someone just to get your kid on his team…”

            “That move should wait till he’s in high school,” Melissa piped up.

Their tone was lighthearted, but I wasn’t a hundred percent sure they were really joking.

            When everyone was finished eating, Mike said a few words about what a great team the boys were, and how everyone should take it easy tomorrow and be ready for practice and the Rockville tournament. Then the party broke up and the boys all migrated to their parents.

            David came up to me. "You did bring my suitcase, right?"

            I had wanted to leave it behind when we checked out of the hotel, but unfortunately Sam had pointed it out and made me feel guilty. "It's in the trunk," I told him, handing him the keys. "You can go get it."

            "I'm going back with you and Sam."

            "Why? Has Vanessa already had enough of you?"

            “It’s my car.”

            By the time we got on the road, it was already three, and naturally we hit all the traffic coming back from the beach. We were not only stuck with David's little-old-lady driving, but he was also trying to make up for disappearing act by laying it on thick the entire trip.

            "Two home runs, a double, a single… I don’t think there's a kid who played better than you this weekend," David said.

            "I thought you were too busy kissing Clive's mom to watch me."

            "Son, I am an excellent multi-tasker."

            "I don't know what that means, and I don't think I want to," Sam said.

            "You know, Sam, Clive doesn’t have a father,” David said.

Sam opened his mouth, but I caught his eye just in time and put my finger to my lips. He nodded.

“He needs friends like us,” David continued. “Hey, I have a great idea. The Fourth of July's next weekend. We should celebrate it together. The three of us, and Vanessa and Clive."

            "They're British," I said. "They don’t celebrate. I think it's a day of mourning for them."

            "Really?" Sam asked.

            "Really. They stay inside with the blinds down all day and play 'God Save the Queen' over and over again."

            "That doesn't sound like fun," Sam said.

            "Sam, your mother’s trying to make a joke. Laugh like you thought it was funny.”

“Ha ha.”

“Come on, it’ll be great,” David urged. “We can go to the Mall, walk around the monuments, make a day of it."

            "Sounds hot, sweaty, and boring," Sam said.

            "The boys have a game that day anyway," I said. "And afterwards, Sam and I already had plans."

            "What plans?" David and Sam chimed together.

            "Ron and Brian are coming to your game, and then we're going to Montgomery College for fireworks.”

            "Ron and Brian sound like fun," David said. "Vanessa, Clive, and I can come with you."

            "Ron and Brian are not some hip gay couple who can give you decorating tips and fashion advice. Ron's a co-worker and his son Brian has given Sam pitching lessons. And no one invited you."

            "What do you say, Sam?" David asked. "Everyone together on the Fourth, huh? Sound great?"

            "Do we have to listen to 'God Save the Queen'?"

            "Of course not. Your mother just made that part up."

            "Alright," Sam said. "But it would be more fun if you brought Chloe."

            I crossed my fingers that some other country would declare independence that day, and David would be stuck in the office.

* * *

We finally got home around eight pm. While Sam was in the shower, I unpacked his suitcase and started a load of laundry. Mike's email came in with the schedule for the Rockville tournament: a Friday game at five, a Saturday game at two  (the 4th), Sunday's game at eleven o’clock and then play-offs if we did well.

            I didn't think we had to worry about play-offs.

            After I did my own unpacking, I went into Sam's room for our nightly Harry Potter reading. He was playing with his Gameboy.

            "That's okay, Mom," he said. "I'm kind of done with Harry Potter anyway."

            That was understandable. We'd read all the books more than once, and he'd seen the movies multiple times. "We should find another series to read together, then," I said. "Let me do some research and find something fun."

            "Mom. I'm almost in middle school. I've known how to read for like a million years. I don’t want you to read to me anymore.”

            I didn’t know what to say. I stood in his doorway, waiting for him to look up and notice me, waiting for him to change his mind. But he concentrated on his game like I wasn't even there.

            Finally I left, and climbed into my own bed. I watched TV for hours, hoping that he'd come in and say goodnight, or that when I got up in the morning, he'd be sleeping next to me. But when I woke up, I was all alone.