Only One

Chapter Five

[edited]
"Um, sorry," I mumble looking down.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it," Parker says. I suddenly had a vast fascination with the tennis shoes I was wearing. As much as I would like to stare at him, I didn't. I was baffled. I haven't seen him in two years and now I see him. When I was kind of trying to avoid him too. I step to the left, but he did too. Then I tried to step to the right, but he did two. I looked up now and was looking at his chest. I used to be able to see into his eyes, but he grew a lot. I looked further up so I was looking at his face.

"You grew," I say shocked.

"Yeah. A lot happens in two years," he remarks. I looked back down at my shoes and decided on what to say.

"Well I need to get through, so can you like move please?" I ask looking back up.

"Why are you here?" he asks with attitude.

"I'm catching for Ryan. Is that a crime?" I raised my eyebrows.

"I never said that," he says defensively. "But why doesn't he pitch to the net? We have one."
"Because it's good practice for the both of us," I snap.

"Whatever," he shakes his head and moves out of the way.

"Thanks," I say harshly. I walk away and get to the back door, but feel something wet against my leg. I let out a small squeal and whipped around to be facing a huge Great Dane. I bent down and went to my knees. "Hi," I say in a puppy voice. I looked at the collar and saw that his name was Pongo. I reached out and cupped his face in my hands and rubbed his head. "Hi Pongo. Aren't you big." I smile and he barks. It sounded like a good bark, so I wasn't worried. I pet Pongo for a few moments before I heard footsteps come crashing into the hallway.

"What happened?" I heard. I looked up and saw Parker looking worried.

I laughed. "Nothing. I'm just petting your dog. I didn't know you had a dog. When did you get a dog?" I rambled.

"Last year," he replies.

"He's big," I state. I slowly stand up and turn away.

"He likes you Jenny," I hear from behind. It was Mrs. Brookes.

I stop walking, but don't turn around. "It's good to know that someone likes me. Even if that someone is a dog." I didn't wait for an answer from her. Instead, I open the glass door in front of me and step through, closing the door behind me. I turn my head over my shoulder and saw him looking at me. I turned away making sure he wouldn't see the slight touch of red to my cheeks.

"Geez Jenny. About time," I see Ryan. I smile and walk towards him. He was holding up my chest protector. I tried grabbing for it, but he held it over my head. Both him and Parker were a good couple of inches taller than me. My small 5'7 frame isn't very tall, but it was muscular and that made up for my height. "Put the shin guards on. I'm on a schedule here."

"Where are you going later?" I ask smirking, "you have a date?"

"Yes actually I do. Now hurry up. She's going to be here in like an hour," he says. I feel the chest protector slip over my head. I laugh at him and grab my shin guards from my bag. I strap them up and then grab my glove and helmet. Ryan was telling the truth about the pitching mound. In the corner of the yard there was a mound and a home plate the required amount of feet away from it. There was a soccer net in the other corner of the yard for Parker I imagined. I walked over to where home plate was and got adjusted.

"So who does Pongo belong to?" I asked getting into my crouch.

"It was my mom's idea to get him. He was a rescue from the shelter, but Pongo has taken a liking in Parker, so he is pretty much Parker's dog. He listens to everyone, but he follows Parker pretty much wherever he goes," Ryan explains getting ready to pitch.

"Oh well that's cool that you have a dog," I shrug my shoulders.

"Why don't you get one?" he asks throwing the ball.

"It would be too much for me to handle with all that I am handling already. And that's everything," I finish right when the ball crashes into my glove. We went about like this for the whole time. Talking and pitching. I do this a lot in practice. I do it during games too. I tell my pitcher to throw and focus and then that's what she does. It's nothing new. Nothing new at all.

☂

Forty-five minutes into our "practice" it started to rain. I took off my stuff under their back porch and then packed my bag up. We were inside now talking in the kitchen about how baseball was going for the both of us. "Okay enough about me. How's your team?" Ryan asks taking a swig of his soda. I grabbed a water. I don't drink a lot of soda. I only drink it at parties and important events. Which is never. So technially, I don't drink soda.

"So far this season we have had, I'm going to say maybe twelve games. We are undefeated so far. So I guess it's going good," I shrug my shoulders.

"For being undefeated you don't seem very happy," he points out.

"No I am. I just got a lot of stuff going on. Plus I just want to leave here," I reach my hand behind my neck and scratch. My neck is always itching because of the way I have my hair most of the time. I lowered my hand and rapped my fingernails on the counter.

"Leave for where?" he tilts his head.

"Arizona," I answer.

"What's in Arizona?"

"College," I say. The room grew quiet. I took a sip of water and capped it again.

"That's pretty far," he whispers.

"Awe. Is someone going to miss me?" I ask smiling.

"Well yeah. I mean you are my neighbor," I could see the lie in his eye. I glare at him and make him smile a little bit. "Okay, okay. You're my friend and I'm going to miss you. Who else am I going to have catch for me while you're away?"

"Ryan!" I cry, "that's so nice!"

"Nice?" he asks putting a hand on his chest, "I was looking for something better than nice. Maybe something like remarkable or spectacular."

"Alright, you're right. Let me rephrase that," I pause and clear my throat like people on TV do before they give a speech. "Awe Ryan Brookes! That was the most remarkable thing anyone has said to me this summer!"

"Are you serious? That's the most remarkable thing anyone has said to you?" he asks shocked.

"Well yeah. I don't talk to many people," I admit. He was silent again hiding his head behind the soda he was drinking.

"Jenny I didn't-" I held up my hand to close off his protests.

"Don't worry about it. Look I should probably go. It was nice talking to you again. Good luck with baseball." I get up from the barstool I was sitting on and walk over to him. He gets up too and quickly hugs me goodbye.

"See you later Jenny," he says letting go of me. I nod my head and turn to get my stuff. I see though that Pongo was there laying down in front of it.

"Hey Pongo," I say bending down. His ears perk up and then his eyes open. He sits up and comes towards me. I scratch behind his ears for a moment and then stand back up. I see his puppy dog eyes, but I don't fall for it. "I'll see you later buddy." I grab my bag by the handle and walk to the front door. I open the door and walk out. The rain stopped and I was glad for that. I didn't say anything on the way out. No goodbyes. No nothing. I just silently made my way back to my house.

I looked back once and saw Parker at his window looking out. His eyes found mine and I quickly turned away. I could feel his eyes peering into my back. I still don't think he liked me and that honestly broke my heart. I didn't even want to his girlfriend at this point. I just wanted Parker Brookes to be my friend again.
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I didn't notice how long these chapters are. I guess long chapters are better than short/no chapters. Hope y'all are enjoying Only One.
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