Baseball Princess

Chapter 23: Graduation

I wiped the salty tears from my cheeks as each senior collected their diploma.

Everything will be different next year. No Mark, no Ben, and a whole ton of new freshmen. Not to mention all the lowerclassmen that will have to fill the spots on varsity baseball.

Finally, every senior stood up, and squirted silly string all around them. I can't wait until I'm a senior.

The baseball seniors gathered in the grass for pictures. Their moms followed for the group pictures.

First, it was just the seniors. Then the whole team and me. Then the seniors and me. That one was really fun. And it made me glad I wore spandex under my dress.

After the group pictures came the picture with two, three, or four people. We all spread out.

At least now I have a ton of new pictures for future man crush Mondays.

Not to mention they won state on yesterday. No big deal.

Daniel and I shared the good news about us dating again over burgers and shakes at Burger King afterwards.

"I knew it!" Mark yelled, slamming a hand on the table.

The other guys all high-fived and smiled, like they weren't surprised. Gee thanks, guys. If you really loved me, you would've said something.

After the laughter ended, the boys told us where they planned to go to college. Mark would only be an hour away, same with two of the other seniors.

Ben, however, is going out-of-state. If you count ten hours of driving "out-of-state."

Of course it'll be hard, but we still have the whole summer. Two and a half months with these guys before six of them leave.

"Oh, Lins, I'll miss you so much," Ben says, hugging me tight.

"We still have summer!" I whined.

"I leave in during the last week of July," he replied, sighing.

"I can't believe how soon that it."

"Hey, even though I won't be here, I still expect you to be on your best behavior. Mark and I already gave Daniel the lecture of condoms, birth control, and all of that shit so you shouldn't have to worry," Ben said, smirking at me.

"You asses! We aren't gonna have sex! I can't believe you would think that low of me!"

"Lins, you have two more years left of high school with him. I wasn't just talking about next year. But that's good. You best not be having sex. The biggest reason we said those things is to convince you not to. And it worked."

"Ah, I hate you so much right now. But I still love you so much," I said, laughing.

"Hey, Lins, ready to go? I can't wait for you to meet our new dog!" Daniel called, interrupting our conversation.

"Alright, bye, Ben!"

I followed Daniel to his car, and climbed into the passenger's seat.

Daniel doesn't really live that far from the Burger King, so it only takes a few minutes to drive there.

Now that Daniel has pretty much all of his memories back, everything is back to normal.

Things between Tommy and me will probably be a little awkward for a while, or at least until he gets a new girlfriend.

"You'll love Ryle, he's the cutest," Daniel said, parking his truck in the driveway.

"I bet. Ryle is such an adorable name!" I replied.

Daniel opened the door, and out came a tiny chocolate lab. Daniel was right, he is the cutest.

"Aww, you are a beautiful little boy!" I said, petting the little puppy.

"And my parents aren't home," Daniel added.

"Oh," I replied, understanding what he meant.

Okay, we aren't having sex. Don't worry. We just want to make out.

"So when do we plan on having sex?" I asked. It won't be anytime soon, but I'm still curious.

"Not until at least your eighteenth birthday," Daniel replied, carrying Ryle inside.

The puppy scrambled off, slipping and sliding across the floor when Daniel set him down. The kind of sliding that makes your heart melt.

Daniel took my hand, and led me to his room.

-

"It can't be the last week of July!" I cried, hugging Ben's leg.

"Lins, I have to leave!" Ben yelled.

Mark tried to pry me off of Ben, and was successful. He set me back down in front of Daniel.

"Danny-"

"Chill," he whispered, wrapping his arms around me, tightly.

I mumbled some cuss words under my breath. Don't they understand?

There was nothing I could do now to keep Ben from leaving.

I guess I kind of want him to leave. Not like that, I mean it like I want him to go to college. To be happy. To meet the girl he's meant to he with.

Oh, did I mention him and Abigail broke up? Apparently she couldn't appreciate that he got accepted to a good college and that he has to go if he wants a job in the future.

Talk about clingy.

Daniel still had a firm grip on me. There was no escaping.

Especially because all of the other boys and Ben's family members surrounded me, ready to stop me if necessary.

I guess I should just give up.

I stop fighting, and sink into Daniel's body. Just being with him is amazing.

Ben climbed into the car with his dad. The engine came to life, and he waved as they left the driveway.

Ben promised to Skype me every Friday night, so then he wouldn't go out and get drunk. Mark promised that he would join in on those conversations.

Two birds with one stone.

I'm pretty clever.

But that's what they get for leaving me.

"Now you get to be the freshmen," I said to them last night.

"Oh, Lins, what would we do without you pointing out the obvious?" Mark asked, clearly sarcastically.

"You would die. Which is why you can't leave."

I laughed at the memory. I'm really going to miss them.

-

All of the seniors have already gone to college. All six of them.

Now we have to start school. I'll finally be a sophmore!

Daniel is a junior now. Which means we have this year, then next year, before he graduates.

"What are you thinking about?" Daniel asked on the way to school.

"How much I'll hate you when you graduate and leave me," I said.

"Actually, I was thinking of taking a year off of school. That way I'll be home and we can start college together," Daniel replied, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.

"Okay, now I'm thinking about how much I love you."

"I love you, too."

We pulled into the parking lot. Time for school!

If anyone could please make a cover for Don't Forget To Remember? It's the one about a girl who wakes up in the hospital and doesn't remember anything. I just can't find the right picture. Inbox me please!