Dedicated to trinitystories_xo for talking boys with me. Banner of Colton Haynes as Alec Jennings.
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Chapter 8: Take Me Out to the Ballgame—This Works Too
Ian's date went really well. I went from hating him to being friends with him. Was it a bit more than friends if we were dating? We didn't plan another date, but there's a very high possibility that there would be another one in the not-so-distant future.
Dad and I were watching The Office, his favorite show, when my phone rang. "Hello?" I answered quietly.
"Hey Charlotte. It's Alec."
I straightened up. "Hey, what's up?"
"I was wondering if you wanted to go somewhere today."
"On a Sunday?"
"Yeah, unless you had plans or something..."
"Uh...I don't think so, but let me check with my dad first." I muffled the speaker and tapped his shoulder. "Hey Dad? Do you think I can go out tonight?"
He looked over at me. "You sure are going out a lot lately. With Beckett?"
I shook my head. "Alec."
He muted the TV, not missing anything because it was on a commercial break. "Alec? As in Alec Jennings? Like baseball star Alec Jennings?"
"Hrm...I guess so, yeah."
"Sure, and while you're at it, get me an autograph."
"You—you want an autograph from my classmate?"
"Wait, get me three."
My eyebrows crinkled. "Why on earth would you want his autograph?"
"Have you seen him play? He's going places, and when he makes it to the big league, I want some mullah. Think of it as payment for letting him go out with my little girl."
"So I'm like a hooker..."
"Exactly!"
"Thanks Dad..."
"No problem. Don't get pregnant, don't get arrested, but have fun!"
"Yeah..."
"And don't forget his signature."
I pressed my ear against the fun. "Hey, I can go."
"Great, I'll be there in like ten minutes. Next door to Chandler, right?"
"Right."
"Wear something comfortable."
Before I could ask him where we were going, the line went dead. I had ten minutes to pick out a date outfit? I raced upstairs, tripping over a couple of steps on the way. I put on my favorite pair of jeggings, an oversized sweater, and a pair of boots. That was comfortable. That took about eight minutes—four of them included untangling a very stubborn gnarl. I waited outside the door; Alec didn't need to meet my dad.
His car pulled up the driveway. Before I could open the door myself, he ran around and helped me in. It kind of reminded me of those really rich people that had chauffeur's to do this for them. But I had a very cute boy. I wonder if Laurel got these kinds of services...
"Thanks, but you really didn't need to do that. I can open the door by myself."
"Oh, but what kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't?"
"A modern day one? So where exactly are we going?"
"We," he said, pausing for dramatic effect, "are going to the batting cages."
Isn't that where people practiced batting? I wasn't so sure about this one. I wasn't the least bit coordinated and he wanted to take me to a cement area and throw hard baseballs at me? Um, not thank you. That was just a recipe for disaster.
I started fidgeting in my seat. He must've noticed because he asked, "Are you okay?"
"We're going to go batting?"
"Yeah, is that okay?"
"I'm just not so sure..."
His face fell. "You don't like it, do you?"
"No!" I quickly reassured him, being the people pleaser I am. "It's just that I'm not good at sports and I don't want to embarrass myself..." Here I am rambling again, making me look even more idiotic.
Alec laughed. "I've seen people play worse than you, Charlotte."
"You've never seen me play!"
"Freshmen year, gym class."
Huh, that's right. Alec always got to choose the teams during class; he always chose evenly, which was why Coach always let him.
***
"See? I suck!" I exasperated, sending the aluminum bat clanking to the ground.
Alec calmly picked it up and set it in my hand. "Try again. You're doing better than before; I promise." I gave him an 'are you kidding me?' look. "What? I'm serious. You're better than Laurel."
Oh, so he took Laurel batting too? And to think I felt a little special that he would want to hang out on a Sunday. "I can't hit a ball to save my life."
"I'm sure if your life was on the line you'd be able to hit it."
"I doubt it; too much pressure."
"Here, let me help you."
He wrapped his arms around me and held my hands in place around the bat. It kind of reminded me of the couples playing mini golf. A ball shout out of the machine, making me block my face and shriek once again. You'd think that after twenty times of this happening I'd get used to it. If you thought that, you'd be wrong.
"I'm not going to let the ball hit you," Alec said sternly.
I knew he wouldn't. There was no way he would miss hitting that ball, but the fact that it was aiming straight toward my face just didn't help the cause. "I know..."
Another ball popped out and my eyes slammed together. I could feel my arms moving to swing the bat. I heard a loud crack and my eyes opened. The ball hit the fence and was now slowly rolling back to us. "I didn't die!" I whooped.
He raised an eyebrow. "You thought you were going to die?"
I laughed nervously. "No..."
Alec rolled his sage-colored eyes. "Now, we're going to try this again. Do you think you can keep your eyes open?"
"I'll try, but no promises."
He helped me with the next couple of swings, and then he abandoned me. "You're on your own," he called.
"I don't think I can do this by myself."
"Sure you can! You did it all the other times."
"You did that. I was just letting my arms go with the flow."
He gave me an encouraging smile, handed the bat to me, and backed up against the fence. I gave him a strange look. "Just in case you decide you want to go all crazy with the bat and throw it again," he supplied.
"That was one time."
"Stop stalling and bat!"
I waited for the swoosh of the cannon before I swung. I whacked the ball; it didn't go as far as it did with Alec, but I still hit it! I giddily let go of the bat and leaped into Alec's inviting arms, which gladly caught and span me around. "Did you see that?" I cheered. "I hit it!"
Alec seemed equally excited for me. "See, what did I tell you? You're the next Babe Ruth."
"Thanks Alec, can we try again?"
"Sure, but first, I want to introduce you to some of my batting buddies."
He lifted the latch on the gate and pushed it open, holding my hand as we ventured down the hallway. "Hey Collins!"
We approached a very muscular guy with very broad shoulders. They did one of those bro hug things, which I will never understand the concept of. "Sup man, who's this?"
"This," he said, tangling our hands together again, "is Charlotte."
"Sweet, she the girl you've been telling me about?"
Alec nodded proudly. "This is the one."
Alec talked about me? That was flattering and slightly creepy all at the same time. But since it was Alec, it was mostly flattering.
He stretched out his hand and I shook it. "Nice to meet you. I'm Barker Collins."
"Charlotte Summers."
"So are you two like a couple?"
I looked to Alec for guidance. What exactly were we? Was there a title for when a guy is trying to take your innocence by slowly wooing you? Friends without benefits?
"Yeah, we're like a couple," Alec said, putting emphasis on 'like'.
I didn't object. I didn't want to have to explain it all to someone I had just met. "You guys are pretty cute. Have you told her about Liz and Maddy yet?"
If looks could kill...Barker would be dead. I looked to Alec questioningly. "Who're Liz and Maddy?"
Barker looked like a deer stuck in the headlights. "Crap, sorry man."
"C'mon, let's go batting, Charlotte," Alec forced, steering me away from Barker.
We got back to our own cage until I confronted him about it. "Who are Liz and Maddy?"
"Uh...ex-girlfriends."
"So then why do you look like you've seen a ghost."
"They're pretty scary."
"Alec..."
"Okay, they were my last real relationships."
"Is that it?" I had a feeling he was hiding something.
"Nope, that's it."
"Okay...so let's go batting again. I want to hit a homerun into the fence."
Alec chuckled quietly and turned on the machine. "You're up."
***
I really like batting; like really like it. It was so much fun! And I wasn't too bad...I mean, I couldn't actually play baseball, but at least I can hit the thing. That by itself was an accomplishment, so we went out to celebrate.
Alec had taken me to this cute little bakery hidden in the midst of downtown. I've never heard of it, much to Alec's shock. I was currently taking my first bite of a chocolate chip muffin, and Alec was videotaping it.
"Alec! You don't need to tape this!" I objected, covering my face with my hand.
"You'll want to know what your face looks like when you try the best thing in the world. Now uncover that pretty little face of yours and eat you muffin."
"I can't eat with your phone in my face."
"Sure you can. Just pretend you're looking at me."
"But I'm not."
"Use your imagination. I'm sure you imagine me everytime you close your eyes, right?"
"Oh goodness, you're sounding like Ian."
Alec crinkled his nose. "Don't compare me to him."
"Why?"
"I don't like him."
Surprise, surprise. None of the Top Four liked each other. I don't know if it's because their personalities would clash or that the game brought them to this point, but they hated each other...a lot.
"I think he's sweet."
Alec swallowed his hot cocoa. "You're kidding me."
"Not at all."
He shook his head in disbelief. "You're crazy."
"And you're close-minded."
"But I'm so adorably cute, so you're okay with that?"
"Yeah, you're so adorably cute."
"It's alright, you're stunningly gorgeous. If we were in Hollywood, we would be the golden couple."
"Too bad I'm not going to Hollywood. I value my privacy. So what about you? Hollywood or the Yankees?"
"Definitely Yankees. Fame, fortune, and baseball? I'm there."
"Don't forget the girls!"
"You're the only girl I need."
"You're corny."
"If you're cheesy, we could be popcorn!"
I laughed and took a bite of the muffin. And boy it was good. "This is wonderfully delicious."
"Told you. Now do you want to see your face?"
"Hey! You distracted me!"
He shrugged. "It worked, didn't it?"
"I suppose..."
Alec replayed the video for me. When it was over, I lunged for his phone, which he oh-so-smoothly slipped into his pocket. "Delete that!" I screamed.
"Ssh, don't disturb the rest of the customers."
"Delete it."
"Or...?"
"Or...or...I won't sleep with you."
"So you're saying that if I deleted this, you would sleep with me?"
"NO!"
"Then I'm not deleting it."
"You're blackmailing me."
"Indeed, I am."
I sank my teeth into the moist and chocolaty heaven, pouting. Now Alec on the other hand was fun to argue with. And that made the corners of my lips turn upward.
***
"I don't think that I like you going out alone with them," Luke stated crossly.
I was getting really sick of this conversation with Luke. "Well it's really don't care if you like it or not. I don't have to do what you say."
"They're not good guys. I just want to save you from getting hurt, Charlie. You know that right?"
"I know, but some things I have to learn for myself."
"I suppose I should just let nature take its course, but that would mean you ending in heartbreak and tears."
"Maybe it won't!" I said hopefully.
He smiled sadly. "Most high schools relationships don't last."
"But what if I'm one of the lucky few? We could be married someday, Luke. Sitting happily on our front porch..."
"We?"
Oh crap. Tell me I didn't say my daydream out loud. That was supposed to stay in my head. Ugh, why do I mess everything up? Now I need to come up with an excuse. Fast.
"You know...me and uh...Tyler."
Why did I say Tyler's name? I just said the first thing that came to mind. I really need to stop blurting things out and choosing my words very carefully."
"Tyler?"
"Yeah...Tyler."
Luke grinned. "I don't think you were talking about Tyler. I think you were talking about me."
My vision suddenly got twenty times sharper—something that only happens when I'm really nervous. "You wish."
"No, I think you wish. C'mon just face it—you were talking about you and I growing old together."
"I did not!" I stammered.
"It's okay, Charlie. You want to know a secret?" he said, coming closer.
As much as I love secrets, he was probably going to torment me, and I didn't want to stay on this topic any longer, so I said, "Nope, I have to get to class."
"You would rather go to class than hear a juicy secret from your best friend?"
"Yup."
"Well too bad. I'm going to tell you anyway."
"I don't want to know, Luke! Can we please talk about something else?"
"Fine, but promise me that you won't go out with any of them alone again."
"I can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Because I enjoy spending time with them!"
"Whatever, go make out with your boy toys and leave your best friend since childhood in the dust. See how I care."
He stalked away, dumping his unfinished lunch in the trash can. Should I go after him? I didn't want him to be mad...but I wanted a social life too. How come he could sleep and date any girl he pleased, but when it came to me, I had to be some kind of nun. It just wasn't fair. Was he, dare I say, jealous? And that thought made this bubbly feeling of happiness rise inside of me. Luke was jealous of the Top Four, just because I was giving them my attention?
I took a deep breath and followed him out of the lunch room. Luke was nowhere in sight, but you know who was? Tyler Bradshaw.
"Ah, so he finally let go," he said emotionlessly.
I placed my hands on my hips. "What are you talking about?"
"Luke, he let you go, right?"
"Let me go? What's going on?"
"You're so clueless."
"I am not!"
Tyler shook his head, chuckling like he was in on some inside joke and I wasn't. "You really are. Do you want to know why that none of us came after you?"
"Because I'm not pretty?" I guessed.
"Char, you're gorgeous, but Luke's been threatening us to leave you out of this whole thing."
"Well yeah, we're like best friends. He doesn't want to see my caught up in this thing."
He buried his face in his palms. "You are so dense, Char. Everyone knows why..."
I was really curious as to what he was talking about. "What? Tell me what I'm missing!"
He glanced up and looked my in the eyes. "Luke's in love with you."