The Hitting Zone



We rejoined Mom and Dad minus the regional team employees. It took a load off knowing that they weren't waiting around to keep talking to me. What more can be said besides 'welcome to the team'. 

"How ya feeling, Jake?" Mom asked me. 

I shrugged. "I feel okay."

Mom looked at Dad and they shared a look. Mom turned back to me with a raised eyebrow. "Jeremy said you had to go to the restroom. Did you throw up?"

I shook my head. "No. I thought I might and panicked. But I just needed a break."

Mom looked relieved. 

"Yea, Mom. Jake's fine." Dave added his two cents. "I was right behind him the whole time. He didn't even go in the bathrooms. He was just doing some deep breathing next to the building. Just loves those shit fumes I guess."

I pushed him. "You're disgusting."

Dave laughed. "I'm kidding. Everything's fine. Jake is excited to be on the team."

"Excited, eh?" Dad eyed me. 

I shrugged again. "I'm not opposed to it so much. Especially if you guys are around. And Noah has moved to the second round. He might make it too. Then I really wouldn't be alone." I clenched a fist, hopeful. 

"Do we know when the second round is?" Dave asked, cracking his knuckles. 

"The first weekend of June." Dad said. "It's the weekend before finals. I don't love it, but I know there'll be no stopping Noah."

"Wow. That's a little more than a month to go." Dave said. "Why the long wait? I thought it would be like in a week or two."

I looked at him. "They have a lot of tryout dates. For the other states too." Even I knew this. Granted it was because of Noah and how much he talked about it. 

"I guess we'll have plenty of time to get Noah ready." Dave rubbed his chin. "Though I don't like how it comes right after CIF. Kind of distracting."

"Noah knows how to prioritize." I said. I glanced at Dad. "When it comes to baseball."

"We'll be keeping a close eye on his grades as the school year comes to an end." Mom told me. "Yours too."

"I have good grades." I defended myself quickly. 

"Soooo good." Dave agreed. "I don't know what he'll do for math next year. Our school doesn't have anything after calculus."

I bit the inside of my cheek, feeling worried. Math was my favorite subject. And Mr. Petrus was my favorite teacher. I didn't want to be done with either of them. 

"You have to take four years of math so I'm sure the school has some kind of backup plan." Dad assured me. "Maybe even some classes at the community college."

"Dang Dad." Dave chuckled. "I just got him to be comfortable at this next level and now you're just kicking him to the curb, pushing him to college by his lonesome."

I looked to Dad, nervous. "How would I even get there?"

"Drive yourself?" Dad also sounded unsure. 

I was taken aback. "Drive myself?"

"You're almost the age to start learning and then you can try to get your license at 16. Noah too." Dad started to reason. "If neither of you are qualified by the start of next school year, we can do rides to and from, but it would be difficult if you needed a ride to the local college every day."

"Colleges don't usually have class every day." Dave said. "Most of the stuff I've been looking at anyways. There's like Mondays and Wednesdays. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Just Saturdays."

"You've been looking at your class catalogue?" Mom asked, looking more happy than she did when Zeke graduated. 

Dave rolled his eyes. "Yea, Mom. I've already committed to going to college. I've got to take it seriously. Also, athletes get preferential treatment to organize our schedules around practice times there so I have to be prepared."

"Have you picked a major?" Mom got closer and started to pester him, holding onto his arm. 

"No way, Mom." Dave rolled his eyes again. "It's my freshman year. I'm just taking gen ed courses. I don't want to drown myself in schoolwork like Zeke." The two started to college things and the conversation was very much centered on Dave. Which was good. I didn't like the attention and I liked it more when the boys can get one-on-one time with our parents because I feel like I hog it a lot. 

Noah finished the end of the tryout and came sprinting over with his bag and a piece of paper flapping in the wind. "Guys! I did it! I made it to the next round!" He immediately noticed my empty hands and came to a halt. "Jake? Where's your sheet?"

I looked to Dad. "Am I supposed to have a sheet?"

"You?! You didn't get one??!" Noah frowned and started to look around. "What happened? Did something go wrong in the rest of your simulations?"

Dave escaped Mom and threw his arm around Noah's shoulders while laughing. "Stop fretting like a mother hen. Jake did his usual stuff. Impressed the staff. And became the first player on the Northwest roster."

Noah dropped his stuff and tackled me, pulling me into a bear hug. He laughed, jumped around, and shouted. He sounded more happy for me than himself. I laughed along too and joined in the jumping. It felt more official and more like a celebration with Noah around. 

Dad eventually got us to stop, picked up Noah's bag for him, and the paper was given to Mom. We went back to the car as Noah talked about his play and how well he did when it came to stealing bases. He had beat out a few infield grounders and his fielding during the simulated plays got to shine too. 

"Jeremy saw a few of them so I'll have someone to back me up when I tell Zeke." Noah said excitedly. Then he realized Jeremy wasn't around. "Oh, did he leave already?"

"Gotta get ready for the game." Dave shrugged. "He and I were able to just catch the coach telling Jake that he made the team. So that was cool for us. Jake didn't freak out either." He winked at me. 

We packed up the car. 

"Hotel first for showers?" Mom asked Dad in the front seat. 

"No way, I'm so hungry." Noah complained. 

I nodded in agreement. It was just a little past noon now. That was the longest practice I had ever done. Just so long even if it wasn't as intensive. 

"I thought we were going to eat at Zeke's game?" Mom turned back to look at us. "His game starts at 2pm so I don't think we have time for both, lunch and showers."

"Why can't I just go smelling like this?" Noah sighed. 

"Hygiene, Noah." Mom wagged her finger. 

"How about we go through a drive thru for a quick snack to hold them over?" Dad suggested. 

Mom frowned. 

"Please, please, please?" Noah begged. "I'm so hungry. I'm starving. If you don't feel bad for me, at least think about Jake."

Mom looked at me. I gave her my best sad face and held my stomach too. She sighed. "Okay. Just something small though."