***
I couldn’t believe that summer was already halfway over. I hadn’t done shit with my time and I was totally okay with it. But that was all going to change today. Because today I was starting baseball practice.
The coach for the new school knew who I was. I was pretty good at my old school, so I guess news travels fast. I was a little nervous about meeting the new guys. I wondered if they would be like the assholes at my old school.
Trey tried to contact me a few times but I ignored him. After all, he made a choice. I was just helping him stick with that choice.
I had tried to get out of going to Arizona U but I had already signed with them. The contract was for four years. While Mom let me make some choices, she told me I had to stay with Arizona U. I mean, they were paying for my schooling.
Since Mom and Dad were getting a divorce, all of Mom’s money was going towards the lawyer’s fees. Once she paid for those and our new house, we were pretty low on money, so I was stuck going to Arizona U. I hadn’t talked to my dad since he walked out. I took that as a sign that he was walking out of my life. He had tried to call me a few times but every time I hung up.
Other than those things, Mom and I were pretty happy with everything.
Once I parked, I hopped out of my truck and started to grab for my bag when someone said, “Hey.” .
Turning to the guy, I nodded my head. “What’s up?”
Sticking his hand out towards me, he said, “I’m Ryder Mitchell. You must be the new guy from Arizona. Coach said you’re really good.”
“Uh, yeah,” I said, stunned. “I played pitcher at my old school.”
“Oh fuck, that’s awesome! We actually just lost our pitcher. He signed with a minor league, so he’s being homeschooled this year. Not to mention he was a total assclown and thought he was the shit.”
Assclown? Me and this Ryder were definitely going to be buds. “Well, good thing I’m here then,” I joked with laughter. “Oh, I’m Gabe Prescott, by the way. What position do you play?”
Waving his hand, he said, “Oh, I play a little bit of everything, but my main position is catcher.” He laughed. “I love psyching the asshole out who thinks his team is gonna win against ours.”
“Yeah.” I laughed. “So are you a senior?”
“Yeah, man. You?”
I nodded my answer.
“Cool. Cool. We’ll definitely have to hang out some before school starts. We’ll definitely get to hang out since we’re on the baseball team and all. You’ll like the guys. We do pool parties and campfires and stuff. House parties when parents are gone.”
Nodding, I said, “That’s awesome,” and smiled.
Waving his hand, Ryder said, “Well, come on, dude, let’s get going. You gotta meet the guys and we gotta start practicing.”
Grabbing my bag from the car, I started to walk with Ryder towards the baseball field.
“So why’d you change schools your senior year?”
Hesitating, I took in a breath. I wasn’t prepared for how to tell strangers why I had to move. How do you tell someone that one day you had a family, a girlfriend, a team of guys supporting you and rooting you on, and the next? The only person you had in your life was your mom. How do you tell someone that the man you thought was your hero, the person you wanted to be like when you grew up, was nothing like that? He wasn’t a superhero. He wasn’t a husband or a father. He was pathetic. Thoughtless. A coward.
Shrugging, I said, “My parents divorced. Well, they’re in the middle of getting a divorce.”
“Oh,” Ryder quietly said.
“Yeah,” I whispered. For a few seconds it was awkward, to say the least. While it sucks telling someone that, what does that person say after? Like, “Sorry, dude. So this past weekend I got totally shitfaced”? I had come up with a bunch of possibilities Ryder would say but I wasn’t prepared for what he did.
Patting me on the back, he said, “I’m sorry, dude.” He paused. “If you ever need anything, me and the guys are here for you.”
My mouthed dropped open. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. It was crazy. Back at my old school I felt like I couldn’t tell anyone anything. I didn’t see the point when they weren’t actually caring about it.
I always felt like that person where if someone was in a dilemma, I was there for them. I gave my opinion. I told them that they could rely on me for help or just someone to talk to. But when it came to my problems? I felt like people didn’t care. They didn’t want to be bothered. I was all by myself.
And to think this total stranger, a guy I had just met no more than ten minutes prior, actually cared about me and my wellbeing.
As we walked up to the baseball field, all of the guys were talking and joking around. I whispered, “Thanks, Ryd,” hoping no one else heard.
Dropping his bag on the dirt, Ryder looked at me and patted me on the shoulder. “We’re a team, Gabe. We’re here for one another,” and smiled at me.