“Yeah, it is, and it hurts like hell. But at least you can’t see it.” She pouted as she glanced down at her stomach. “I wish I could say the same for my gut. Good Lord. I look like I’m six months pregnant or something.”
I loved Jess, but she tended to be a bit dramatic, especially when it was that time of the month. With her long, black hair and olive skin tone, she was beautiful without even trying, and she had a body that any girl would kill for. I looked over at her petite figure and shook my head. I knew better than to try and convince her that she didn’t look puffy, so I asked, “So, what movie do you want to watch?”
“Movies,” she replied. “I want to have a scary movie marathon.”
“Why? You don’t even like scary movies.”
“Yes, I do! I love them.”
“Then, why do you sleep with the light on after you watch them?”
She thought for a moment before she answered, “Because if something is going to get me, I want to see what it is before it gets me.”
“You know that makes no sense, right?”
“I think it makes perfect sense. If something is going to kill me viciously in the dark, I want to know if it’s some guy with a samurai sword or a blood-thirsty vampire with oozing puss draining from its veins. It’s as simple as that.”
“Oh, good grief. You’re such a dork.” I giggled as I reached for a box of takeout. “So, what’s it going to be? Are we going for the old stuff like The Amityville Horror or The Exorcist, or something new like Annabelle?”
“Hmm …. Let’s go with one of the newer ones, but first we’ve gotta see what’s even on,” she said and started flipping through the movie channels. Once she’d found what she was looking for, she purchased the movie and started it. As the credits started to play, she turned to me and asked, “I forgot to ask. How did things go at ball practice with Kaden?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “All things considered, it was pretty good I guess. I mean, Kaden seemed to have a good time.”
“Why do I get the feeling you aren’t telling me something?”
“It’s nothing really.” I took a bite of my lo mein, then asked, “Have you ever heard of a baseball player named Tucker Michaels?”
“Who hasn’t?” she scoffed. “He’s a great pitcher, and he’s hot.”
“Well, he’s helping out with Kaden’s Little League team, and he’s a—”
“What?” She sat up in her seat with an animated expression. If I hadn’t known better, I would’ve thought she’d just won the damn lottery. “He’s here, in town, and you’ve actually seen him?”
“Yeah? Like I just said, he’s helping out with Kaden’s baseball team.”
All her woes were suddenly forgotten as she started pounding me with questions. “Was it for just that one practice or is he coming back?”
“I think he’s going to be there for a couple of weeks. I think it’s because he hurt his knee or something.”
“Oh my God, Kaci. I can’t believe you are just now telling me! You do realize that he’s—”
“A jerk? Yes. I realized that right away,” I grumbled.
“He can’t be that much of a jerk. I mean, come on! He’s one of the best pitchers around, and here he is taking the time out to help with your little brother’s baseball team. And he’s doing it while he’s hurt! He can’t be all bad.”
I watched as she reached for her phone and started typing. “What are you doing?”
“Holy cow. Just look at him.” After several seconds of drooling over the screen, she finally turned it towards me, revealing a picture of Tucker with no shirt. “If I lick him does that make him mine.”
“I don’t think that’s how it works.” I rolled my eyes and laughed. “Besides, I don’t think Zach would appreciate it if you went around licking other men.”
“Probably not, but it never hurts to look,” she replied as she continued to flip through all the different pictures. “So, when is the next practice?”
“Tomorrow afternoon. Why?”
“Just curious.”
“Umm-hmm.” Hot or not, I was growing tired of talking about Tucker Michaels, so I changed the subject. “Are we going to watch the movie or are you going to sit there staring at your screen for the rest of the night?”
She looked up from her phone just long enough to ask, “You really don’t think he’s good-looking?”
“I didn’t say that, Jess. I said the guy was a jerk, but like you said, I could have him all wrong. I don’t know, and honestly, I don’t care. Now, let’s watch the stupid movie.”
“Seems like Mr. Tucker made quite an impression.” Jess snickered. When she saw the irritated look on my face, she shrugged and said, “Fine. We’ll watch the movie.”
“Finally.” I huffed.
“One last thing … You might wanna fix yourself up a little for that practice tomorrow. It wouldn’t hurt.”
“Jess!”
“I’m just saying.” She giggled. “If I know you, I’m sure you made quite an impression on him, too.”
Thankfully, the movie started playing before either of us could say anything more. We actually made it through the rest of the night without any further talk of our bad day, cramps, or Tucker Michaels. By the time we finally went to bed, Jess’s mood had improved dramatically, but as expected, she wanted to keep all the lights on in the house.
The next morning I struggled to get out of bed. All I wanted to do was lay there and enjoy the comfort of snuggling under my warm quilt, but I didn’t have that luxury. First, I had an early morning class; afterwards, I needed to pick up Kaden for practice. I threw the covers back, forced myself out of bed, and headed into the bathroom for a shower. As soon as I was dressed, I hurried downstairs and was surprised to find Jess in the kitchen making coffee.
“Good morning, sunshine.” She smiled as she gave me a quick once over. “I see you took my advice about fixing up today.”
Even though I’d chosen the outfit because I thought it flattered my figure, I rolled my eyes and grumbled, “I’m wearing shorts and a tank top, Jess. This isn’t exactly dressing up.”
“If you say so.”
“Whatever.” Ignoring her smirk, I poured myself a cup of coffee and asked, “What are you doing up so early?”
“I guess you were right about the scary movies after all.”
“Next time, I’ll pick the movies.”
“That’s probably a good idea.”
“Well, I’ve gotta get to class, so if there’s any paranormal activity going on around here, you’ll have to deal with it on your own.” I teased as I took my coffee and headed towards the door. “You might want to steer clear of any weird-looking dolls today.”
“Gee, thanks.”
Even though I was running late, I still managed to make it to class on time. After suffering through an hour and a half lecture on the deteriorating ethics of our American government, I headed over to the house to pick up Kaden. When I pulled up in the driveway, I was surprised to see that Mom’s car was still there. Worried that something might be wrong, I jumped out and headed inside. I’d barely gotten to the front door when she came barreling out.
“I’m late!” she shrieked as she rushed towards the garage. “Your father called.”
“And?”