It All Started with Baseball

Chapter 1: Baseball

*Scotty's POV*

I decided to follow a few boys from the bus after school.

I'd never seen anything like it.

Behind a large fence was a little place to play baseball.

It was the greatest place I'd ever seen!

They were good, real good.

I wanted to learn to play and be just like them.

I mainly wanted to learn because Y/n loved to play and it would be fun to play with her, but I also knew my Dad loved baseball.

I saw baseball as an opportunity to get close to him. Both my real Dad and Bill.

All I had at home was a plastic toy mitt that my grandmother had given me for my birthday when I was six.

When I finally had gotten up enough guts to go there and try to make friends.

I found out that they never kept score, they never chose sides, they never even really stopped playing the game.

It just went on forever. Every day they picked up where they left off the day before.

It was like an endless dream game.

There were only eight of them, so they didn't have a whole team.

So even though I didn't know how to play, I figured I could be the ninth man...and maybe just stand in the outfield somewhere and take up space.

I decided one day to bring my sister with me.

I knew she would love to be a part of a baseball team.

*Y/n's POV*

When Scotty first told me about a team of boys that played baseball on a team all the time, I was ecstatic. Especially when he told me there were eight of them. They were down a few people.

I knew it would be the perfect opportunity to join a baseball team and possibly make some new friends.

I also knew it would be good for Scotty. Maybe he could make some new friends too.

I followed beside Scotty, my glove in my hand as we reached the field where the team played.

What I saw made me smile. They were pretty good.

"Squints!" One of the boys yelled.

"I got it!" Another one yelled.

"Nice catch!" A boy yelled as another one caught the ball.

"Come on!"

"Come on, Benny, hit a homer!"

My eyes quickly shifted to see Benny. The boy that had greeted me and Scotty a couple days ago.

He was at home base with his bat back, ready to swing at any minute.

"Come on!"

"Hey, batter, batter, batter!" A boy yelled behind Benny in baseball gear.

A boy threw the ball and Benny swung.

The ball flew through the air as Benny ran around, claiming the bases.

He was amazing.

"Whoa!"

"Watch out!"

"Okay, I'll get it! Get it. Don't be a goofus. Don't be a goofus! Don't be a goofus!" Scotty shouted running over to grab the ball.

"Throw the ball back! Come on!" One of the boys urged Scotty.

"Yeah, hurry up!" Another boy yelled.

I looked at my brother to see he had frozen in place.

"We are waiting!"

"Come on! Throw it!"

"Come on, toss me the ball!"

"Come on! Come on!"

Scotty threw the ball. The ball sadly plopped three feet in front of him.

The boys started laughing as Scotty picked up the ball and started jogging up to one of them.

I sighed as Scotty handed the ball to the boy who had thrown it at Benny.

"Oh, my God!" A boy laughed.

A few other boys continued laughing as I rolled my eyes.

Scotty and I walked home after his sad attempt of giving the ball back.

"I couldn't throw it, Y/n," Scotty sighed. "I can't throw."

"It's okay, Scotty," I comforted, patting him on the shoulder. "You'll learn."

Scotty nodded and smiled.

As I was passing Scotty's room to go head to my room to read before bed, I overheard my Mom and Scotty talking.

I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but...I did.

"Scotty, have you made any friends yet?" My Mom asked.

My Mom was always worried about Scotty. He was pretty bad at making friends. I often felt bad for him.

"No," Scotty answered.

"Why not, honey?"

"Cause I'm still new."

He had a point. I didn't have any friends yet either.

"I don't want you sitting around in here all summer fiddling with this stuff," My Mom said. "Like you did last summer and the one before. I know you're smart, and I'm proud of you. I want you to get out into the fresh air and make some friends."

My Mom was right. Scotty needed some friends.

And the boys at the field seemed sorta nice. Maybe I could help him make some friends while also making some of my own.

"Run around, scrape your knees, get dirty," My Mom continued. "Climb trees, hop fences. Get into trouble, for crying out loud. Not too much, but some. You have my permission."

I smiled to myself.

"How many mothers do you know who say something like that to their sons," My Mom chuckled.

"Well, none mothers, I guess," Scotty replied.

"Honey, I want you to make some friends this summer. Lots of them."

"Yeah, I know. But I'm not good at anything, Mom. Face it, I'm just an egghead."

"Honey, you'll always be just an egghead with an attitude like that."

I smiled to myself as I walked back to my room.

I knew for a fact my brother wasn't an egghead and I was going to help him see that.

I was going to help him make friends and help him learn to play baseball.