"Well?" My Mom whispered.
"Well?" I repeated.
"He's too busy," Scotty said, gesturing over to Bill sitting at his desk in his trophy room.
In the distance you could hear a TV was on.
"Oh, no, honey, he's not," My Mom said. "He has some time. You go on back out there and ask him."
Scotty looked at me as if searching for some assurance.
I nodded and smiled.
That seemed to be all he needed because he let out a sigh and walked back out to where Bill sat working on some paperwork.
"Uh, Bill, uh-," Scotty started.
"Yeah," Bill replied.
"I mean, Dad, uh, can we-," Scotty continued, obviously nervous about having to ask our step father. "I mean, could you, like you said, teach me to play catch?"
"Yeah. Sure. But I gotta get this done, okay?"
"Okay, thanks," Scotty replied with a small smile, looking slightly disappointed.
My Mom didn't seem to like Bill's reply because she stepped into his office.
"Bill?" My Mom said.
"Yeah," Bill replied.
"Uh, couldn't you take a break and teach him now?"
"Mom, it's okay, really," Scotty said, looking like he just wanted to be done with this conversation already.
He didn't seem to like it very much when our Mom stepped in to help him. I couldn't blame him.
"Honey, I said I would, and I will, but I'm under the gun here," Bill said.
"How long could it take?" My Mom asked. "Can't you spare half an hour and show him now?"
"Mom, really. It's okay."
"Alright. Okay. I'll get my glove," Bill stood up.
I smiled.
"See? I told you," My Mom nudged Scotty.
I stood to the side sitting in a chair watching Scotty and Bill.
I already knew how to play catch and wanted to give the two boys their moment.
Plus, in case Bill had some really nice advice that he was giving Scotty, I wanted to be in on it too.
"Alright, Scotty," Bill said. "Get down to that end of the yard."
Bill pointed to the other side of the yard and Scotty quickly followed his command.
"Now, the key to this game is keeping your eye on the ball, okay?"
"Alright," Scotty nodded, looking a little skeptical. "Uh, yeah. I think so."
"Where the ball goes, your glove should go. Got it?"
"Okay," Scotty nodded, looking a little more sure now.
"Okay. Alright."
Bill reached his arm back and threw the ball.
It hit Scotty in the arm, making him let out a grunt.
"Darn," Bill said. "Sorry."
"It's alright. Alright."
"Um-uh, here."
"Okay. Okay, I'm ready."
"Eye on the ball, okay? Got it?"
"Okay."
"If the ball moves, move your glove. Got it?"
"Yeah."
"All right. Here we go."
Bill throws the ball and Scotty misses it as it falls to the ground beside him.
He could've caught it if he had a bigger glove.
"Okay. You just need a bigger glove. Throw it back to me this time," Bill said. "Throw it back."
Scotty threw the ball and Bill caught it in his glove.
"Okay. Scotty, keep your eye on the ball."
"Okay. Got it," Scotty nodded.
"Okay."
Bill reached his arm back and threw the ball.
It slammed right into Scotty's eye, making me jolt out of my seat and run to him along with Bill.
"Ow! Oh, my eye!" Scotty shouted, cupping his eye with his hand. "Ow! Ow! Oh!"
Bill, Scotty, and I walked back into the house and into the kitchen.
My Mom quickly walked into the room looking worried.
"Ow! Ow!" Scotty grunted.
"What happened?" My Mom asked.
"My eye," Scotty groans.
"Y/n, get some ice," Bill instructed.
"Yes sir," I said.
I quickly walk over to the freezer and open it. I don't see an ice pack so I just grab some frozen peas instead.
I walk over and hand the frozen peas to Bill who hands it to Scotty, bringing it up to his eye.
"Here you go," Bill said.
"Those were for dinner," My Mom said.
"Oh!" Scotty groans, the coldness of the frozen peas hitting his eye.
"Just hold it up there. Nice and hard. Press it against," Bill instructed.
Scotty does as he's told, holding the frozen peas hard against his eye.
"I just took my eye off the ball, Mom," Scotty said.
"Yeah, but you caught it," Bill said.
Scotty groaned.
"Just keep that on for, like an hour," Bill instructed. "It'll still be black, but it won't swell. Sorry. Gotta watch out for that curve."
YOU ARE READING
It All Started with Baseball
Fanfiction"All Benny cared about before you guys moved here was baseball. He said he never had time for girls." "What about now?" ...
