Slugger Girl

Try Outs

Chapter One: Try Outs

"Rise and shine baby girl!" Ellie's father said through her door. Ellie groaned, and sat up in her bed. She stretched, and slipped the quilt off of her legs. She slipped on her bunny slippers, and walked lazily into the kitchen. "There's my baby girl," her father said, kissing her red head.  

"Morning dad," Ellie grumbled. She grabbed a bowl from the cabinet, and the corn flakes from the pantry. When she finished the light breakfast, she got into the shower. She scrubbed her body with the vanilla soap, and washed her hair with the mint shampoo and conditioner. She dressed, and stole the bathroom from her father to dry her curly red hair. She grabbed her backpack, and slid on her old converse. 

"You ready baby girl?" 

"Yeah dad." She gets into her father's 1960s Mustang, and they head to the school. When Ellie gets out of her father's car, she immediately went to find her friends.  

"Hey Ellie," Ryder Williams said. Ellie blushed, and waved. She quickly made her way over to her table, and sat down with her friends. 

"Hey Ellie," her best friend, Jonathan Ross said.  

"Hey Jonny. Where's Ashton?" 

"He's out sick today. He sounded devastated on the phone. Today's the try outs for the baseball team." Oh yeah, Ellie thought. She'd completely forgotten about try outs. Her father was going to be the coach, and she'd begged to try for it. 

"We'll see what the principal says," her father had said. She asked again the night before, and received the same answer. She had to ask one more time. At the try out itself. When the bell rang, she grabbed her bag, and went to her first class. She anxiously waited for the end of the day. When the final bell rang, she almost ran to her father's classroom.  

"What did the principal say?" she asked anxiously. 

"He said that if you really want to, you can try. But just because I'm your dad, doesn't mean I'll treat you any different than the others," he said sternly. Dan Ream was a good man, and he treated everyone the same. They walked out to the field together, and waited for the boys to show. Ryder Williams was there, along with some of his buddies, and some of Ellie's friends.  

"What's she doing here?" 

"Why is there a girl here?" 

"Mr. Ream, you're gonna let her try out?"  

"Enough!" her father shouted. "The principal said that she can, so she's going to! I don't want any trouble, or you will not make the team! Understood?"  

"Yes sir!" they all shouted. First, they did five laps around the field, then they got on with the try outs. Her father had them pitch, hit, play as base men, and in the outfield. When the try outs were over, Ellie was tired, and anxious to hear the results. 

"Alright," her father said," the team will consist of the following people: Garret Barnes, Darren Hart, Samuel Yalta, Ryder Williams, Jonathan Ross, Johnathan Schwartz, Henry Vega, Paul Iverson, Danny Samuels." Her father continued down his list, and when he reaches the last name, she's biting her nails. "Nathan Ryde, and...Ellie Ream." She smiled, but inside she was throwing a party. She made the team! Some guys shot her some disapproving looks, but she didn't care. 

"Good job, Ellie. I look forward to seeing how you play," Ryder said. 

"Th-Thanks," she stuttered. She mentally face palmed herself, and walked over to where her father was waiting. 

"I'm proud of you baby," he said, giving her a hug. 

"Thanks dad. Does this mean that I get tickets to FUN next month?" she asked hopefully. Her father just laughed, and patted her shoulder.