The Prince & Me

Play Ball!

The Team and the Carmines handed off their tickets to the man by the entrance. Ben was jumping up and down, nonstop, just jittering with excitement as he waved his pennant flag and adjusted his Happy Harbor Raccoons baseball cap. "I'msoexcitedI'msoexitedI'msoexcitedI'msoexitedI'msoexcited!!!" Jason put both hands on his shoulders to hold him in place. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Slow down, jitterbug!"

Dick laughed as he adjusted his own cap and looked at Conner. "So, you guys have seriously never been to baseball game back in Padaladia?" Conner shook his head. "Nope. We lead a pretty sheltered life." "You must!", Cassie retorted. "Ben's acting like he just ate twenty sugar sticks and an eight-pack of Coke!" "Actually, he did.", Jason said.

The gang went over to their seats just in time to see the batter hit a curve ball and land second base. Ben thrust his arms up into the air. "Alright!" He proceeded to jump out of his seat whenever the batter landed a base, be it first, second, third or home. Soon enough, the Raccoons hit a home run. The ball went flying into the stands and right into Ben's new leather glove. He whooped as loud as he possibly could, holding it up in the air. "BEST! DAY! EVER!"

The rest of the Carmines let out crisp laughs.  Conner put his arm around M'gann, who smiled up at him.  "I'm gonna go get us some snacks.  Be right back."  He kissed her on the cheek and shifted past the crowds to get to the concussion stand.  La'gaan's eyes, now disguised as regular ones tinted reddish-brown, watched him as he ascended the stairs.  "I'm, uh, going to go get a foam finger.", he said, standing up and pushing past the crowds to follow his rival.

Conner stood in the line leading to the snack stand, looking over a list of the things requested by his friends and siblings, not noticing La'gaan scamper past them and hide behind a pillar, eying him like a hawk with it's eyes fixed on it's prey.  What are you hiding, Conner Kent?, he thought, his focus on his arch-enemy and no one else.

A vendor passed by, holding his vending tray full of soda cans and bags of potato chips.  When he saw Conner, he let go of his tray, which thankfully had been attached to his person with a strap over his neck attached to opposite sides, and stared at him, his mouth open and his eyes wide.  "Oh my God!  OH MY GOD!"  He fell to his knees before Conner.  "Its you!  Its really you!"  He held his arms up and knelt over, bowing to Conner.  "Your Highness!"  La'gaan blinked twice, surprised and a little confused.  Your Highness?

Conner looked panicked as he grabbed the vendor by the shoulders and pulled him to his feet.  "Sssshhh!  Keep it down!", he hissed, holding a finger close to his lips.  "Who are you?"  The vendor couldn't stop smiling or shivering like an excited Mexican jumping bean.  "I am Edgar Von Trappenstein!  And I am a full-blooded citizen of Padaladia!", he said, a slight foreign accent in his voice.  "I came here to the United States six months ago to seek my fortune!  But never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect to run into YOU, and in here of all places!"

"Next!"  Conner hurried up the line and handed the cashier his list of requests.  As they prepared the food, Edgar never left Conner's side, still shaking and smiling and staring as if he still couldn't believe it.  After what seemed like forever, to Conner at least, they served the food.  He payed, picked up the tray, and carried it away, hurrying to get away from Edgar.

Megan and Richard were coming down the hall to check on Conner, just in time to see him coming towards them, tray in hand and a strange man close in pursuit.  He stopped Conner and got his attention.  "Can I at least take a picture with you?!"  Conner looked at him, then at his friends, who looked confused, then back at him and smiled nervously.  "Sure!  Why not?"

The man took both their trays and handed them off to Richard, then gave Megan his cell phone, which had already been set to Camera.  He put an arm around Conner's shoulders and gave the camera a thumbs-up.  Conner tried to smile as the camera flashed.  Edgar took back his phone and tray, and looked at Conner, still smiling like a madman.  "I will cherish this moment, for the rest of my days!"  He bounded down the hall, crying up ecstatically, "The rest of my days!"

Conner avoided eye contact as he took his tray back from Richard, who was staring at Conner completely and utterly confused.  "Who was that guy?"  Conner bit his lip as he thought over what to say.  "Uh...he's a friend from Padaladia."  M'gann blinked, not sure what to think.  "Well...he's certainly...enthusiastic."  Conner chuckled as he nodded.  "Yeah."  He let out a breath of relief as he and the others made their way back to their seats, mentally thanking God that they weren't suspicious.

Moments after they left, La'gaan appeared in the hallway.  The crowds were roaring, but La'gaan could only hear the dozens of questions that were buzzing in his head.  Why did that Edgar guy get so excited when he saw Conner?  And why did he call him "Your Highness"?  And want to take a photo with him?

He ran the other way, hoping to find Edgar and demand answers from him.  But he couldn't pick him out from the humongous crowd that blocked his way.  But La'gaan wasn't too upset.  He'd gotten another sign that the Carmines weren't who they claimed they were.  I'm getting close., he thought.  So close, I can taste it.