force him to see me as special. Why couldn’t I just enjoy the game and stop worrying about what being here said about us?
The pitcher struck out the first three batters. Our team was up to bat. I was sneaking a peek at Jake when I heard a crack. The player had hit the ball hard, right out of the park. Jake came to his feet and punched his arm in the air. “Yeah!”
He looked down at me. “You do know what a home run is, don’t you?”
“Of course. I’ve seen baseball — like in the movies and stuff.”
“Then come on! Get into it.”
I stood up, and even though I felt silly, I punched the air, too. “Yeah!”
Jake leaned down and brushed his shoulder against mine. “That’s more like it.”
I smiled at him. He was so much fun.
The announcer announced that they’d be passing around a boot, taking donations that would go to the player’s favorite charity. Jake and I each put a dollar in the boot when it made it down our row.
I tried to pay attention to the game, but I was more interested in the various activities happening around the edge of the field. The mascot was someone dressed up like a gigantic prairie dog. His antics were hilarious. The games they played in between innings had me thinking about how we could adapt them to use at parties held at Paradise Falls.
Then in the sixth inning, they displayed a heart on the video screen, and the camera zoomed in on a couple who would then kiss. Someone with a camera waswalking around close to where Jake and I were sitting. I held my breath, wondering what we’d do if the camera focused on us. Would it be a real kiss? Did I want hundreds of people I didn’t know to witness my very first kiss?
Jake picked up his program and started reading player stats. I wondered if he was nervous, too, if he was trying to figure out what we would do.
The camera zoomed in on two guys in the visitors’ dugout. They waved the camera away, but it stayed on them. One guy leaned over and pretended to kiss the other one. The crowd laughed and clapped. Then the kiss cam went off the video screen, and the umpire called out, “Play ball.”
“That was kinda crazy,” I said.
“Yeah. It can get even crazier, though. They don’t always realize who’s together. Once they put the camera on my dad and the woman sitting beside him. Unfortunately, she wasn’t my mom. She was someone we didn’t even know.”
“What did your dad do?”
Jake shrugged. “What could he do? They wouldn’t move the camera on, so he kissed her on the cheek.”
So Jake would have kissed me. Question was: Would it have been because he wanted to or because he felt like he had no choice?
The game was over by nine thirty. Our team won, one to nothing. The only score came from that home run. Before the game was over, I bought a bag of cotton candy to take to Aunt Sophie.
By the time we got to the parking lot, it was a little after ten. We didn’t talk much on the drive home. The closer we got to my house, the more nervous I became. I opened the bag and snitched a little cotton candy so my mouth would be sweet — just in case. I thought that was better than scrounging around in my tote for a cinnamon breath strip.
Jake pulled to a stop outside the front porch. We opened our doors at the same time, climbed out, and met near the front ofthe truck. Jake looked at the door. I looked at him. He stuck his hands in his back pockets. “Well, thanks for going with me,” he said.
“Anytime your dad can’t go …” Did I really say that? Had I just invited myself along? Aunt Sophie would be horrified by my boldness.
Jake took a step back. “I’ll just stand here and make sure you get in all right.” Was that guy-talk for no kiss?
“It’s not like I’m going to get mugged,” I said.
“Still, it’s the way my dad taught me.”
His dad, the cop, had taught him to watch out for people.
“Well, then, okay.” I felt awkward and silly. I thought about just stepping over and kissing him . But
The pitcher struck out the first three batters. Our team was up to bat. I was sneaking a peek at Jake when I heard a crack. The player had hit the ball hard, right out of the park. Jake came to his feet and punched his arm in the air. “Yeah!”
He looked down at me. “You do know what a home run is, don’t you?”
“Of course. I’ve seen baseball — like in the movies and stuff.”
“Then come on! Get into it.”
I stood up, and even though I felt silly, I punched the air, too. “Yeah!”
Jake leaned down and brushed his shoulder against mine. “That’s more like it.”
I smiled at him. He was so much fun.
The announcer announced that they’d be passing around a boot, taking donations that would go to the player’s favorite charity. Jake and I each put a dollar in the boot when it made it down our row.
I tried to pay attention to the game, but I was more interested in the various activities happening around the edge of the field. The mascot was someone dressed up like a gigantic prairie dog. His antics were hilarious. The games they played in between innings had me thinking about how we could adapt them to use at parties held at Paradise Falls.
Then in the sixth inning, they displayed a heart on the video screen, and the camera zoomed in on a couple who would then kiss. Someone with a camera waswalking around close to where Jake and I were sitting. I held my breath, wondering what we’d do if the camera focused on us. Would it be a real kiss? Did I want hundreds of people I didn’t know to witness my very first kiss?
Jake picked up his program and started reading player stats. I wondered if he was nervous, too, if he was trying to figure out what we would do.
The camera zoomed in on two guys in the visitors’ dugout. They waved the camera away, but it stayed on them. One guy leaned over and pretended to kiss the other one. The crowd laughed and clapped. Then the kiss cam went off the video screen, and the umpire called out, “Play ball.”
“That was kinda crazy,” I said.
“Yeah. It can get even crazier, though. They don’t always realize who’s together. Once they put the camera on my dad and the woman sitting beside him. Unfortunately, she wasn’t my mom. She was someone we didn’t even know.”
“What did your dad do?”
Jake shrugged. “What could he do? They wouldn’t move the camera on, so he kissed her on the cheek.”
So Jake would have kissed me. Question was: Would it have been because he wanted to or because he felt like he had no choice?
The game was over by nine thirty. Our team won, one to nothing. The only score came from that home run. Before the game was over, I bought a bag of cotton candy to take to Aunt Sophie.
By the time we got to the parking lot, it was a little after ten. We didn’t talk much on the drive home. The closer we got to my house, the more nervous I became. I opened the bag and snitched a little cotton candy so my mouth would be sweet — just in case. I thought that was better than scrounging around in my tote for a cinnamon breath strip.
Jake pulled to a stop outside the front porch. We opened our doors at the same time, climbed out, and met near the front ofthe truck. Jake looked at the door. I looked at him. He stuck his hands in his back pockets. “Well, thanks for going with me,” he said.
“Anytime your dad can’t go …” Did I really say that? Had I just invited myself along? Aunt Sophie would be horrified by my boldness.
Jake took a step back. “I’ll just stand here and make sure you get in all right.” Was that guy-talk for no kiss?
“It’s not like I’m going to get mugged,” I said.
“Still, it’s the way my dad taught me.”
His dad, the cop, had taught him to watch out for people.
“Well, then, okay.” I felt awkward and silly. I thought about just stepping over and kissing him . But