The Curveball.

I wondered what I was going to do on this early release before the game tonight. Well first I got to go home and get something to eat and grab my stuff then I should be good to go. “Yo josh can I have a ride home quick bro!” I said.  ‘Yeah sure man let me just go grab my stuff from my locker quick and I’ll meet you by my car” said Josh. Josh is my best friend. I like Josh because he has a c***y attitude like me he likes to show it. We both have a lot of the same interests. He’s just a cool guy he also likes to do stupid stuff with me. Every day after practice me and him like to go to this private place called duck pond with a big fence surrounding it. We like to climb the fence and go and smoke when the sun sets and enjoy the scenery. I’m just thankful we have not gotten caught. Josh lives a couple blocks away from my dad’s house and he gives me a ride every day since I don’t have a car.
We finally pull into the driveway and get out. We both head in and get my uniform. I open the door and go inside. Just like every other night my dad is on the couch watching some braves game and swearing at the television. “Hey dad, Hey Allen” me and Josh both say. “Oh hey boys” he mutters and then he asks me to get him another beer while he continues to swear at the TV. It’s frustrating to watch my dad like this and he doesn’t even come to my games anymore. But to be honest I’m kind of glad so he doesn’t embarrass me.
Me and Josh finally got our uniforms for the game. As were heading back we stop at a local gas station to fill up. Josh asks if I want anything to eat and heads in to pay. Josh comes out and he tosses me a candy bar, he had a startled look on his face. Josh takes off when suddenly a gas station employee comes running out.  Josh throws the car into gear quickly and burns out of the parking lot. ”Josh what the hell” I said. Josh looked really startled not only did he not pay for the food he also didn’t pay for the gas.
 

Somehow we didn’t get pulled over on the way to our game and it was a quiet ride to say the least but we finally get back to the high school. We were a little late for warm ups but not bad. Coach Johnson usually doesn’t care too much but he noticed our concerned faces and the sweat pouring down our faces. “You boys okay?” Coach Johnson said. Josh froze for a second. “Yeah, were fine”.
Finally it was time for the big game to start. The opposing team the South Side Seminoles, who were 10-0 in conference and they were tied with us for first place and two really good undefeated teams going at it.
  Josh is a pitcher and a very good one. He played even a little his freshman year and came up and pitched in some big games. Josh is a senior like me and also has many college offers despite his bad decision making like me.
I play shortstop. I’m not nearly as good in the field as I am a batter. I am still good enough for many D1 colleges to look at me. My goal is to get an offer from LSU. Ever since I was a little boy I have been watching them play and they are by far my favorite team. 
Even though most kids have the same dream I do to play in the MLB. I feel like I actually have a legitimate shot and I want to prove people wrong. It may be hard but the main reason I want to go to the MLB besides the love of the game, I want to be able to give my mom the opportunity to have money and live a healthy life.
Since Josh is our best pitcher, he started the game on the mound. Off to a good start josh got through the first 3 innings without giving up any runs. For our team we also zero and I was the only one with a hit.
The South Side Seminoles had a very good pitcher so we are having a hard time hitting him, his name is Leroy. Leroy’s dad played in the MLB and is in the Hall-Of-Fame. If you could imagine Leroy has some experience with pitching and he proved it out on the field. I’ve been facing Leroy my whole life, me and him are rivals. It is always fun to play and go against the best players around.
It was time for me to bat again. I go grab my Easton 3000 the best bat on the market. I strap on my batting gloves, put my helmet on, I’m now ready to go. I take a deep breath and get into the box. My back foot goes first and I kick the sand back then stare deep into Leroy’s eyes. He knows I’m good so he isn’t going to give me a mistake that I will hit. Leroy goes into his windup and he lets the ball go. Leroy’s pitches are one of a kind. When the ball hits the air out of his hand you can hear the wind just gliding and whistling against the ball from the speed of his pitches coming to the plate. It’s a Curveball Outside. Ball one. Next pitch I can tell Leroy is going to try and put some heat on this one. He rears back and lets it go. It’s coming in very fast but I adjust….. Fastball. WHACK! I hit a hard one right over the second basemen’s head. The right fielder can’t quite get to it. Another hit for me.
Next up is Josh. Most pitchers in our league underestimate him because he has a smaller frame but he has power and he can hit. Luckily for Josh,  Leroy underestimated him as well. CRACK!!!  Josh cranks one over the left fielder’s head the ball just kept carrying, Going… Going… Gone!!! Josh hit a home run.
We had the lead the rest of the game now we are in the seventh inning. We can’t let them get more than one and we win. Josh started the game out strong striking the first batter out. Everyone it pumped up now in the anticipation of winning the conference title. Josh throws the next pitch. WACK!! The ball went flying into the right center gap the outfield running after it hard. The centerfielder dives. HE CAUGHT IT!! Now there are two outs. This is a huge batter because the tying run is on deck. Leroy. Even though he is a pitcher he can hit it very well too.  So we don’t want to face him. “Let’s go, Josh let’s get this guy!” I yelled. Josh winds up. Strike one! Josh then get the ball back from the catcher and walks towards the mound.
It happened all so fast but all of a sudden I heard a squealing of tires and I look over and there are bright lights everywhere, I was mind blown. They were here and to get him. “This can’t be happening” I whispered to myself nervously. They run out and grab josh and put him in handcuffs. I look over and Coach Johnson looks dumbfounded. The parents, coaches, and players all watch silently and in misbelief as Josh is carried off the field.
Coach Johnson looks around and finds a new pitcher to come in. Now that he is warm it’s time to start up again. I can tell along with me the whole team is scared and started at the same time but we play anyways. We walk the batter which is not good because the tying run is now at home and a good hitter too. The pitch is thrown. It’s a hit and a far one. Go figure. It’s a home run they tied the game and later went on to win it thanks to Josh. “What was he thinking” I yelled out loud on my walk home.
The walk home is anything but pleasant it’s a good 30 minute walk. I really didn’t get the chance to ask anyone for a ride because everyone got to their cars as fast as they could. By the time I got home it was 11pm and I was pissed to say the least.
I called up my mom and told her about the whole situation. She lives with my stepdad Keith they live about an hour away from my house. I talked to her for a while and she eventually told me I could use Keith’s old car for a little while until the situation was figured out.
Keith and my mom dropped of the car during the night when I was sleeping. There it was the rusted purple car they were talking about. I hoped in and drove off to school. To my surprise Josh was in my first hour class. He gave me a look and I looked away and we didn’t say anything to each other the rest of the day.  During lunch time I felt a tapping on my back while I was dumping my trey.
“Hey” Josh said.
“Hi” I said trying to sound as ignorant as I could.
“Do you need a ride home?” He asked.
“No” I said as I walked away
Sometimes Josh makes me so mad. Why would he put me in that situation? Yes I have stolen before too but before a big baseball game? I don’t know what goes through that dumbass head sometimes. I was really not looking forward to practice after school if he was going to be there. 

Good news, Josh was a no show to practice and I think everyone felt relived because nobody was quite ready to deal with that quite yet especially with playoffs right around the corner. It was already bad enough our best pitcher was out for the season.
To my surprise the team was actually playing well without Josh. We were fielding and hitting better than we’ve ever had before. Playing in the playoffs my senior season is something that I’ve always look forward to. Me and Josh always talked about winning the state championship our season. That’s the hardest part of the whole situation for sure.
2 weeks later and it was finally Playoff time! We came in the first round with the first seed. We played a pretty crappy team and won 10-1.  I have been really hot lately and a couple of colleges have been talking to me about playing for them next season. I’m holding back until the end of the season to commit just in case LSU offers me I really hope they do.
School the day after the playoff game sucked. I was just ready to get out of this hell hole. It was 8th period when an announcement came on the PA “Jackson Gore please report the office”. ‘S*** what now” I whispered to myself.  I walked down the office slowly thinking what this could possibly be about. When I got to the office I opened the door and I saw the secretary. “Um, you needed me?” I nervously said.
“Oh yes right this way” She said brightly.
I was confused but I followed her into these back rooms were I saw Coach Jackson and another older guy sitting in a chair with a sun visor on. It was an LSU hat. This can’t be real.
It wasn’t official yet they didn’t offer me a scholarship but I talked to their coach who was very friendly and I told him how big of a fan I was. He told me he would come watch some of our playoff games and go from there. I was so excited!!

After their Coach left Coach Johnson asked me to stay quick. “Jackson I know you are very excited about LSU watching you play, but you can’t let that affect your game. If you play relaxed and focused you will do just fine” he said nicely.
The next two games were amazing I was seven for eight overall with two homeruns and I could tell the LSU coaches were impressed. Not to mention we were headed to state! Coach Johnson said if they were to offer me they would wait till after the season. Hopefully we can win the state title to increase my chances that would be a dream come true.
I haven’t seen Josh at school at all in the last 3 weeks so I decided to text him and see if he was okay. I told him about LSU and baseball. I also told him I was sorry for everything and I hope he was doing okay. To my surprise Josh responded saying “I’m okay, just sick” which seemed like a lie because he hasn’t been in school for 3 weeks and if he was that sick he would be in the hospital but whatever. Me and Josh are best friends and I know he will come back someday and we can become lifelong best friends because I’ve known him forever and I care about him a lot.
Ever since his accident I have realized a lot about my life and it thought me a good lesson. I have not stolen or done anything illegal since then. Everyone has good in them and it shows me that you learn from your mistakes. I know josh is a good person and he still is my best friend. I just hope someday he can come play baseball with me one more time.