The Hitting Zone

1140  V3 ch374

Joey wasn't accepting Noah's refusal. He spent the entire lunch period talking about football and what Noah could accomplish as a wide receiver. Joey was confident that with him at quarterback and Noah at wide receiver, they could do something great. I've got to say, I was sort of convinced. Noah was the most athletic person I knew and I think a lot of what Joey said made sense.

We finished eating and eventually the bell rung, forcing Joey to stop talking. He had to go his way for class while Noah and I went to our cooking elective class.

"Can you believe that guy?" Noah jerked his thumb over his shoulder, gesturing to Joey. He was shaking his head. "He's nuts."

"I believe him." I nodded.

Noah was surprised. "You what?"

"I believe him." I told him. "You're good at everything."

Noah laughed and shook his head some more. "You don't know what you're talking about. Football is very much a contact sport. I can't take a tackle. Plus, that would put me in major danger of getting injured and risking my baseball career. It's dumb."

"Oh. Yea. That wouldn't be good."

We walked into class and sat at the same table with Alisha and Kaylee.

"Surprised you're still here." Noah told Kaylee. "Thought for sure you would call it quits and go home early."

"Wanted to." Kaylee grimaced. "But no one can take me home. Have to wait for Marie to finish school anyways."

"I've been telling her to just rest in the nurses office." Alisha said, exasperated. "Maybe they can call her parents and force them to pick her up. Or maybe even get permission for Marie to leave early too so she can take her home."

"Very good ideas." Noah gave her the thumbs up.

"Maybe next time." Kaylee said. "My last two classes are simple. I definitely am not coming to school tomorrow. It's harder than I thought. My arm is throbbing and it's making me cranky."

Noah laughed. "No different than your normal personality then."

Kaylee flipped him off discretely where our teacher couldn't see.

Our class started with the assignment today being to make muffins. Kaylee was forced to just watch our group in action as we split up the duties of prepping, baking, and cleanup. She still got to enjoy the reward of a hot fresh cinnamon muffin. At least until she dropped it. She wasn't very adept at using her left hand for all the main tasks yet.

I slid her my untouched muffin and bent down to clean up her mess.

"Forget it. I'm not hungry." She grumbled, resting her chin in her left hand, clearly frustrated.

"I'm not that hungry either." I threw away her trash and sat back down. "I didn't talk with Noah much at lunch so I was able to eat everything Mom packed me. Still feel bloated."

"Yea, I eat less when I talk too." Alisha agreed, then paused. "But it's just usually you and Noah, right? Why wouldn't you guys talk?"

A small smile formed on my lips. "I was listening to Joey trying to talk Noah into playing football." I felt like bragging about my best friend. My brother. He's never played a sport before, yet the best player wanted him to join. Huh. This must be how Noah felt when he first met me and brought me along to play baseball.

"What??" Both girls asked simultaneously.

Noah rolled his eyes and finished his muffin. "It was dumb. Joey just lost his damn mind and doesn't realize that you can't just pick up a sport you've never played before."

Both Kaylee and Alisha glanced towards me.

Kaylee grinned, looking happier. "I think I get it. You're afraid."

"Yea, afraid of hurting myself." Noah said.

"No." She shook her head. "Of embarrassing yourself. Who would have thought that Jake would be braver than you."

I was stunned. "Brave?"

"He is not." Noah said. Then looked to me. "No offense, Jake."

"I don't think I'm brave at all." I shook my head.

"You are." Kaylee said confidently. "You came to a new school and tried out for a sport that you haven't played before. You didn't know all the rules and had to continuously embarrass yourself in the process of learning. That's brave. If you were really scared, you wouldn't have given it a chance." She smirked. "Just like Noah is doing with football."

Noah rolled his eyes. "That's not the same at all. And you know it. Why don't I badger you into playing tennis? You've got the strength and speed. I think you'll be really good."

"Honestly, not a bad idea." Kaylee mused. "Maybe when I heal up, I'll try something new."

"And give up the sport you love?" Noah looked disgusted.

"I don't know if I love softball anymore." Kaylee said casually like she was saying that she didn't like homework.

I kicked Noah's foot under the table.

"You won't feel like that when you get better again." Noah told her. "You're just saying that because you're at a low point. Give it time. You broke your arm for gods sake. Those take like six weeks to heal normally, let alone when it has complications like yours does."

I hurried to nod along too.

"Meh. We'll see." She sounded noncommittal.

The bell rung for the end of class and we had to split up. Noah and I had English together while Kaylee got help from Alisha with her backpack and headed to their own class.

"Don't tell everyone about what Joey said." Noah complained to me during our short walk. "It's just going to be a headache. I shouldn't have to defend myself on why I don't want to."

"Oh, okay. Sorry." I answered.

"You don't have to apologize." Noah sighed.

Noah didn't have to worry about me saying anymore about the matter, but who would have thought that Joey would take it up with the twins. Apparently they shared an elective class with him at the end of the day and he wanted the twins to encourage Noah to try out for the team this summer.

Kyle laughed. "I told him that he had the wrong guy. You're no football player. You weigh next to nothing. You get tackled once and you'll be flattened like a pancake."

I glanced worriedly at Noah.

"That's why they wear pads." Dave argued as he drove us home. "I can totally see Noah being a receiver like Joey said. He's tall, fast, and has good hands with great reaction time. He'd be the shoo-in for the number one receiver."

"Yea, but what happens after that first hit that knocks the wind out of him?" Kyle said. "Football is a true contact sport. Look at their injury rate compared to every other sport and you wouldn't risk it either."

"Finally." Noah stressed. "Someone talking sense. Plus, think of all the baseball practices I would have to give up."

"Hey, I was complimenting you." Dave said. "But sure, you and Kyle have valid points." He looked at me using the rearview mirror. "Plus, Jake probably doesn't want to spend all his Friday nights watching those lame games. Especially all the hitting. It's too aggressive for him for sure."

I was confused how I was suddenly brought up in all this. Thankfully the conversation shifted as Noah brought up Jeremy's offer to see the game Sunday. Dave easily agreed while Kyle said he would have to talk with Marie to make sure they didn't have a date planned.

Dave parked the car in the driveway. "You're so lame. Gotta check with your girlfriend first? Dude, she ain't your wife."

"Shut up. What do you know?" Kyle got out of the car first. "I only have a couple of weeks left to spend time with her before we go our own ways." He shut the door and headed inside.

Dave shook his head. "That idiot. He only has a few weeks left with us too." He sighed and got out too.

I glanced at Noah, feeling sad.

Noah caught my look. He shrugged. "If you want him to come on Sunday too, you can tell Kaylee to keep Marie home. She should really be watching her anyways. If you were laid up like that, I would be right there next to you. Maybe catch you up on every tv show you've ever missed."

"I feel like I caught up on a lot." I defended myself. My time with Noah, Kaylee, and Alisha, included a lot of pop culture knowledge. Very rarely would I feel left out now.

"Oh, how naive you are, Bambi." Noah laughed and got out of the car.

Just as we walked into the house, Grampa was holding his keys and rushing us out of the door. "Let's go to the mall. Come on. Let's go." He urged. It turned out that he didn't want to listen to Mom's advice about reusing the formal wear that everyone had. He wanted all of us in new suits and shoes. Kyle was completely down and Noah only complained about being unable to watch the A's game now that our season was over. Dave and I were team neutral, and just went with the flow.

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