Hometown: Youngstown, OH
Entry title: Meeting Luke
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Name: BROOKE NOBBS Hometown: Youngstown, OH Entry title: Meeting Luke |
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Meeting Luke My bike is a good companion. When I ride it, I don’t have to think. The wind blows through my hair and the world around me blurs out. But soft ball is my best friend. In that small sandlot where my friends and I played soft ball is where I met the boy who changed my life. It was a hot summer day, when you really just want to sit in the air conditioning and relax, or maybe take a swim. While my older brother was swimming with a bunch of his hot friends, I was taking myself down to the sandlot to play soft ball with my friends. I grabbed my bike and put the ball, my mitt, and my bat in my back pack that lied on my back. The dumb bags are only good for that in the summer. I hitched my bike on the pile where all the others were and grabbed my things from the bag throwing it on top of the bike. My short dirty blonde hair was pulled through the back of my cap and my tennis shoes were still muddy from when it was raining. My girls gave me high fives as I got there, Alex offered me some bubble gum. The nine of use took our places, I was always pitcher, and I was the best out of every one. I could throw a curve ball that couldn’t ever be hit! “Sage, give er’ your curve ball!” Mia yelled. I nodded only once and then bang! “STRIKE ONE!” Sam screamed at the top of her lungs. It was rolled back and then bang! “STRIKE TWO!” It was rolled back. I eyed Kale, and she eyed me back adjusting her positioning. I threw it and...”STRIKE THREE, YOU’RE OUT!!!” We changed sides and I was up first to bat. One strike, two strikes, but the crack of ball against bat and the thing went flyin’ until it was out of sight. “Oh come on Sage! That was our only ball!!!” Some one called. “Oh cool it Jenna, we’ll get it back!” So nine girls go running to find that ball. The coming school year we’d all sophomores, the ones who make up most of the soft ball league. “Hey is this what you’re looking for?” I heard a voice asked. I looked turned my head smiling and that’s when I saw the ball! “Yuppo!!! Thanks so much!” I said reaching for it. I wasn’t that tall. The boy smiled. “You play softball down at the old sandlot?” He asked, pulling the ball back. I smiled and eyed the ball. “What’s it to you?” I asked. He smiled. “Was just wondering.” He said with that same smile. “Yo, Sage you find it?” I saw Kale running from the bushes. “Yeah! Tell the others.” She nodded and looked over the boy once. “So, I’m Sage Richardson.” I said sticking out my hand for the ball, instead he took my hand. “Luke Williams. Mind if I come play some ball too?” He asked. “I’ll have to think about that! Maybe if I were to get my ball back...” I said sticking out my hand. He smiled at me and slapped it right down on the center of my palm. “Play ball?” We made our way to the sand lot, and he left it to me to break the silence. “How old are you?” I asked playing with the yellow soft ball. Luke shrugged. “Sixteen, you?” He asked. “Fifteen tomorrow” I said. “So you any good? At playing softball I mean.” He looked down at me. “Well I got some skills.” He said stretching and yawning as if it were nothing. I shook my head. “Oh really” He gave me a weird look. “What about you? You any good?” I smirked. “Why don’t you wait to find out? Race ya!” I smiled and started to run. “Hey no fair, you got a head start!” He called after me. But he was at my side in no time at all. I darted forward again letting the wind blow on my face. He made it effortlessly to my side again, and we slid into the sand at the same time. “Tie” I declared. He looked at me, his flat ironed hair blowing back with the wind. “No, I think I slid on the sand first.” He said. I laughed. “You keep telling yourself that.” Standing up I brushed all the sand off of me and stuck my hand out for Luke. He looked at it and stood up, ignoring the gesture. “I will keep telling myself that.” He said. I laughed/ “Uhmm Huston we got a problem!” I said tossing the ball to Kale who tossed it back to me. “What would that be?” He asked. I smiled. “There are already nine players.” He looked around as if he were counting. I sighed. “We can play five on five scrimmages,” He said. I smirked and walked up to him. “Fine, you get to be a team captain, and for the record I don’t like arrogance.” I said, my face inches from his. He smirked right back. “Good.” He said. “’Cause I’m not arrogant.” We walked to separate sides of the field and picked our teams carefully. His team went up to bat first, and I played pitcher. I felt bad for him; he honestly doesn’t know how good of a pitcher I am. I threw the curve ball to Alex, two strikes, one hit. She went to first base and stopped. Three strikes for Mia and three strikes for Jenna. Ricky got one strike and remained at second base and Alex at third. Luke hit all three pitches. He was pretty good, like he said. We tagged Ricky when she was running from third to home. Luke was already at third, before we switched sides. Kale and I made our way to the back of the line. Kale’s the catcher usually. She’s pretty good at batting too. Alex was catcher for Luke’s team. Zoë was up first and hit on the first pitch, she was able to run to second base. Cassandra was up second, and she hit on the third pitch and ran to first base, Zoë remained on second base. Molly got three strikes, leaving us at one out, Cassandra at second and Zoë at third. Kale hit on the second pitch and made it to second base, leaving us one out one run and two bases loaded. I hit the first pitch and it flew once pretty far, not on the street but close. I ran home, leaving us winning so far, 3/1. In the end the entire game with out the whole play by play was that we won 13/12 because of my last pitch. Luke smiled at me and walked over. “You’re better than I expected.” He said. I looked at him shading my eyes with my hand. “And what was it that you expected?” I asked. “I expected you to play like a girl.” I grinned. “Well better believe I’m a girl, I just don’t play like one.” I said. He smiled down at me. “Good game Richardson.” He said. I nodded taking his hand that he put out in front of me and giving it a firm shake. “Good game Williams.” Luke and I ended up being the last two to leave. He was sort of revolving his way around and getting to know every one, well having everyone get to know him. I practiced pitching with Kale until she had to leave. I walked over to my bag; Luke was watching me and smiling. I put the bat and the ball in the bag and threw it around my shoulder then picked up my bike. Luke ran up next to me. “Leaving?” He asked. I nodded. “Can’t be late for dinner again.” I said. He smiled as I began to pedal out of the sand lot and kept a steady pace for him to keep up. “You having a party tomorrow?” He asked. I nodded. “You’re welcome to come. My brother’s eighteen so you can hang out with him.” I said. “Thanks but, I only asked you because I’d want to be there with you.” He said. I smiled. “Great, I’ll see you then?” I asked. He nodded as we stopped at his house. “See ya.” I waved and rode up to my house. Luke Williams eh? |
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