au_muses March prompts: Devotion; Where do you go...?
devotion || 455 words || k
Where do you go or what do you do when you want to get away from life's pressures?
James suspected he looked like an idiot, tossing a baseball into the air, hitting it as far as he could and then having to go retrieve it himself so he could start the process over again. But then, he supposed it didn't really matter. If there was anyone to see it then there would be someone to pitch and it would be a moot point.
As he walked back toward home plate, he bounced the ball in front of him as easily as if the bat had the surface area of a tennis racket. He only missed when a familiar voice jolted his attention away.
"You look like an idiot," it said, confirming his suspicions.
"Greg," he replied stupidly. "I didn't see you there." That didn't sound any smarter.
Greg rolled his eyes slightly. "Obviously, since you just went on looking retarded and almost peed yourself when I talked."
"Whatever." James was used to Greg's nearly constant minor verbal abuse. It didn't affect him anymore. "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you. Your mother said this is where you went. At least, that's what I think she said. Hard to hear over that screaming kid..."
"Yeah..." Matty's unrelenting tantrum was what had driven James here. He always came to this park when he wanted to be alone. Or as alone as possible, at least, since Greg never seemed to be so far away that he couldn't step on James' shadow.
"I'm not trying out for the team this year," Greg announced as he hopped over the fence and reached to take the ball from the other boy.
James looked appalled. "What? Why not? We're finally going to be in high school where they actually make cuts instead of letting anyone on the team and rotating everyone in the lineup no matter how much they stink!"
"Yeah, exactly." Greg didn't look at James as he moved toward the pitcher's mound. "You'll get on Varsity. Everyone says. I'd be lucky to get JV. We'd have different practices and different games and I don't like baseball enough to play it without you."
James wasn't sure if he felt proud that his friend thought he was that good or sad that he didn't love the game as much as James did. He stood by home plate, leaning thoughtfully on his bat. "Are you going to try out for something else, then?" he asked. "Field hockey? Or what about lacrosse? You're really good at lacrosse."
Greg shrugged at first and then shook his head. "Nah. That'd probably make me miss most of your games."
Grinning, James took up batting stance. Greg might not be a devoted baseball fan but, James realized, he sure was a devoted fan of something.
Where do you go or what do you do when you want to get away from life's pressures?
James suspected he looked like an idiot, tossing a baseball into the air, hitting it as far as he could and then having to go retrieve it himself so he could start the process over again. But then, he supposed it didn't really matter. If there was anyone to see it then there would be someone to pitch and it would be a moot point.
As he walked back toward home plate, he bounced the ball in front of him as easily as if the bat had the surface area of a tennis racket. He only missed when a familiar voice jolted his attention away.
"You look like an idiot," it said, confirming his suspicions.
"Greg," he replied stupidly. "I didn't see you there." That didn't sound any smarter.
Greg rolled his eyes slightly. "Obviously, since you just went on looking retarded and almost peed yourself when I talked."
"Whatever." James was used to Greg's nearly constant minor verbal abuse. It didn't affect him anymore. "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you. Your mother said this is where you went. At least, that's what I think she said. Hard to hear over that screaming kid..."
"Yeah..." Matty's unrelenting tantrum was what had driven James here. He always came to this park when he wanted to be alone. Or as alone as possible, at least, since Greg never seemed to be so far away that he couldn't step on James' shadow.
"I'm not trying out for the team this year," Greg announced as he hopped over the fence and reached to take the ball from the other boy.
James looked appalled. "What? Why not? We're finally going to be in high school where they actually make cuts instead of letting anyone on the team and rotating everyone in the lineup no matter how much they stink!"
"Yeah, exactly." Greg didn't look at James as he moved toward the pitcher's mound. "You'll get on Varsity. Everyone says. I'd be lucky to get JV. We'd have different practices and different games and I don't like baseball enough to play it without you."
James wasn't sure if he felt proud that his friend thought he was that good or sad that he didn't love the game as much as James did. He stood by home plate, leaning thoughtfully on his bat. "Are you going to try out for something else, then?" he asked. "Field hockey? Or what about lacrosse? You're really good at lacrosse."
Greg shrugged at first and then shook his head. "Nah. That'd probably make me miss most of your games."
Grinning, James took up batting stance. Greg might not be a devoted baseball fan but, James realized, he sure was a devoted fan of something.