Force Out (20 page)

Coach Weaver was right: it wasn't time to celebrate. Joey and Zach's team had a 6–5 lead, but East Side had the final at bat, and the two runs they needed to win it weren't out of the question.

“You guys
have
this thing.” The pressure behind Coach Weaver's face turned it a deep red. “Cole, you watch me because we're gonna keep them guessing between your curveball and your fastball. They're at the top of their order and the rest of you have got to just play solid defense. Be on your toes and
focus
. Now bring it in and that's our call, focus!”

The team gave its chant and as they jogged on out, Coach Weaver shouted his final words of encouragement.

“This is
yours
, boys. Just play your game, be sharp. No one has to do anything special.”

Coach Weaver couldn't have been more wrong.

The first batter blasted a fastball, a screaming line drive just off center to the left of second base. Joey saw a flash. A body flew into the air and landed on the other side of second base. Zach rolled out through the cloud of dust, popped to his feet, and showed everyone the ball in his glove.

It was more than special, it was unbelievable. Joey wasn't even sure he'd seen what he thought he'd seen—Zach flying through the air to snag the line drive. The crowd paused in a confused moment of silence before bursting into cheers. Zach beamed at them and threw the ball around the horn.

Inspired, Price sat the next batter down with four pitches. One more to go and they had it, but on an 0–2 count, the next batter smacked one into left center field for a double.

With the tying run on second, two outs, and the game on the line, it seemed only fair that it was Atkins who stepped up to the plate. Before Joey could even worry about it, Price wound up and threw.

CRACK.

Atkins hit a grounder just inside the third base line. With no force-out at second, the third baseman had to make the long throw to first. In that moment, in his head, Joey knew he had never rooted so hard for Butch Barrett in his life, but he also knew that he'd never rooted so hard for
anyone
. All Butch had to do was make the play.

Butch ran at the grounder, scooping it but bobbling it in his glove. He staggered forward, losing valuable time. Joey extended his glove. Atkins churned up the first base line. Butch Barrett made the throw, unleashing every ounce of energy he possessed. The ball came fast, but high, way high. Joey backpedaled and leaped into the air, stretching.

CLUNK.

The ball stuck, half in and half out of the pocket of his glove.

Atkins streaked past, safe at first, and the runner on second was halfway to third.

Joey's feet hit the ground and he was already throwing the ball for the tag out at third. Horrified, he realized as he let the ball go that Butch Barrett wasn't moving into position to cover the bag. The throw would go over the bag and the tying run would score.

In the split second Joey cursed Butch Barrett in his mind, Zach sprang into the picture, stretching for the throw, snatching it, spinning around, and slapping his glove down in front of the bag. The runner slid and when the dust settled, everyone could see Zach's glove blocking the bag so that the runner's foot still hadn't touched it.

“You're out!” the umpire bellowed from home plate.

“We won!” Joey screamed.

Zach's eyes went wide and he ran straight for Joey. The two of them met on the edge of the pitcher's mound. They hugged and swirled around until the rest of their team mobbed them, tackling them to the ground, laughing, screaming, and cheering.

After shaking hands with the East Side team, Joey and Zach and the rest were presented with their all-star championship medals by Coach Tucker from Center State select. After the applause, Coach Tucker took Zach and Joey aside.

“Can you two wait right here for a couple minutes?” the coach asked with a look so serious his chin nearly disappeared into the dough of his neck.

The two of them nodded. They watched Coach Tucker gather up the other coaches in a small huddle. Joey bumped Zach's fist and they shared victory signs, watching with delight as the coaches all nodded their heads and Coach Tucker headed back their way.

The coach shook both their hands. “Congratulations, boys. You're in.”

Joey smiled so hard his face hurt.

He and Zach hugged each other.

Coach Tucker adjusted his sunglasses. His own big red face burst into a smile. He laughed. “You two better get your hugs and kisses out of the way now. Starting tomorrow, you'll be competing for the same spot on the roster.”

Joey blinked up at the heavyset coach. His stomach did a flip.

“What do you mean the same spot?”

Joey held the baseball in one hand; his glove covered the other. Pork Chop's howl filtered out through the window screen, followed by Martin's giggles and his mom's cheerful scolding. Joey shook his head and scowled at his father, who had his own glove tucked under his arm as he fiddled with the garden hose.

“Come on, Dad.”

“Easy, grumpy. I don't want these roses drying on me.” His father didn't even look up as he snaked the hose through the bushes. “I thought you'd be happier than this.”

Joey shrugged.

His father got down on his knees to reach around a prickly clump of stems. “Who was that girl?”

“Her name's Leah.”

“Not interested?”

Joey shrugged again. “I got other things on my mind right now.”

His father looked up at him. “She seemed to like you.”

Joey let loose an annoyed little puff of breath.

“Seriously, Son.” His father rose and dusted off his hands. “You've been talking about all-stars and the tournament and getting the chance to try out for select since wintertime. Now, you finally got it. Why the attitude?”

“I just thought Zach and I could do it together is all.” Joey tossed the ball up and caught it.

“So, why can't you?” His father turned on the faucet and the tiny holes in the flat green hose began to spout thin streams of water throughout the garden.

“Coach Tucker told us they've really only got five open spots on the team. Three of them are gonna be pitchers and they need a catcher, too. There's only one spot for an infielder. That's Zach or me . . . or someone else, I guess. Can we throw now?”

His father finally put his glove on and held it up for Joey. “Well, that happens in sports. You got to compete, right? Look at the all-star team. For a couple days it looked like Zach was going to be the only one between you two to make it. You got the right idea, getting out here for some extra work. I bet Zach's not throwing a baseball around after playing two games in this heat.”

Joey had no idea what Zach was doing. That was part of the problem. Zach seemed to take Coach Tucker's announcement even harder than Joey. After his face regained its fallen frown, Zach's mouth tightened and he was quieter than Joey had ever seen him. Zach accepted their parents' and Leah's congratulations with a forced smile. It was as if the announcement by Coach Tucker turned Zach into a totally different person. Oh, he still gave Joey a
V
sign and a back clap as they parted, but his movements were strained and when Joey asked his best friend what he was going to do the rest of the day, Zach only said he didn't know.

That's why Joey zipped the ball to his father and asked for a mixture of grounders and pop flies. His father threw a grounder to start.

“Make it harder, Dad.” Joey fired the ball back, pretending to make the throw to second for the force-out.

That's what
this
was, a force-out.

It was like him and Zach, both of them on base—one on first, one on second—both having to run if they wanted to advance . . . if they wanted to
win
.

But in this game, only one of them could move ahead and score.

Who would get to the next base safely?

Who would go home?

On Everloop that night, a bunch of kids agreed to spend the afternoon at Gideon Falls the next day. Joey, Zach, and Leah were all part of the group. Joey didn't get a private message from Zach and he didn't send one himself, either. Leah did, though. She and Joey went back and forth about how exciting the whole select thing was for both him and Zach. Joey was careful to give Zach plenty of praise and Leah agreed with him. Leah also said there was a girls travel lacrosse team she hoped to make herself. Tryouts were next weekend. When she signed off she did it like this.

c u 2moro xoxxo

Joey had no idea how to react to that online. Sitting there in his kitchen, it made his hands and underarms slick with sweat. He looked over his shoulder to make sure his parents were sitting still in the den, watching TV, and his mom wasn't making a trip to the fridge or something. His head swam in a soup of excitement and fear at the thought that maybe the
x
's would be the real thing tomorrow at the falls.

In the morning, he had a list of chores to do before he was allowed to leave the house. When his mom left for work, she didn't mention the Kratz investigation and he wasn't going to say a word, hoping she might get busy with other things and forget about it. Even though he didn't have to see Butch Barrett anymore, he didn't relish the idea of his mom poking around and finding out Butch Barrett hadn't drugged Mr. Kratz's dog.

It took him until two o'clock to finish painting the fence around the back lawn. He washed up quickly, got on his bike, and rode as fast as he could, thinking of Leah the whole way. When he got there, he found Leah sitting in her usual spot, surrounded by her usual friends, baking in the sunshine. Right beside her lay Zach.

Both of them had sunglasses on. He couldn't tell if their eyes were open or not. He decided to sneak up quietly and scare them. He circled the group with the sound of kids splashing and laughing in the water behind him. Five feet away, he froze. His stomach flipped and twisted and his mouth went instantly dry.

He blinked, unable to believe what he saw.

It was so small, really.

It could mean a hundred simple innocent things, but to Joey the sight of a flesh-eating zombie would have been less disturbing.

Zach and Leah both lay with their arms out at their sides at a slight angle. Their hands were close. One of Leah's fingers—it was just her pinky—bridged the gap, touching Zach's hand. When the pinky moved up and down with the slightest caress, Joey felt his heart clench.

Trembling, he stepped into the middle of the group, his eyes intent on Leah's finger.

“Hey, guys.”

The finger—in fact, Leah's whole hand—jumped.

That only made it worse, only confirmed what he was so afraid of.

Zach raised his head and his sunglasses, cool as ever. “What up, bro?”

“What have you guys been doing?” Joey asked, his eyes burning into Leah's sunglasses, willing her to see his rage.

She propped herself up with her hands out behind her. “Just chillin'.”

“Chillin'. Nice.” Joey looked around at the crowded grass. School was out for sure.

He wanted to speak, but no words waited on deck. Could it really happen that fast? Could a girl message you hugs and kisses one night and just the next day turn her heart toward someone else? Joey wanted to vomit. He wanted to scream. He wanted to punch Zach in the face. Instead, he smiled and spread his towel on the other side of Leah.

“Cool.” He took sunglasses of his own from his backpack, planted them on his face, and lay back on his towel like he didn't have a care in the world. “Catch some rays.”

His mind chewed away on his last sentence. What a buffoon. What a chump. What a loser. Catch some rays? Who said that?

He lay his hand in the grass, extending it toward Leah to see what she might do.

Nothing.

She lay back and sighed, innocent.

Joey knew better. He rolled toward her so that his mouth was inches from her ear.

“Want to walk to the falls, Leah?”

Her body stiffened. “Let's just hang.”

Joey clenched his teeth so hard he wondered if they'd snap. “That's cool.”

He wasn't going to give himself away. He lay back.

Zach popped up. “Oh, man. It's three. I gotta go. Bye, guys.”

Before Joey could react, Zach flipped his towel over his shoulder and started to leave. Leah propped herself up on one elbow and frowned.

“Already?”

“Stuff to do. You know.”

“Be good,” Leah said.

What was that? “Be good”? What kind of crazy thing was that to say? Joey crushed two handfuls of grass in his fists.

“Later, all.” Zach threw a lazy hand up in the air like he hadn't a care in the world.

“Zach, seriously, where you going, bro?” Joey had to raise his voice to be heard because Zach was already halfway to the pavilion and the bike racks.

Either Zach didn't hear, or he pretended not to. Joey watched his best friend mount up on his bike and take off like the wind. He lay back down, his mind churning like the waterfalls that hissed softly in the background.

Joey's world suddenly felt like riding a bike with a bad tire. Every rotation moved him forward, but every rotation brought with it a loud and sickening thump that you just knew was going to make the tire BLOW. It was only a matter of time.

There was his mom. Thump.

There was Mr. Kratz. Thump.

There was Leah. Thump.

And now, there was Zach, up to something he couldn't even talk about.

Thump. Thump.

Joey's world was ready to blow.

If Leah wasn't going to walk with him to the falls, he wasn't sticking around to “hang” or “chill” or catch any stinking “rays.”

Joey popped up and rolled his towel into a long tube he slung over his neck.