This is gonna be my first ever long first chapter. Over 3,000 words. But, considering I sat down and paused and played the episode for this to write this chapter it's with reading.
"Mikey, can you be quiet?" The shorter, shorter than him, girl next to him asked. "I'm trying to study."
"C'mon." He said, nudging her. "Come by the field with Frankie and George and I."
"Take Riley." The brunette said.
"Carly, come on!" Frankie said, coming up near her. "Let's go."
Carly ignored Frankie. "Riley is your best friend, Mikey, take her. She cares more than I do." It was true, Riley, Carly's younger sister, cared a hell of a lot more about what Mikey did with his time than Carly ever did or ever would. George joined Frankie, he was gonna sit in the stands and watch them practice. As if on cue, the tall, dark brown haired, pale girl walked in. A bag full of baseball stuff over her shoulder. She was wearing a backwards hat, too.
They both started wearing their hat backwards about the same time. She always wore a green and black hat where as Mikey always wore a blue and red hat. It was great, plus they had loads to talk about. Where normal girls would go dress shopping and take their boyfriends or friends, Riley took Mikey hat shopping. She also taught him a hat trick, he never got it down though.
"C'mon, ladies, we're gonna be late." Riley said, gesturing toward the door. She was wearing her baseball "uniform", she made the team also. Even though she's a girl, she did what girls do. She threw a fit, at first, then gave up on that. And she pitched great, and hit as many home runs as she possibly could in her time she got. Which was two. She was on the wrestling team as well. She loved moving her body, exercising, but could sometimes be lazier than a snail.
Mikey stood up, giving up on trying to get Carly to come to the field. They got out the door and started walking.
"Look, Mikey." She started, switching out her green and black hat for a blue and white one to match the uniform. She kept the beak facing forward cause that was the rule. He looked at her, paying attention to what she was saying. ''If you wanna bone my sister, fine. Just don't do it when I'm in the room." George and Frankie were ahead of them so they didn't hear, Mikey laughed a little, shaking his head and looking down.
"I don't wanna bone her." He said, trying not to laugh.
"Yes, you do." Riley said, smiling. "I think it's adorable." She was actually thinking the opposite, it's not adorable. It's sickening. "Anyway, here." She said to Frankie, tossing him his mitt. She kept all the baseball stuff at her house considering she was the only one with a duffel bag and a mostly clean room. They always get dressed first then stop at Riley's house to pick her up.
But let's go back to before they made the team.
~xXx~
-Told in Riley's P.O.V.-
Nineteen ninety one was the hey-day of "American Gladiators". We were pretty into it.
"Hey, what the hell did you do to my living room?" Frankie's dad asked as I stopped cheering Mikey on. Oh man, we were screwed. But, Frankie's dad was an even bigger fan of "American Gladiators" than we were. But this time, we had to win.
"You're outnumbered." Mikey said.
Then, Frankie's dad took out us all, except George. And Mrs. Dunlevy walked into the room.
"He's standing on my favorite chair." She said as she held up her thumb, sideways. She turned it down, only to signal for Jack, Frankie's dad, to take him out. "Finish him!" She said.
"Its probably best if you don't go to sleep for the net couple of hours." Jack told George as he moved his finger in front of his face. Mikey and Frankie were near them, putting the couch back while I sat on the couch and held my legs up so they would land on the coffee table. Mikey and Frankie set the couch down and walked around to the front, sitting down next to me. Mikey grabbed the bag of chips I was eating and took some.
I snatched them back and growled. "Mine." I said. "Don't touch my food." I told him. He was resisting the urge to smile, that was obvious.
We had not been seeing much of each other, lately though.
"I've been busy." Mikey started. Looking at Frankie and I. "With skipping school and that dumpster of fireworks I found. My plate is pretty full."
"Don't worry." Frankie said, using his special little "Reassurance voice". "We'll have plenty of time to hang out when the four of us make Varsity Baseball."
"You think the four of you are gonna make the team?" Frankie's dad asked. Frankie nodded.
"Yeah? Why wouldn't we." Frankie asked. Jack gave him a look. Soon after, we were all at the field.
"These are the varsity players." Jack said to us. "Strong, fast. Don't need their mommies to tuck them in at night."
"Hey." Frankie said. 'That's mostly for her." He defended. Mikey and I gave him a look.
"Dude, these guys are good." I said, watching them.
"I don't know if we'll be able to make this team."' Mikey added to what I said.
"Aw man. Then I'll never get to see you guys." George commented.
"Think of it as a natural evolution in our social lives." Jack said, hands on his hips. "We all drift apart. High school friends are replaced by college friends. Then they are replaced by t.v and booze and then we die."
I scoffed. Jack, Frankie, Mikey and George looked at me.
"What?" Jack asked.
"That's supposed to make us feel better?" I asked. Jack shrugged.
"What if you don't go to college, and you just do t.v. and booze?" Mikey asked.
"Hm." Jack said. But, we all settled on it. We were gonna make that team and prove Frankie's dad wrong. We just needed someone to help put us over the top. A ball came our way and we all put our hands by our heads to block it. Frankie's dad caught it.
First, we went to my brother. Devon.
"Dev. Please!'" I asked him, Frankie, Mikey and George standing behind me.
"Sorry, little sis. Can't help you."
"Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeee?" I asked, stomping my foot and looking at him with doe eyes. I dragged out the e while I followed him around the house with Mikey, Frankie and George following me. He sighed.
"No."
I threw my head back and groaned. "Fine." I said. "Dumb-ass." I mumbled, walking out of the house. I heard him laugh slightly.
Then, we tried my dad.
"I'm busy. Look, sweetheart. If I could help you, I would. But I can't. I have work, then my other thing."
I sighed. "Thanks, dad." I walked away with the guys.
"Last resort." I said, as we walked up to Frankie's house.
"You sure?" I asked Frankie, watching him. He nodded. But, alas, every fiber in my body wanted to tell Frankie not to do this. But...I didn't.
"Dad, will you help us make the varsity baseball team?" He asked his dad who was, at the time, reading a newspaper. The news paper ruffled as Frankie's dad folded it.
"Do you understand what you're asking?' He said, a serious look on his face.
"Yes we do." Frankie said for all of us.
'Do you understand your minds and bodies are weak? And that I'll have to crush you and build you back up into men?" He asked, then looked at me. "And a woman?"
We all nodded. Frankie spoke up. "You're the only one that can get us there." He said, very reluctantly.
"That's also available." I said.
"And that doesn't cost money." Mikey said after me.
"Fine. I'll need signed wavers from your parents freeing me of any liabilities should anything go wrong."
Mikey had his eyebrows furrowed. "You cool with a forged signature?" He asked.
"Will it stand up in court?" Jack asked.
"It has before." Mikey said, turning to me and fist bumping me. We forge our parents signatures a lot. It's easy.
"Done." Jack said, accepting it.
"When do we start?" Frankie asked.
"You'll know when we're starting." Jack said, getting up in his son's face.
"Is it now?" He asked Mikey, getting in his face. "Is it soon?" He asked George, getting in his face. "Is it ever?" He asked me, getting in my face, causing me to move my head back slightly. "I've already said too much." Jack said. Turning around with his hands in his pockets.
That night, I went to bed peacefully, with dreams of the guys and I making varsity. But I was fast asleep til I heard something outside my window. I opened my eyes and practically screamed when I saw Frankie's dad holding George and Mikey by their collars next to him. He nodded his head behind him and I sighed. Standing up. Only in my underwear, short shorts and a tank top. I heard George say.
"That's not something you see everyday."
Then Mikey reached over Jack and punched George's shoulder. "Hey." He said. Tilting his head slightly, like he was warning him. George shrugged. I put on my shoes, my hat, and got a hoodie, opening my window and sneaking out it. "And so it begins." Jack said, as he marched us across the lawn and back to his house.
There he made us run around a little, then do push ups as he held a hose over us. I was next to Mikey and having a big problem.
I was wearing a white t-shirt.
George kept looking at me, as did Frankie, And If I got up to get my hoodie, which I had taken off earlier because I got warm, I get hosed down more.
"How many of these do we have to do?" Frankie asked for us all.
"Until I say stop." Jack answered. "Don't ask questions." Then he proceeded to squirt Frankie in the face with the water.
"Perhaps this was a bad idea?" I asked myself. Mikey looked at me.
"What?" He asked. The water was hard to hear over.
"Nothing." I said, Noticing my bra was starting to show. Big time. All the black lace in its glory. Then he sprayed us all in the face.
"Mr. Dunlevy?" I asked.
He looked at me, while spraying George in the face with the hose for a few seconds.
''Yes, Riley?" He asked, calling me by my last name like everyone else did. My first name is Dylan, but I only let Mikey call me that, Devon calls me that too.
"I'm having a problem..." I said, trailing off at the end.
"What is it? Arms too tired?"
"No, sir. Uhm..." I said, it was kinda awkward.
"Come on, we haven't got all day. Either spit it out or I'll hose you again." He said.
"Never mind." I said.
"You sure?" He asked. I nodded and continued doing push-ups. "Good." He said. Mikey glanced at me and he stopped doing push-ups for a moment.
He noticed.
He turned a little red and went back to pushing up.
I gave a grimace from wry amusement towards myself.
After that we stood in line on Mr. Dunlevy's back patio. He started talking.
"The bell. The bell is your best friend. If, at any point, you are pushed beyond your limits, ring the bell. You will get a warm meal and a hot shower."
That sounded like a lie.
George stepped forward almost immediately and rang the bell. I was shivering too much to laugh. My hoodie was right there, right on the table, but no, I would stand there, with my bra showing through my t-shirt, because I didn't wanna seem wimpy. I noticed Mr. Dunlevy, after I stood up, looked away quickly and nodded slightly as if understanding what I was going to ask. Mr. Dunlevy looked at George.
"You get nothing, get back in line." He turned back to the rest of us. "I've made a list of your greatest weaknesses."
George shook his head and looked down. "I never take time for myself."
Mr. Dunlevy ignored what he said, and continued talking. "You guys, are not bad ballplayers, but I have been watching you, and four things are clear. Georgie, you're too small. Mikey; You're too slow. Riley; You've got a good arm, but you're too tall, you're height prevents you from angling the ball to be able to connect with a shorter person's bat."
I furrowed my eyebrows. Really? That's the best you have against me? I'm too tall? Wow. That took brains to figure out.
"Sir, I'm only five foot eleven-" I said, but he cut me off with a warning look.
"And Frankie, you've got a great arm as well, but you rattle too easy."
"What does that even mean?" Frankie asked. And to answer him, Mr. Dunlevy put an air horn in the air and pressed the button.
Did he pull that thing out of thin air? We may never know.
"Rattled!" Mr. Dunlevy said. "Means your sphincter gets tight in high-pressure situations. I'm gonna break you of that."
"What!? Lots of people would get rattled by an air horn!" Frankie defended.
"A lot of people live in Florida, doesn't make it right." Mr. Dunlevy said. He put the air horn up again and pressed it, we all flinched but Frankie made a noise and jumped.
Mrs. Dunlevy suddenly yelled. "Enough! It's five AM!"
"Great, now you've pissed off my wife. All right." Mr. Dunlevy said. "Put on these blindfolds and get in the car."
"We have school today." Frankie said.
"School is cancelled." Mr. Dunlevy said.
"School is not cancelled." Mrs. Dunlevy said.
"All right, fine." Mr. Dunlevy replied. "But know this, after school, I'm coming for you." He said in all seriousness. Then he added. "In mom's car. Mine's in the shop."
Frankie nodded as Jack walked inside, Frankie followed after and George parted from the yard, staring at my chest halfway out of the garden to the point of him tripping over a rock. Mikey rolled his eyes at George as I put on my hoodie.
"I'll walk you home?" Mikey asked. I nodded and smiled. We started walking, me a little ahead of him, and I'm pretty sure he was staring at my legs and checking me out. I felt my face heat up. Then he walked right beside me and attempted to put his arm around my shoulder, he failed. So I angled myself so my right shoulder, the one near him, was down more, and he rested his arm on it, walking with me. I couldn't help but laugh at him.
"It's not my fault you're tall." He said, cracking a smile. I nodded, smiling back.
"I know."
We safely got to my house and I looked at him. "I can get Devon to drive you home." I said, walking over to my window.
He shook his head. "I'm good. Thanks though."
I nodded, kissing his cheek. I always did that. He's my best friend, I care about him. "You'll be okay, right?"
"Yeah, it's starting to get brighter. I'm good."
I opened my window carefully and climbed inside as he left. I walked over to the light switch, flipping it as the lights flicked on and Devon was on my bed. I almost screamed.
"Were you two having sex?'' He asked. I laughed.
"Ha, no."
"But if you are...I want you two to be safe." He said, standing up and handing me a small drug store bag.
"Ew, no. Gross! Dev! Why would you think that!?"
He shrugged as I looked in the bag. Condoms.
"Because you were out, way...Early with him and you like him."
My cheeks turned pink. "I do not, only as a friend. Now get out!"
I got ready for school quickly, walked there with Mikey then after school we went to the field, all dressed and ready to go.
"Two outs! Bottom of the ninth, Frankie!" Mr. Dunlevy yelled. "If you don't make this catch, you lose! And start a downward spiral that ends with you living in a studio apartment in Orlando."
Then after a few practices, Mr. Dunlevy hit George in the chest with a baseball, he ended up falling on the ground spewing Spanish. Then, Mikey.
"Michael, you are mind-numbingly slow." Mr. Dunlevy told him. "If you want enough time to make it to first base." And for a second, I swear, he pointed the bat he was using as a guider at me. "You're gonna have to hit the snot out of that ball."
"I know where you're going with this." Mikey said while nodding. " And yes, I will take steroids."
I sighed and shook my head. ''Idiot."
"I don't think someone who looks like you can afford a case of bacne. Permission to cross the line?"
"I'm pretty sure you just did, but okay."
"How's your relationship with your dad these days?" Mr. Dunlevy asked. I watched Mikey's face contort slightly.
"I hate that lazy deadbeat." He told him.
"Use it. Picture his face on the ball. Remember the time he left you with his bookie as collateral."
Frankie pitched the ball and we watched Mikey hit it far out.
"Well done." Mr. Dunlevy said as Mikey smirked slightly. That cute little smirk-
I mean...Uh...
"Riley!" He yelled. I looked at him. "Step up to plate."
I did so and watched him. "Frankie is gonna pitch to you, you're gonna hit the ball and we're gonna see how fast you can run back to home by the time they get the ball."
I nodded, picking my bat up and then ever so slightly tapping it against the ground. I held it up, positioning my hands. Focusing on the ball. Mr. Dunlevy held a timer. The moment Frankie pitched it I had a lock on it, I hit it with the bat and it went far, Mr. Dunlevy pressed the timer button.
''George! Mikey! Chase her!" Mr. Dunlevy yelled. They did. George almost got me, but I ran around him, like a twirl. Mikey tried getting me but I end up sliding under his parted legs. He watched me and didn't move for a few seconds. I smiled to myself and kept running. I reached home base and well, I accidentally did a spilt when I slipped and screamed. I saw Mr. Dunlevy grimace, Frankie gasped. George stood there stupidly and Mikey ran over to me and tried to help but I swatted him away and fell on my side, curling into a ball.
"Ow." I cried out. Mikey helped me up slowly. Mr. Dunlevy looked at me.
"Walk it off." I saw Frankie waving his hand in front of his throat, telling him to shush. "It couldn't have hurt that bad." He said. I was fed up by now. I walked over to him- No, I limped over to him and kicked him in the crotch. He stared at me before falling over.
"By the way, good time." He said as I limped away. I sat down on some ice and Mikey was making sure I was okay.
"Ow." I groaned softly. I apologized to Mr. Dunlevy shortly after. We all went back to Frankie's place, Mr. Dunlevy collapsed, Frankie wanted us to call 911 but couldn't remember the number, then Mr. Dunlevy popped back up. He was kidding.
"Mikey, Riley, outside. Twenty laps around the house."
I did my laps quickly, I was done when Mikey was two thirds of the way done. Anyway, shortly after, try outs were upon us.
Mikey hit a pitch and yelled about his dad selling their dog, then he kicked the Umpire and told him to suck it. It was my turn next, I walked over to the plate. A bunch of guys were wolf whistling. I think Mikey punched one of them.
I hit the pitch and watched it fly. I saw the coach smile in approval. If he hadn't looked at me, he probably wouldn't have known I was a girl. Considering my name is Dylan Riley.
And then, as it would go. Frankie had to pitch to George. I heard Mr. Dunlevy say "Fate, you are a cruel bitch."
But, soon enough, we made varsity...All of us except George. Mikey and I ate food in our victory and I gave him some semi-adult magazines.
"I know how much you like boobs." I had said to him. It was my present to him, he in turn, gave me a hat with a skull on it. I smiled and took it happily.
~xXx~
After practice that day though, they went to a diner. Other varsity guys were they football or wrestling? No idea. But one pulled a chair up beside Riley and asked her.
"Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"
"Did it hurt when you got punched in the face?" She countered. The guy looked confused. "Cause it will if you don't beat it."
He scurried away as Mikey fist bumped her and said "Nice one." After they were done eating, Riley accidentally bumped into a varsity guy.
"My bad." He said, steadying her before she fell. Riley nodded.
"Thanks..."
"Hi, I'm Zach." He said, smiling. His hair was brown, he had blue eyes. His skin was tan and he was about an inch or two shorter than Riley.
"I'm Dy- Riley. I'm Riley." She said, after catching herself from saying Dylan. He nodded and they talked for a few minutes.
"I'll call you sometime." He said as Mikey stood next to her.
"You need my number for that." She said. Then she got it. "Oh." She took out a pen as he nodded and smiled and wrote it on his hand.
"Bye, Zach." She said as she walked out the door, her hat backwards and a grin on her face. The second no one could hear Frankie spoke.
"Wow."
"Bye, Zach." Mikey mocked. Frankie mimicked the little hand twirl she did when she talked to him.
"Oh shut up." Riley said as her cheeks turned red. Mikey nudged her arm and winked at her, he was still mocking her because Zach winked at her. But her heart sped up when he did that.
They walked back to Frankie's house and ate a snack and went out back. Practising their batting and pitches.
Good times.