CHAPTER TEN – STEPHANIE

Stephanie Tanner relaxed in her English class. She wouldn't have to worry about the baseball team anymore. She hadn't wanted to tell the coach about being the only girl on the team. Or about how she just wasn't interested in sports anymore. So, she just told him she wasn't comfortable. And, he'd been nice about it.

She opened her notebook. No more worries.

Except for the faces staring at her from the hall. "Miss Tanner," the teacher said, "you have two visitors."

Stephanie groaned as she stepped into the hall. "Michelle, when you came to see me your first day of Kindergarten, I understood. It was actually really cute, even when you kept sending me more kids to help. This, however, is just annoying."

"But Steph, Denise has a boy problem." Stephanie gave her a "don't we all" look. "She doesn't think she can go to History class after what happened in English."

Stephanie could swear she heard people snickering inside the classroom. "Michelle, listen. Class time is not the time for these things. When I let guys borrow my erasers, they usually never gave them back. So, Denise, whatever happened, put it behind you. Sit as far from that boy as possible. And think about anything but him."

"Steph, the only other thing on her mind is her mom being sick," Michelle complained.

Stephanie couldn't believe this. It was turning into a counseling session. She wasn't sure what these girls were doing. But, she was trying to learn English. "Michelle, you've talked to lots of guys for me. Usually when I didn't want you to. You're better than you think. Now, get to your class. Do you need a hall pass?"

"No, Coach Miller gave us one," Denise told her.

Stephanie shook her head as she walked back to her seat. Why would the coach give them a hall pass? She wasn't sure. Things were just too crazy right now.

"Was there a problem, Miss Tanner?"

Stephanie shook her head. "No. They just mistook me for a teen advice columnist."

Stephanie's last class of the day went well. She met with Allie and Darcy near the exit. "Well, Michelle managed to be here an hour before embarrassing me," she told her friends.

"Why, what happened?" Stephanie told Darcy about Michelle's query.

"Whoops." Allie snickered. "I wonder what happened in that class."

"I don't know." She saw the baseball coach walking out to the practice field. She wished him luck.

"Thanks. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow." Stephanie's mouth flew open. "I understand you being worried about being hurt. But, hey, this is the playoffs. Doctors said you're all clear, so let's make it a good one."

Stephanie was dumbfounded as he left. "But, I just told him..." Suddenly, the realization hit her. Of course, the hall pass! "Michelle. Who else?" she said, frustrated.

Allie put a hand on Stephanie's shoulder. She looked guilty. "I'm sorry, Steph. I think this is partly my fault."

"Huh? What?"

"Well, I told Michelle you were having fun - which you said you were." Stephanie was shocked. "It was last Friday, and she seemed down about your fight. I sort of wanted to help her see you still liked having fun. Then, she wouldn't think you were on the team just because you liked a boy."

Stephanie was upset for a moment, then relented. She could understand that Michelle was getting mixed signals. "Okay. It's all right, Allie. I just wish you'd told me. I would have known to tell her I wasn't playing anymore."

Darcy recalled that Stephanie's Aunt Becky had a doctors' appointment. "I guess I'm watching the twins tomorrow then, right?"

Stephanie nodded. "Yeah, may as well let you take turns. Although, don't be surprised if Michelle and Denise are there, too. And Cassie and Mandy." She threw up her hands and looked at Allie. "In fact, you better go there as backup. Who knows what Michelle will pull next!?"

Stephanie rested on the team bus. She'd brought a book to read. She just wished Allie or Darcy were here. She'd hoped at least Zack would sit by her. Even though she didn't know if she'd feel comfortable sitting with him for the entire trip.

Instead, Mrs. Lansing sat with her. Stephanie sighed. She didn't want to talk to a mother. She wanted to talk to her friends. So, she buried herself in her book instead.

"Hey, do these girls belong to you," she heard Zack say. He was standing beside her in the aisle.

Stephanie looked up. "What gir-" She gawked at Michelle and Denise. "What are you doing here?!" she said in a very shocked tone.

"Okay, Denise, talk to him when he gets on," Michelle whispered. Denise blushed, and Michelle sighed. "Sorry, Steph, but I asked which bus was yours, and we just went where he said. I wanted to come tell you where we were right away."

"Michelle…" Stephanie moaned as the bus driver announced it was time to go. A player in front of them gave up his seat, told the younger girls to sit where he had been sitting, and sat somewhere else. Zack also took his seat. "All right, it's time to go – get off now!" She started walking. "Don't make me have to hold your hand,' she muttered to Michelle, knowing that would cause her to shape up right away. Michelle hated to seem like a baby. Stephanie might not have been quite this proactive without D.J. being that way herself when they were younger.

However, paying more attention to her caused her to lose track of Denise. She saw her as Michelle got off and the buss began moving, and asked what she was doing.

"Where are we going," Denise wondered, a little nervous as Stephanie got back.

"I asked first," Stephanie said.

"And my question is more important," Denise insisted. "If we're not going to Michelle's house, I have to call my dad and let him know where I am."

One of the players said Coach Miller had a cell phone. While they retrieved it, Stephanie agreed with Denise. "Okay, that's fair. You are on the team bus to Oakland. Now, for the last time, what are you doing here?"

"Well…I dropped my bookbag and everything spilled right in front of Rico today. So, I was embarrassed to be seen near him. But, then I saw him get on here just now, and I was trying to get up the nerve…."

"Listen, we're on a tight schedule, we had to leave quickly. I appreciate the fact that you let a responsible person know where you were, or at least Michelle did, but next time, just wait till the next chance, and leave this stuff to the pros," Stephanie said adamantly. After a moment on the phone, Denise turned to face her. "What did your dad say?"

"He was kind of upset. He said I'm to come right home when the game's over. And, as long as I stay with your family he wouldn't ground me for more than a couple days," she spoke mournfully.

Stephanie nodded her understanding. "Well, as long as you're here, what has your dad said about Scott or his cousin, Denise?"

"They'd like a chance to see them. But, they won't be able to till the weekend." They were just too busy with her mom's health problems.

Stephanie grinned. "Yes! If we win today, we'll be in Los Angeles, at the state tournament. If Michelle's home, she won't be in my hair when I try to hang around with Zack."

Of course, she wanted Michelle to be in the stands rooting for her, too. But, Michelle and one of the other family members could fly out just for the games. Michelle certainly wouldn't be hanging around the team.

Rico weaved while walking as the bus turned. "Hey, did one of the boys leave his headphones up here?" he asked.

Stephanie pointed to the headphones and whispered to Denise. "There, in the corner of the seat. Give them to Rico. Say 'hi' to him."

Denise's face looked like a tomato, it was so red. She gingerly picked up the headphones. Stephanie finally grabbed them from her. "They're not that fragile." She handed them to Rico. "Here, Denise found them for you."

"Now, will Denise say anything? Or will she keep looking away?"

"Thanks, uh..." Rico seemed a little nervous, too. "I've seen you riding. But, I can't place your name."

"Rico," Denise blurted. "Wait, sorry, that's you. Uh...I'm Denise."

Stephanie tried to prompt Denise. "You both like horses, that's great." She wished it was Michelle doing this. She figured Michelle would do and say the same things; she'd helped Stephanie enough with boys at times.

Denise merely nodded her head as the bus stopped. They were at their opponents' high school. Stephanie patted Denise on the head. "We knew you could talk to him," she said as Rico went back to grab his stuff. Stephanie grabbed her bag. Denise was really shy. Of course, Allie had been the same way in fourth, she recalled.

Now, if she could just find time to talk to Zack on this trip.