I own nothing but Robyn and her parents.

Chapter 14: Confessions

I don't know how long I was out before I came to. It probably would have been a lot longer, but someone had taken the liberty of dumping a bucket of water on my head. That got my up. I sat straight up, before falling back down and groaning as a fierce pain took over my head. I shut my eyes, hoping to make the pain.

"Are you all right?" A voice I recognized as Squints' asked from above me.

"Yeah, yeah, whats wrong?" Yeah-Yeah asked.

I opened my eyes and saw the guys all crowded around me. Benny and Smalls lifted me up gently and helped me to sit as black dots swam in front of me.

"She was just beat unconscious." Benny chided. "I think that's whats wrong, Yeah-Yeah."

Yeah-Yeah just blushed and looked down.

"What happened?" I asked, my voice cracking slightly. "And who poured water on me?"

"Phillips and his minions beat you." Smalls answered. "And that was all Squints' idea!"

"Hey!" Squints exclaimed. "It was yours to."

"Soon as my head stops hurting," I told them, "You're both dead."

"Ahh she's all right." Squints announced, backing up slightly. "She wouldn't threaten lessen she was fine."

My whole body was aching, and I knew I would be severaly bruised before the day was over. The top of my shirt was wet from the water-thank God I was wearing a dark shirt and not a white one!- and my hair was matted down. I didn't know where my hat was. I looked up at the guys and noticed that each one had their own bruises.

"What happened to you guys?" I asked.

"Same thing as you." Timmy answered.

"Same thing as you." Tommy repeated.

"Only eight on nine is more fair then nine on one." Kenny added.

I felt Benny and Small's hands on my shoulders, holding me up. Slowly, I got to my knees, then stood up. Dizziness immediatly took over and I almost fell, but the guys all grabbed at me and led me over to the dugout, where they forced me to sit on the bench.

"I really got to be going." I said, starting to stand.

The guys all just surrounded me, silently telling me I wasn't going anywhere. We all just sat there awkwardly for a moment, no one really knowing what to say.

"So Robbie..." Benny was the first to say anything. "Or should we call you Elenore?"

"Only if you don't want to walk for a month." I threatened, wincing at the very name.

"Why did you lie to us?" Ham asked, anger in his voice.

"Yeah, yeah!" Yeah-Yeah was quick to add his own question. "Why didn't you just tell us you were a girl?"

"I didn't tell anyone." I replied. "I just wanted to live the way I wanted to live, not the way my gender makes me live."

"What do you mean?" Squints asked, taking his glasses off, squinting at me, then put them back on.

I sighed. I really wasn't looking forward to this.

"Girls are suppose to be weak, defensless, wimps." I began. "They're suppose to wear dresses, spend hours on make-up and hair, and do nothing all day but sit inside and giggle and talk about boys. So girls are suppose to do everything I can't stand." I paused to let my words sink in before continuing. "I can't stand to be thought of as weak. My temper won't let me be defensless either, considering the number of fights I always manage to get in. Not that I want to be defensless. I can take care of myself. I couldn't care less about what I look like and dresses are for burning, not wearing. I'd rather be outside playing baseball then sitting inside."

"So why did you disguise yourself?" Timmy asked.

"Why disguise yourself?" Tommy repeated.

"I wanted to actually make friends for once in my life." I replied, looking at the ground and not at them. I didn't want to see the disgust that was sure to be in their eyes. "Back in Texas the girls didn't want to be around me because I was different, and the guys couldn't accept that a girl could do guys stuff. So when we moved here, I decided to pretend to be a guy so I could make friends and do the things I love doing without being looked down on." I sighed and began to stand. "I'm sorry I lied to you guys. I'll just be going."

"Wait a minute," Smalls said, stopping me from rising yet again. "Why are you going?"

"Why shouldn't I?" I asked, looking at him.

"Cause it's not dark yet," Benny said with a smile, "Plenty of more time to play ball."

My eyes widened in shock.

"You mean I can stay?" I asked.

"Of course you can!" Ham said before anyone else.

Everyone looked at him in surprise. He blushed when he noticed everyone staring.

"Well come on." he said, embarassment creeping in. "Are we going to play ball or what?"

We all agreed and everyone took their positions. With all my bruises and the dizziness, I couldn't run or field at all, so Ham volunteered to switch spots with me. It was nearly dark when we all left to go home.

I wasn't prepared for what I saw when I walked in the front door of my house.