"Who are you going with?" Audrey Green asked me as she pulled up her striped gym shorts.
"To where?" I asked her.
"Duh, Karen! Like, you were sleeping when they announced it—aka every day for two whole weeks!"
It was Wednesday; the costume party was on Saturday. Halloween was in one week, the dance was on Friday. My goaltry to avoid thinking about the dance. I don't have a date!
"Oh, um, no one yet. You?"
"Norman Hill. He's a major hottie."
I nodded, putting my hair in a messy bun. I tied my Phat Farms and ran out towards the gym. This is not what I wanted to think about, because the BSC has decided on costumes, and that's our main focus right now. At least, it's mine.
"Class!" Mrs. Laurel clapped her hands a few minutes later. "We're playing kickball today. Let's go and line up so I can pick teams."
My friends and I know Mrs. Laurel too well, only after our second year with her. She picked every other person, and we were prepared My team was Margo, Hannah, Nancy, Kyle Bryant, Audrey, Gerald Frank, Luke Silver, Ethan Roswell, Emily Hall, Sarah Andretti and Buddy Barrett.
The bases were mats. Our team kicked first. Ethan booted one into right field but it slapped right into Natalie Springer's arms! She nearly toppled over. Everyone on the opposite team cheered.
Hannah was next (batting order had to boy-girl) and one kick sent the ball bouncing off the ceiling! Hannah ran as hard as she could. It bounced off the floor once and the third baseman (basewoman) grabbed the ball and tossed it to the first basewoman, Pamela Harding! Now, the throw was right on target, but it slipped out of her hands and started rolling towards home plate!
"Ohh!" Pamela moaned after Hannah "slid" into second base. OOH, I think I broke a nail!"
"Mrs. Laurel snapped at her, "Get up, Harding! You'll survive."
"Oh no I won't! This manicure cost precious money! What was she worrying about? Her sister was twenty three, her mom has written three bestsellers since we were in second grade and her dad who is a dentist gets paid a crap load of money; if they actually do their job right.
"Harding, zip it," Mrs. Laurel continued, "or you'll be benched and have an F for the remainder of the term!"
I shudder. No one can afford that not even a straight a student like, say, Bobby Gianelli. But Pamela shut up.
Recap of the next inning. Gerald Frank brought Hannah to third and Buddy Barrett, after Margo kicked a fly ball, he whacked a killer that brought Hannah and Gerald home. When the other team got up Mitchell Brooks just smoked one that this track star zipped around the bases before anyone could catch the ball. But that was the only run they got during the inning, the game actually.
Let's face it; our team totally stunk the last inning. We kept on hitting all these balls that go right to the first baseman, and Greg Jones had switched places with Pamela for that position. First base is a very important position to play, because you can make a lot of outs and all the balls first come to you there. When Audrey stepped up to the plat the bell rang. My eyes drifted over to buddy. He just got our team the win. Another thing, I've never seen such a muscular guy before on my life. In the locker room Nancy whispered in my ear, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that someone's in love."