Birthdays ,Friends ,and Families

(Erins POV)

I walked up my grandmas driveway with the biggest smile on my face. 'Im on te team!' I thought. I couldnt believe it. And just when I thought that nothing in the world could go wrong, it did.

"Erin Marie Miller! Where have you been!"grandma yelled.

"I...um...was playing baseball, with some friends." I quickly answered.

"For one thing, you are late, you said youd be here for lunch and another thing...what do you mean you were playing baseball? Baseball is NOT for GIRLS!"

Not believing my ears I said, "Grandma! Girls can so play baseball! And Im very good!" I stomped off to my bedroom and slammed the door.

"That attitude means no dinner tonight young lady!"

I didnt care that I didnt get any dinner. I wasnt hungry anyway...I just wanted to play baseball again. But Id have to come up with a plan, so my grandma would never find out.

(Colins POV)

'YES!' I said to myself as I watched Erin walk away. ' I can get to know her better. I hope he guys arent too mean about it. '

Thoughts of the girl I just met flew around my head, while I was walking home. But my thinking was interrupted by yelling. A man and a woman were screaming at each other. The yells were coming from inside a small white trailer parked in a row of almost identical ones. And the people yelling were my mom and dad.

I sat on my front porch and waited for my dad to walk out, as usual.

Finally he did, "where you goin dad?" I asked him

"Get inda house kid you aint got no right knowin where I go." he was apparently drunk 'again' and I really didnt care where he was going.

"Whatever!" I slammed the little screen door shut and ran to my room without eating. 'I hate my dad.'

I lay there for about an hour and was staring at my baseball card box. I really wanted to look at them but my heart wasnt in it. I turned off my light and drifted off to sleep.

(Normal POV)

The next morning Erin left a note for her grandma telling her she was going to the mall to buy some new clothes... but (of course) headed for the Sandlot.Noone was there and she was pretty hungry since she didnt eat at all yesterday so she decided to go into town and buy something to snack on.

Colin woke up and found that his dad had returned. He was laying face down on the couch, probably passed out. He looked in the cupboard for a box of poptarts but they were out. Just then his mom came in.

"Colin, honey please, can you go to the store for me. We really need some groceries and I have to go to work."

"Yea mom sure." he replied. Mrs. Porter handed her son some money and set off for work.

Colin left the house and hurried for the sandlot. He left a note saying he was going to be late and that they were to meet there around 4. He set off for the market.

Once he was in front of a dollar store Colin looked around for any chance that he might see someone on his team. He did. Over by the hotdog stand, stood Erin dressed in khaki shorts and a white tee-shirt.

"Erin! Hey Erin over here!" he yelled, waving his hands in the air.

She ran over to him and said, " Hi Colin, whats up? Why wasnt anyone at the field?" she pulled her hair into a ponytail as he said,

"I have to go shopping for my mom, noone else could do it, so practice is going to be around 4."

"Oh, cool. Shopping for your mom huh?"

"Yea." he was embarrassed. 'She must think Im a geek now'

"Need some help? Thats what Im supposed to be doing now anyway, my stubborn grandma doesnt think girls know how to play sports."

Colin was disappointed at this what if she couldnt play anymore, "Well, if you arent allowed to play Id understand." he frowned

"If you can keep a secret, Ill play on your team. The word cant get around though."

"Deal."

The two walked around the store and checked things off Mrs. Porters list and were having a great time until someone unexpected showed up.

"I see you too are probably shopping for your new home huh Porter?" said Jacob Vandeborne, looking at Colin with a wide smirk on his face.

"Shut up Jacob!"said Colin

"Is this place smaller than the dump your crashin in right now? Oh and whos this, another piece of trailer trash like you?"

Erin pulled up her sleeves and said,"Watch your mouth Jacob or your doctor is going to have some trouble removing my fist from it!"

"Watch yourself honey, now you wouldnt want to go and get yourself hurt now...Put your fist down.

Erin did. " Actually, Colin, you didnt do so bad. Shes pretty hot, you know I think Ill just take her with me." Jacob reached out to touch her but Colin reached for her first and pulled her away

"Dont you dare touch her!" Colin and Erin started walk away. Erin could see them from the corner of her eyes staring at her ass and picked up a box of Cheerios and threw it at him, " You're a pig!" she yelled.

"Nice throw." mentioned Colin as they were in the check-out line.

"Thanks Colin. She said blushing. "And thanks for defending me from Jacob."

"No problem. Hes a jerk."

They walked out of the grocery store together and Erin said, " Do you want me to help you carry those home?"

"Um, yeah...wait, eh, Ill see you later!" Colin ran off in the other direction with shopping bags in his hands.

"Weird." she said under her breath. Erin turned around and knocked someone to the ground. "Im so so sorry!"

"Its okay..." the girl she knocked over was about as tall as her and had dark brown hair. " Im alright."

"I swear I didnt see you coming."

"Its okay really." she stood up and brushed herself off, "Her are you new here? I dont think Ive seen you around."

"Yeah, Im Erin Miller...I am staying with my grandma for the summer."

"OH, I see. I am Stacie Harps. Nice to meet you."

"You too... So whats there to really do around here?" she asked

"Well, Theres a mall , which Im sure youve been too, a pool, a country club, and a school playground. Thats about it...It doesnt get really exciting here in the summer."

"Oh thats okay."

"Except for baseball. There have to be at least 10 teams around here."

"Oh really? Like who?"

Stacie went through 9 names and was out of breath, " and theres a team at this old field called the sandlot. I hear they are really good, but nobody wants to play there because the fields so old."

"Wow. Do you know anything about them?" Erin was starting to sound really interested in the conversation.

"Well, all I know is that there captain, Colin Porter, lives I a trailer park and thats why kids parents dont want them hanging out with him. They all think hes a bad guy like his dad."

"Thats terrible. People hating you because of where you live or who your parents are...no wonder he didnt want me to-...Oops hey I just remembered I have to be somewhere. See you later Stacie." Erin waved and set off for the Sandlot.

When she got there, Ollie and Kyle were throwing with Colin.

"Hey Erin!" Colin ran up to her with a ball in his hand. "Wana throw?"

"Sure."

10 minutes passed and Colin called the rest of his team up. "Okay guys, this is our new center fielder, Erin Miller."

"A girl?" questioned Matt.

"A Miller?" said Jason

"Hey come on guys shes good. Isnt she Ollie." Colin looked over to Ollie.

"Yea shes okay for a girl." he grumbled

"Oh, yea! Thats what Im talking about! Lets start practice."

Everybody took their positions and got to hit 10 balls. Erin hit 9 of the 10 strait to center field. Everyone was shocked. The whole team, except Ollie and Kyle was friendly to her from now on. Colin was happy she was fitting in so well.

Practice ended and everyone left. Erin got to talk to Harry and Brandon on the way home. She explained to them about her supposed to go shopping and they split up when they arrived on her street.

(Colins POV)

I watched the team go home and decided that I was going to stay at the field for a few more minutes. Kyle and Ollie stayed too. They were getting to know Erin and were a little nicer. We all started to leave when I saw a glove laying in the dugout. I ran up to it and found out that it was Erins.

"You guys go ahead... Im gonna take this back to Erins house!" I yelled to them. Once I was standing in front of the house, I remembered that Erin wasnt supposed to play. I walked around the house to check if she might be in the back yard and she wasnt. I started to leave when I heard someone yell my name.

(Erins POV)

I opened up the door and walked inside to find none other than my grandma towering over me."Young lady! Where were you?"

"I left you a note grandma I said I was going to the mall." I whispered, trying to act innocent.

"Well you over thought something..."she stared at me for a moment. I didnt reply, " Go to your room! NOW!"

I walked up to my room, not even feeling bad about making her upset. After changing my clothes I checked my calendar. Today was grandmas birthday.

That night, while laying in bed I wondered if Colin was really trying to be a good friend today when he and Jacob got into a fight or whether he was feeling jealous. 'Could he like me? I think hes really cute... hes nice too. I hope he does..'

Something outside moved. I thought I heard someone. I looked out my window and saw Colin carrying my glove. "Colin" I whispered.

Walking out onto the balcony I saw him look at me. Luckily we had a trampoline right under the balcony... I jumped right off and heard him gasp and run forward.

I bounced up and down until I had enough balance to get off.

(Colins POV)

I looked at Erin...she was standing on the balcony I guessed to be leading to her room. Then she jumped off! I ran and tried to catch her but she flew up in the air...'Woah' I saw that she bounced onto a trampoline. "Thank god!" I muttered to myself.

"Are you okay?" I asked. She was wearing a blue silky pair of pajamas with pictures of something I couldnt make out on them. Her hair was messily pulled up into a bun on top of her head... I thought she looked really pretty.

"Yeah Im fine. She looked at his face, dripping with sweat and his white shirt was grass stained.

"Um, you left this at the field." I handed her her glove.

"Oh, yeah, thanks." she looked up into my eyes. I wanted to tell her that I liked her so bad but I couldnt find it in me.

"Erin...I uh" I swallowed hard, " do you want to meet me tomorrow... for lunch so we can talk and stuff."

"Oh, well."

"Like baseball stuff," I added in quickly.

"I might have trouble getting out of the house but sure. One oclock okay?"

"Great!" I tried not to sound to excited. She smiled and I smiled back.

"Well I better try and figure out how to get back into the house."

"Yeah, I guess you better. See you tomorrow."

"Hey Colin...Thanks for sticking up for me again...you know, in front on Jacob. I really appreciated it." Erin took a step closer.

"No problem." I took a step closer this time. I leaned my head down and she reached up we were about to kiss when...

"Sprinklers!" she yelled. The water was burning my eyes. I wiped them and saw that Erin was waving from her back porch. I waved back.