13 reviews. Blah. Oh well. You guys are still awesome and I got a total of 70 reviews! (Does a little dance). This chapter is for my best friend from school and reviewer/reader Alejandra! She even called me to tell me to update and because of her I am. Thank You Ale! All together now…(You guys too) Thank You Ale!
A Missing Piece of the Puzzle
Chapter 6: Baseball Park: Rosalie Special
B.P.O.V.
"Put your hands together. Yes, like that. Are you right handed? Okay, put your right hand above your left and grip the bat tight. Make sure to separate you your legs and no, no, not that far. More like…yes, like that." Alejandra was trying to help me get into the right position to bat.
Alejandra – or Ale, as she likes to be called – is the parks manager's daughter. When we first got to the park, everybody was here before me and Edward. Once we started to play, Edward and everybody else found out I had no idea how to swing or play in any of the out-field or in-field positions.
Alice and Rose tried to help me – it's amazing they can look good and be baseball MVP's - but I was helpless. Edward knew Ale was helping her dad out at the park today, so he asked her to help and she agreed.
Edward told me he wrote the lullaby because he remembered the night of my bad dream. He said I could hum it to my self or he could sing it to me whenever I have a bad dream. Once I got over the embarrassment that he remembered that night, I thought it was really sweet. It's so hard not to like him, but I still have to try.
Emmett, Alice, Rose, Jasper and Edward were warming up while Ale was still trying to help me. I've already got the main basics and the positions everybody is in and what goes on in the game. We started with the simple stuff – strikes, balls, foul balls, home-run (I already knew that one), and grand slam – then on to harder stuff – like what a short stop is – and I think I've finally got it.
Right now she's just teaching me how to hold the bat right and how to swing.
"Don't forget to lift this elbow like this. No, lower it a bit and...Yes, you got it. Now, as you swing back, lift you right foot a little but keep your toes touching the ground. Okay, try to swing."
She stepped away and I tried my best to swing like I saw her do earlier. Honestly, I suck.
"Great." Ale smiled and nodded her head, causing her brown glasses to bounce a little lower down her nose. "But make sure to keep this elbow up, even when you swing and bend your knees." She gently raised my left elbow as I pretended to swing in slow motion.
"Yes! That's it. Now remember," Her face became serious again. That usually happens when she's about to give me tips. Trust me, I need those tips. "Don't look at where the ball is going, especially when it's a curve ball, only pay attention to where it started. Make sure you don't just stand there when you hit the baseball." If I even hit the ball, I added mentally. "First you run slowly, then as you run, look at where the ball went. If it's not a foul ball or an out, then run to first base and if I yell 'second', that means to go to second base." I nodded, trying to remember everything she's told me.
"Show me your swing." I put my feet apart, held the bat tight, raised my elbow, lowered my knees and as I swung, I lifted my left foot and pretended to hit a baseball. "Yes! You did it!" Ale clapped her hands and smiled.
I put the bat down and gave her a hug. I don't know why, but this day is too perfect to be true. "Thanks Ale."
"No problem." She said as we pulled away. Alejandra grabbed my arms in her hands and looked me in the eye. "Now, go show them what you're made of."
I laughed and picked up the bat again as I made my way to the field.
"Hey Bella!" Emmett waved. "Are you ready to play?"
"Yup." I smiled and walked closer to everybody. "What teams are we in?"
"We've already decided." Jasper picked up a baseball. "You, Edward and I are in one team. Alice, Rose and Em are the other team, is that okay with you?"
I nodded. "Yhea, that's fine." Emmett passed out gloves to Alice and Rosalie.
"You guys are batting first. The usual three outs and we'll switch." Rose looked at me, Jasper and Edward. All three of us nodded and went to a dug-out on the left side of the field while Alice went a little outside of the in-field, Rosalie was at the pitcher's mound and Emmett stood behind home plate, being catcher.
"Okay," Edward said once we Jasper and I sat down on the wooden bench. "I'll bat first," Jasper handed him his bat. "You're next Bella and then Jasper."
Jasper nodded and leaned back against the gate with his arms crossed over his chest. He examined me and then looked at Edward. "Can I give her my present? I think she should wear it before the game starts."
Edward nodded and looked at me. "Are you okay with batting after me?"
"Sure," I shrugged. "This baseball stuff sounds easy enough." I looked over at Rose and felt my self smile as I pictured her pitching. I've seen baseball a couple of times and no way can she pitch good enough. I don't know her that well, but she might end up being one of those girls who gets terrified if they break a nail.
Jasper and Edward followed my gaze then laughed. "What?" I asked with my eye brows knitted together.
"Rosalie is a better ball player than you think." Edward grinned crookedly.
"Yhea," Jasper nodded. "She would always go to my games and practice with the team in high school, huh Edward?" Jasper nodded toward Edward.
Edward nodded his head slowly. "Rosalie gave most of the guys a run for their money." Can Rose really play that good?
I looked over at Rosalie; she was fixing her blonde, luscious hair under her baseball cap. Then, she put the glove on her left hand and tossed the baseball up and down in her other hand. She didn't look too intimidating.
I looked back at Edward and Jazz. "I'll be okay." I smiled and leaned back against the fence.
"'Kay," Edward stepped out of the dug-out and looked at me through the gate. "Wish me luck."
I smiled and waved as he went to home base.
"I'm really glad you got to meet the girls." Jasper called my attention. "They've been dying to meet you. Anyway," He reached under the bench and took out a blue bag with white paper sticking out. "Happy Birthday." He smiled and handed m the bag. "Alice and I are giving you separate presents."
"Aww, Jasper." I gave him a hug. "Thank you, but you didn't have to spend money on me."
"Nonsense," He shook his head, causing his long locks to move. "If you don't want to think of it as a birthday present, think of it as a welcoming present."
I frowned and placed the bag on my lap. "Welcoming present?"
Jasper nodded eagerly. "Yhea, well each of us has one. Edward and I gave each other one when we went to California for the USSSA Major World Ser-"
"You went there too!" I interrupted him. That is so cool; Jasper and Edward have been friends since before high school.
I soon realized I made a fool of my self and ruined Jasper's story. "Sorry." I looked down at the bag and let me hair cover my red-cheeked face.
Jasper chuckled and patted my back. "It's okay. I'm guessing Edward told you about that." I nodded sheepishly. He smiled and went on, "Well, after that, I gave one to Alice when she first played a game of baseball with us. Then, Edward and I meet Emmett in high school, we both got him one when he played with us here and Alice gave Rosalie one when she played with us at this field too."
I nodded even though I was confused. "That's cool and all, but what was it exactly that you gave each other?"
Jasper's smiled widened, exposing his glistening teeth. "Edward wanted to give it to you, but I wanted to do it, so after pleading him, he let me get it for you." I frowned because he still didn't answer my question. Jasper looked down to the present on my lap. "Open your gift and you'll see what I'm talking about."
I gently took off the white, thin paper, not wanting to tear it and give my self a paper cut.
WHACK!
Jasper and I shot out heads up to see where the sound came from. All I saw was Edward passing first base and running on to second and Alice zooming for the ball at the center of the green out-field.
Edward stopped at second and Alice threw the ball at Rosalie, who caught it with out even looking at her.
"Hurry, open it! I want you to see it before you go up bat." Jasper urged.
I quickly took out whatever was in the blue bag.
It was a baseball cap.
I looked up at Jasper and noticed it was designed the same way everybody else's was. My jaw dropped and I covered my mouth with my hand. "No way…" I breathed out.
Jasper stuck his hand out and I gave him the cap – my new cap.
"You see this?" Jasper pointed his finger to the back of the cap. "Every time we give someone a cap, we all pick what it will say on the back." He handed me my cap back. "Read what yours is."
I smiled and turned the cap around. I read the words that were written in black stitches and laughed. Jasper soon joined me. "The Little Drug Addict?" I asked him with a huge smile on my lips.
He nodded and grabbed the hat away from me. Jasper carefully placed it on my head and gave me a hug. "Go get em'."
I pulled away and smiled. Finally a place where I belong filled with people who accept me. Thank you God for letting them come into my life. I never doubted you.
I quickly wiped away my tears with the back of my left hand as I picked up the bat. "Ready to strike out my little drug addict?" Emmett asked as Rosalie stood up straight and practiced winding the ball.
I nodded and got ready with the bat in my hands. "Bring it."
E.P.O.V.
Even though I was back here at second base, I could still hear Emmett. He didn't win 'Booming Voice' in high school for nothing.
"So Bella…..You slept with Edward." He said in a fatter of fact tone.
Bella's grip on the bat loosened as she blushed a little bit. She looked at Emmett from the side of her eye. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Whoosh!
"Strike one!" Emmett threw the baseball back at Rosalie and scrunched back down behind Bella.
"Hey!" Bella turned around and looked down at Emmett. "You distracted me! That's not fair." She folded her arms in front of her chest.
Emmett shrugged. "So? Get ready, Rose is about to pitch."
Bella quickly got ready for the ball. "Besides, you and Ed did sleep together." Emmett added just as Bella's blush went down.
But once again, her cheeks became a dark shade of pink. "We did on have sex!"
"Bella!" Em faked a chocked voice. "I never said you two had sex, I only said you slept tog- oh! Bella! I'm appalled. You're such a perv."
"What?" Bella shrieked. "No, I didn't mean it. But I and ugh! You tricked-"
Whoosh!
"Strike two!" Emmett boomed as he threw the back at Rose.
"C'mon Bella!" I cheered. She needed to stop being so easily distracted by Emmett.
"You can do it Bells!" Jasper shouted from the dug-out.
"Focus!" Ale ordered.
Bella gripped the bat tighter and narrowed her eyes. I gave Emmett a warning glare that he better not distract Bella anymore.
Rose was ready to pitch; she stood up straight, brought her arm back and lifted her left knee, and threw the baseball as hard as she could.
Whoosh!
SMACK!
Nobody moved as we all gazed at the baseball that went over the fence and across to the other field. The only thing that could be heard was the light breeze caused by the wind. That was amazing! She actually hit it! It took me a year to hit a Rosalie-Special – that's what Rose calls her special pitch – much less to be able to hit a home-run.
Jasper took us all out of awe. "RUN!!"
I took off to third base as fast as I could. As soon as I made it to home-plate, Bella was right behind me. She must've been telling me the truth about being able to run. Too bad she falls a lot with walking.
"Yhea! Go Bells!" Jasper and Ale were clapping and cheering as Emmett, Rose and Alice kept staring in amazement at the ball that was no longer ours since it went over the fence.
"Bella!" I grabbed her tiny figure and spun her around in the air. Her voice squealed in my ear as I cheered and congratulated her.
"That was amazing! How did you- That was- WOW!" I could find words for my feelings right now.
I was happy, excited, energetic, full of joy, amazement, stunned, and so many other words I don't even know! I felt…Perfect! I don't know. I've never felt like this before! Everything just feels in place.
I grabbed Bella and gave her another tight hug. "..ow.." She gasped.
"Opps. Sorry, that was just so cool! You have to teach me to do that one day." Her doe eyes were sparkling with joy.
I did it. Well, we did it – me and my friends, who are now Bella's friends too. We actually made her happy. Look at her! She's radiating with happiness!
"Well," Emmett sobered up. "Now that we lost our only ball, I guess it's time for presents."
Bella came up to me with a guilty look on her face and whispered to me. "Am I so selfish to be excited for my presents? I just really loved the ones I've gotten so far and I-" I put my finger against her soft, pink lip to quiet her down.
This girl really needs to enjoy her self more. "It's fine, Bella. It's your birthday, being excited about presents is normal. Just enjoy this moment. You just hit a home-run on the Rosalie Special!" We laughed and walked down to a table Ale had set up for us.
I wanted to post this up soon. It was going to be longer, but my mom and grandma just yelled at me for using it for 1 hour and a half. Ooo, I'm so bad. Review! Let me know what you think. Warning: The next chapter might be short, but it has to do with Bella's presents.
