Chapter Three; Softball Practice

Later on that day Jeannie, Stacey, Amanda, Natalie, Irene, Kathy, and Amber all met down by the baseball field. Jeannie stood up in front of everybody while everybody else sat down on top of the bench. "Good afternoon ladies. Now the reason that we're all here is that we all enjoy the sport of baseball. And as your coach I just want to let you know that the most important thing is to have fun out there. Now are there any questions?" she inquired before Stacey raised her hand. "Yes Stacey?" she asked her while the other woman quickly put it back down.

"What's our team name going to be?" she questioned.

"Gee I don't know, that is a very good question. All I know so far is that our uniforms are going to be pink with black letterings." Jeannie replied as Amanda smiled brightly at her.

"How about the Pink Ladies?" she suggested.

"That is a good name." Stacey agreed. "Too bad it's already taken though." She said.

"I have an idea! I think we should call ourselves the Sugar Babies!" Natalie exclaimed. "I mean we're all from Coco Beach and that describes our lifestyle so it has double meaning." She said as Jeannie smiled at her and nodded.

"What a brilliant name! The Sugar Babies it is then!" she exclaimed. "Natalie, since you thought up the idea you can tell me what position you would like to play first." Jeannie told her.

"Well, I sort of always wanted to be the umpire ." she said before Irene shot her hand up into the air.

"I want to play catcher!" she cried.

"And I guess I'll be in the outfield." Kathy said.

"Oh dear, we're going to need to get some more players since there aren't enough of you to fill all of the positions." Jeannie said.

"How are we going to do that?" Stacey asked her before a large grin stretched a crossed Jeannie's face while she bobbed her head and blinked.

"Oh don't worry, I think that we will have some more players getting ready to sign up pretty soon. In the meantime though, what position would you like to play Stacey?" she asked her as Amanda Bellows just continued staring at her.

"Well,.. I kind of wanted to be the pitcher. Do you think that you could help me practice Jeannie?" she wondered.

"Oh, certainly." Jeannie told her before Amanda stood up from the bench.

"Uh Jeannie, can I please talk to you alone for a moment?" she inquired.

"Oh sure Mrs. Bellows, what is it?" Jeannie asked her while Mrs. Bellows led her off to the side.

"What was that blink for!?" she snapped inside a whisper.

"All I did was conjure up a few more players." Jeannie told her. "Now really, what harm could that do?" she wondered.

"Are you sure that's all you did? Because if I find out that you're cheating at any point in the game then I won't be a very happy camper." Mrs. Bellows told her.

"Oh don't worry Mrs. Bellows, I won't cheat in the game. I promise." She told her while she raised her hand up in the air.

"Good. That's what I want to hear." Mrs. Bellows told her with a nod. "Well, I guess I better get back on the bench since we're up to bat first." She said before she turned around and walked away as Jeannie giggled mischievously to herself.

"Luckily for me this isn't even a real game so giving Stacey an extra hand won't even matter." She said to herself.

….

"Jeannie, I'm really nervous. Do you think that I'll be able to pitch today?" Stacey asked her before Jeannie waved a hand at her in reassurance.

"Oh I wouldn't worry about it too much. I'm sure that everything is going to be just fine." She told her while she smiled at her and Stacey smiled back at her.

"Thanks Jeannie. I feel a lot better now." She told her before she turned around and started walking towards the field.

"Go Stacey! You can do it!" Jeannie cheered through her hands before she clapped them together a few times. Stacey took a deep breath and turned around to face the batter. Amanda Bellows was the first one up at bat.

"Hey batter, batter, batter,.." the other "team" chanted before Stacey turned her body towards the side and lifted her knee into the air. "Swing batter!" Jeannie beamed and blinked again. Stacey felt an enormous strength suddenly build up from inside her before she threw the ball right into Irene's mitt.

"Strike one!" Natalie cried before Irene stood up and threw the ball back to Stacey. Stacey caught it back inside her mitt before Jeannie blinked a third time and Stacey threw it again while the other team continued chanting. Amanda swung again but missed for a second time. "Strike two!" Natalie exclaimed while Jeannie and clapped for Stacey as she got ready to make her third pitch. Jeannie blinked and Amanda swung her bat as hard as she could. "Strike three! You're out!" Natalie exclaimed while Irene stood up and threw the ball back to Stacey.

Jeannie continued clapping and cheering for Stacey before Amanda's eyes darted into her direction. "Something isn't right." She muttered under her breath. "Jeannie is way too happy over there." She said before she handed the bat to the next player and walked back towards the bench. Jeannie continued blinking as the game went on. Stacey kept throwing strike after strike, and managed to get the runners out as well. When it was her time to bat she got a homerun followed by several more homeruns and a few grand slams on their team.

"Wow! I really can't believe this! So far the game is six to zero and were not even into the fourth inning yet!" Stacey exclaimed excitedly.

"I can." Amanda began before she turned her head and looked over at Jeannie and flashed an orifical and false grin at her.

"I really think that Jeannie had something to do with it. After all, she's the one who got me to believe in myself." Stacey said.

"Oh Jeannie had something to do with it alright. Listen, will you ladies please excuse me for a moment, I would like to have a private word with our coach." Amanda said before she walked over to Jeannie and pulled her aside.

"Jeannie, why do I have a feeling that you were being dishonest with me when you promised that you wouldn't cheat in the game?" she questioned with a shake of her head.

"Oh I wasn't being dishonest Mrs. Bellows, I did not cheat in the game. This is only practice." She told her.

"That's beside the point Jeannie, cheating is wrong whether or not it's in a practice or a game. Now Stacey thinks that she's been playing great all by herself and it would break her heart if she found out that you were helping her." Amanda told her while continuing to shake her head at her.

"Oh don't worry Mrs. Bellows, she will not find out. She doesn't even know that I am a genie." She said before she turned around and started walking away while Amanda threw her arms up into the air and heaved a heavy sigh.

"Sometimes I don't know why I even bother trying to talk to that girl." She said before she turned around and walked in the opposite direction.

…..

"I'm telling you Alfred, it didn't matter what I said to that girl. She just wouldn't listen to me." Mrs. Bellows began later on that day. "I just don't understand how Colonel Nelson and Colonel Healey have put up with her for so many years." She said.

"Well obviously it's because they love and care about her." Doctor Bellows began. "According to Colonel Nelson Jeannie wasn't born a genie and that's why she was born with another name. Maybe she just needs us to be patient with her." He told her.

"Alright, I'll try for you and for them. Just as long as she doesn't use her powers at the actual game." She told him.