Thanks to everyone who continues to read. I heard a quote on a TV show once that it's Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self, but it is a little disappointing to pour yourself into something and have no one like it. So for those of you keeping track this chapter bears the same number as Ken Wu. You'll have to read on to see if he breaks the trend and makes it into the chapter.

Chapter 16: Nomad

Saturday dawned bright and sunny. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and when Lizzy checked, it wasn't supposed to rain at all. After breakfast she met the team on the field and they began their warm ups. After two outs in the top of the fifth, with two innings to go, her catcher called a time out. He went up to the mound and clapped a hand on her shoulder. "You okay?" Mike asked.

"I'm fine," Lizzy answered, pushing her hat up a bit and rubbing her forehead.

"Really? Because we're down six runs and you haven't pitched an out all game. We win this game; we don't have to play the next game."

Then Bash walked up. "Everything alright?" Bash asked.

"Again, I'm fine," Lizzy answered.

"Not the way you've been pitching." Bash stared down at the mound. "Where is it?"

"Where's what?" Lizzy answered.

"That thing you do." Lizzy and Mike looked at him. "Before every game you used to bend down behind the mound and draw something in the dirt. The only time you didn't was after you and Port broke up and we lost 7-2."

"You saying this is my fault?" Lizzy snapped.

"I'm saying that it's weird. Do it and we may win."

"Eden Hall, time's up," the referee called. Lizzy sighed then crouched behind the pitcher's mound and drew Fulton's initials in the dirt as Mike and Bash walked back to their respective bases. She took a deep breath then stood and got back to the game. Even though she struck out the next seven batters ending the game strong, they still lost, 8-3. Bash had gotten lucky with a run late in the seventh inning but it hadn't been enough.

After a 30 minute break to give the teams a chance to rest and recover, they were back on the field. This time they only lost 3-1. It was almost like they were facing a completely different team than they had faced the day before. This team had proved why they were the number one team in the state.

When Lizzy and the portion of the team that would be helping at the car wash arrived, they found the art club, the varsity cheerleaders, and the art teacher. The Ducks were nowhere to be seen. "Where are your friends?" Emma asked.

"No idea, they were better than this," Lizzy answered. They hadn't been at the ball game and Lizzy had figured they were helping set up.

"Well, doesn't matter because there are no cars to wash," Emma sighed.

"My car needs washed," Nat said behind Lizzy.

Lizzy looked up and smiled. "Thanks, Nat," Lizzy said.

"Mine too," Bash said. His SUV as well as Nat's had been parked beside the ball field and were covered in dust.

"Thank you," Aly said. They washed those two cars then Dean Buckley pulled up. After thoroughly cleaning his car everyone sat down on the curb sadly.

"Well, at least we made a little bit," Anna said gently.

"It's not enough," Emma said.

"Wish I knew what happened to the Ducks. This isn't like them. At all. Especially not Fulton. He would never—"

"Bail on you?" Fulton interrupted. "Of course we didn't." Everyone stood up and looked at the Ducks.

"We just had to drum up some business," Luis added. They all turned to look and saw a line of about 20 cars. Anna hugged Luis who was standing beside her. "Anything for my girl." A bunch of people stared at them, especially when he kissed her cheek.

"Am I the only one that knew about that?" Lizzy asked.

"Let's just get to work," Luis answered.

Throughout the afternoon, several times Lizzy wished she had a camera. Everyone was having a great time. It was a day they would never forget. At the end of the day they all flopped down in the grass, tired from their busy day. "If I have to wash another car in the next month I might just die," Portman protested.

"Awe, can your poor muscles not handle a simple car wash?" Lizzy taunted.

"That was a lot of cars," Portman answered.

"Yeah? Well, try pitching 14 innings before coming to a car wash," Liz answered.

"Left field, batting, car wash, then a musical which involves singing and dancing," Doug called.

"All hail Doug, the strongest among us," Lizzy replied. "We should get some dinner before the musical starts."

"Before you go," the art teacher called, "I would like to thank all of you for your help today. With that help, we've managed to surpass our goal and the art show will take place one week from today."

"Is that enough time?" Lizzy asked, sitting up.

"Your masterpieces and portfolios are due on Friday. I'll have the information for all of you in class. And Ms. Jacobs, remember what I told you about your portfolio."

"Yes ma'am," Lizzy said sadly.

Then a car pulled up at the curb. The man stepped out of the car and called, "I got an order for 16 pizzas for Charlie Conway."

"You ordered 16 pizzas?" Lizzy asked, looking at her cousin.

"I did not," Charlie answered. He stood and walked over to the pizza man.

"10 bucks says it's Bombay," Fulton said.

"You're on, but I think it was Lizzy's dad," Portman answered.

"A little help?" Charlie called. Portman and Fulton got up and helped Charlie with the pizza. "By the way it was Bombay," he said as he sat the pizza on the table. Fulton and Portman followed suit then Fulton held his hand out. Portman rolled his eyes but handed over the money owed. They brought over a pizza box and sat down on either side of Lizzy.

"What did she mean about remembering what she said?" Portman asked.

"Do you remember what happened after you met Joey the first time? We went out on a date and when we got back, I suggested watching a movie but you got so distracted that I called you a pig and eventually ended up in Adam and Charlie's room?" Lizzy asked Portman as she opened the box and found pepperoni pizza.

"Yeah, you fell asleep in their room and threatened both that if I touched you that you'd ..." Portman trailed off thinking.

"She'd turn them into Shredded Captain Duck and Preppy Kabob," Fulton answered.

"You didn't listen when Adam tried to stop you so I followed through on my threat. I drew Adam as a Duck Kabob and Charlie as a shredded Duck sandwich. She caught me drawing the Shredded Captain Duck and said it was morbid and grotesque and that I couldn't include it in my final portfolio or she'd fail that piece of artwork. I showed her Preppy Kabob and she included that as well. It's not fair but I understand."

"It makes some sense. It's a little twisted," Fulton added.

"Do you really think my dad would've bought pizza?" Lizzy asked, looking at Portman.

"Worth a shot?" Portman suggested.

"Yeah, I suppose he's not as bad as he was." Lizzy shrugged. They finished their pizza then headed for their dorms to change out of their semi-wet clothes. Then they headed for the auditorium. The show that night went much the way the show the night before had; mostly well with a few people forgetting their lines.

After the show, Ms. Jones said her thank yous again and once again sent them into the hallway to talk to the audience. Several people came along to speak with Lizzy and congratulate her on a job well done. Finally when Lizzy had reached the end of her rope, a man walked up and hugged her tight. As Lizzy sagged into his arms, Portman looked at the pair worriedly. "Uh, Lizzy?" he asked. The man was kinda familiar but Portman wasn't sure where he had seen him before.

"What's wrong with my little Lizzy-gator?" the man asked.

"Too much to talk about."

"Start at the beginning," he said.

"Right, beginning," Lizzy pulled back and looked at Portman. "Dean Portman, I'm sure you've met Jim Reed. He is Fulton's father, my godfather and surrogate uncle. Jim-Jim, you remember Dean Portman also known as Goose and one half of the Bash Brothers."

"Yes, but I prefer to refer to him as the boy who broke my sweet Gator's heart," Jim answered.

"That was actually my fault, Uncle Jim. You know that cliché, it's not what it looks like but I don't want to hear it?" Lizzy asked. Jim nodded. "It was that. I know that I'm better than that and you expect better from me but ..."

"You're trying to figure life out."

"Uh, I'll give you two—" Portman started.

"Dwayne broke up with me," Lizzy blurted.

"What? Why?" Portman asked. Though Fulton had mentioned that something had happened between the pair the night before, Portman had just thought they had fought.

"Dwayne? The Texan?" Jim added.

"Yeah. Well, it was kinda my fault. I didn't really spend that much time with him and we were already falling apart but he was the one that ..."

"I'm sorry it had to end, Gator, but it sounds like it wasn't fair," Jim said.

"Yeah, but it still hurts."

"How was your game?" Jim asked, hoping to cheer her up. It didn't work.

"Lost both so no state game this year."

"Anything else bugging you before I say the wrong thing?"

"You seen my dad tonight?"

"He's over there talking to your aunt, Seth, and Bombay. There's two, how about I go for three?" Jim said as her face fell.

"That's already three things that are bothering me Uncle Jim," Lizzy said.

"Yes, but I only brought up two of them, you brought up the first," Jim answered.

"Try cheering me up instead?" Lizzy suggested.

"I got you a present from the Twins."

"How'd they do today?"

"And I'm three for three."

"How bad?"

"3-6, 11 innings."

"At least it wasn't a walk off or grand slam." Since the Twins were playing at home and they lost, they'd have to play the full inning and that meant it was their own fault.

"There is that. Now for the big guns. You know most girls expect roses or flowers after a performance, but you're not most girls. So I brought you this," Jim pulled a square box from his camera case. Then he handed it to Lizzy.

"What you got there?" Fulton asked walking over.

"Looks like a baseball," Portman said.

Lizzy turned it over in her hands. It was indeed a baseball in a square, plastic case. Then she grinned. "Thanks, Uncle Jim, this definitely makes me feel better." Fulton stared at her. It didn't take long for her to understand what he wanted. "It's signed by the Nomad."

"Who?"

"Mike Morgan. One of the Twins' pitchers."

"Why do they call him the Nomad?" Portman asked.

"Don't you follow the Cubs?"

"Nope, White Sox."

"He's played for 9 teams including this year with the Twins, not including his AAA time. I think that's a record or something."

"Hence The Nomad," Portman said.

"Yeah. His one of the best pitchers the Twins have. I never knew you were a Sox fan."

"I'm not a big fan of baseball but when people tell me to pick a team, that's my team. I understand the gist of it."

"You know what? I think I'm done with you. You're a Mustangs fan and a Sox fan," Lizzy said shaking her head.

"A little rivalry isn't bad, besides it could be worse. I could be an Indians fan," Portman answered. The Chicago Mustangs had a big rivalry with the Detroit Red Wings and the White Sox had a big rivalry with the Twins. The Cleveland Indians had won the American League Central division the year prior and Lizzy didn't like it. "Is this how you got your Detroit Red Wings Poster?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Actually Matt gave that to me for Christmas. This is how I get most of my signed stuff though: Kirby Puckett baseball, Mike Modano hockey stick, Basil McRae rookie card, among other things."

"Wow, how?" Portman asked.

"I told you what my dad does," Fulton said. Jim was a photographer for a big sports' magazine in Minneapolis. Not many people knew that.

"Perk of the job," Jim said. "Anyway kiddo, don't worry about it. One day you'll find a prince charming and he's not going to break your heart. You can't win every state championship. And above all, you know the Twins are a crap team and they'll finish the season in 4th or 5th place like they always do."

"Uncle Jim," Lizzy whined.

"Is he teasing you again, sweetheart?" Nat asked, walking up.

"About my love for the Twins. Nat, you remember Dean Portman; Goose, this is Fulton's mom."

"Mrs. Reed," Portman acknowledged. He shifted uncomfortably but Lizzy wasn't sure why.

When she answered her voice was cordial enough but there was something suspicious in her eyes. "Dean," Nat answered. Then she changed the subject. "You know your father is here, don't you, Lizzy?"

"He missed both games this morning." Lizzy shrugged.

"Would you blame him if he was Matt?"

"Matt wouldn't have missed both games."

"Will you ever let him off the hook?"

"No," Lizzy answered, "but, I'm trying to work on that."

"Good for you, sweetie. Fulton said something about an art show?" Nat said.

"Yeah, Saturday. I'll have all the details on Tuesday and I'll let you know."

"That's our girl. We'll be here."

"Thanks, Nat. Hey Dad," Lizzy sighed. She wasn't exactly mad at him just resigned that he had missed the game.

"Congrats, Liz. It was a good show."

"Thanks."

"And it was a great game too, you tried hard. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks."

"What do you want me to say?"

"Don't know. I should go; it's been a long day."

"Okay," her dad reluctantly agreed. Lizzy smiled sheepishly. He nodded and Lizzy walked off.

"Well, that was harsh," Fulton said, following her.

"Not harsh, just awkward," Lizzy answered. Fulton sighed but didn't try to convince her otherwise.

Tuesday afternoon, Lizzy got the information for the art show then called Nat before emailing the information to her dad, brothers, grandmother, and aunt. "You okay, Lizzy?" Luis asked, sitting down next to her at dinner that night.

"I don't know. Luis," Lizzy paused as she stared down at her plate. "Am I a good person?" Her words were so soft he almost missed them.

"No, you're a terrible person. Horrible really. I don't know—" Luis stopped when he saw how disappointed she looked. "Hermana, I was teasing," Luis told her. "That means—"

"Sister, I know. Seth's fluent in Spanish and has said it a few times. You really don't think I'm terrible?"

"You're one of my good friends. I think you're a great person and anyone who can't see that is missing out."

"Thanks. I should ask about you and Anna," Lizzy said.

"Anna and I are fine. Your life is so much more interesting. What do you have going on?"

"Not much now. With baseball, hockey, and the musical all over, the only thing left is the art show and end of year tests."

"Have you figured out your final portfolio?"

"I still need my masterpiece and like three pieces."

"What about them?" Luis asked, motioning to Portman, Fulton, and Kenny as they stepped into the cafeteria from the food line.

"The three Bash Brothers. You're brilliant," Lizzy answered.

"And another thing, in Art One last year, she told us that one of the best ways to get over art block's to close your eyes and draw whatever you see."

"Again brilliant!"

"Who is brilliant?" Fulton asked.

"Luis," Lizzy answered. "He helped me get my inspiration for my art project back."

"Well, even a broken clock is right twice a day," Portman told her.

"That's mean," Lizzy said. Portman only looked at her and Luis didn't seem upset. "That doesn't bother you?"

"Nah, he doesn't mean it," Luis answered.

"I really don't," Portman said. Lizzy looked between the pair and smiled seeing they weren't upset. It was good to see Portman taking an interest in his other teammates.

So I guess I broke the trend of not having the Duck in the chapter that bears their number as Ken is mentioned once by name. Stayed tuned for chapter 18 and Connie.