problem punched a fist into his glove and grinned good-naturedly.
A tall, shaggy-haired boy looked at Joelle. “What’s your name again?” He had eyebrows that joined together at the bridge of his nose.
“Joelle.”
“I’m Ian. You’re on their team,” he said, jerking his chintoward the group of guys who were already starting to take the field.
“Okay,” Joelle said. “But I don’t have my glove with me.”
“You can borrow mine.” The boy who was in line to bat after Ian tossed his glove to her.
Joelle caught it. “Thanks.”
There weren’t enough players to cover all the positions, so Joelle wasn’t sure where to go.
“You want to play third?” Ryan called to her.
That wasn’t her first choice, but it looked like Ryan had already claimed first base for himself.
“Sure,” Joelle said. She couldn’t afford to be picky right now. At least she was getting to play.
She didn’t get much opportunity to show anyone what she could do during the first inning. Whenever the ball came anywhere near her, the guy playing second ran in front of her yelling, “I got it! I got it!”
That really ticked Joelle off. The guy was all elbows and knees. He reminded her of those droids in
Star Wars
that had to unroll themselves before they could attack. Only this guy never got himself unrolled in time to get the ball.
“Hey, excuse me,” Joelle said after the third time he lunged in front of her. “I thought I was playing third.”
“Well, uh …” The boy just looked at her with a clueless expression on his face.
Joelle glared at him. “You thought I’d miss?”
“Come on, you guys. Let’s just play,” the pitcher called. When he adjusted his cap, Joelle recognized him as the Hawkspitcher. “Hughes, play your own position,” he added. “And you—” he pointed to Joelle and hesitated.
What? Had he forgotten her name already?
“Just catch the ball when it comes to you, okay?” the pitcher finished.
Duh
, Joelle thought. “Thanks,” she said sarcastically. “I’ll try.”
Unfortunately, the ball didn’t come her way for the rest of that inning.
When it was Joelle’s turn at bat, the guys actually moved in for her. That was totally annoying. But if she got the right pitch, they’d regret it.
“Come on, Joelle!” One of her teammates clapped.
“Hey, look. She’s a lefty!” the other pitcher said to his teammates when she took her position. But he didn’t sound too worried.
Joelle adjusted her footing and her grip. She let the first pitch go by. One strike. She squared up again. All she needed was a high fastball.
And that was exactly what she got.
Crack!
The ball sailed over all the outfielders’ heads.
Behind her, Joelle heard Ryan give a low whistle under his breath.
The pitcher took off his cap and watched as the ball fell to the ground over by the playground swings.
Joelle grinned as she dropped the bat and started around the bases. Two guys took off after the ball, but there was no doubt she would make it all the way home.
“All right!” Ryan and the rest of her teammates applauded when she crossed the plate.
“Not bad.” A guy with glasses slapped her on the back. He sounded totally surprised.
“Thanks,” Joelle replied coolly.
As the morning went on, Joelle got three more hits—a single, a double, and another home run. And Hughes even gave her a chance to field now and then. She didn’t get every ball that came her way, but she did all right. By the time the game broke up, some of the guys were almost treating her like one of them.
“Too bad she can’t play with the Hawks,” Joelle heard the guy with the glasses say to Hughes as they gathered up bats, ball, and gloves. “We could use a few power hitters.”
Excellent!
Joelle thought. She tossed the glove back to the guy who’d lent it to her. “Maybe you should tell your coach that,” she said with a glance at Ryan. He was busy zipping up his equipment bag.
“I don’t know,” another boy
A tall, shaggy-haired boy looked at Joelle. “What’s your name again?” He had eyebrows that joined together at the bridge of his nose.
“Joelle.”
“I’m Ian. You’re on their team,” he said, jerking his chintoward the group of guys who were already starting to take the field.
“Okay,” Joelle said. “But I don’t have my glove with me.”
“You can borrow mine.” The boy who was in line to bat after Ian tossed his glove to her.
Joelle caught it. “Thanks.”
There weren’t enough players to cover all the positions, so Joelle wasn’t sure where to go.
“You want to play third?” Ryan called to her.
That wasn’t her first choice, but it looked like Ryan had already claimed first base for himself.
“Sure,” Joelle said. She couldn’t afford to be picky right now. At least she was getting to play.
She didn’t get much opportunity to show anyone what she could do during the first inning. Whenever the ball came anywhere near her, the guy playing second ran in front of her yelling, “I got it! I got it!”
That really ticked Joelle off. The guy was all elbows and knees. He reminded her of those droids in
Star Wars
that had to unroll themselves before they could attack. Only this guy never got himself unrolled in time to get the ball.
“Hey, excuse me,” Joelle said after the third time he lunged in front of her. “I thought I was playing third.”
“Well, uh …” The boy just looked at her with a clueless expression on his face.
Joelle glared at him. “You thought I’d miss?”
“Come on, you guys. Let’s just play,” the pitcher called. When he adjusted his cap, Joelle recognized him as the Hawkspitcher. “Hughes, play your own position,” he added. “And you—” he pointed to Joelle and hesitated.
What? Had he forgotten her name already?
“Just catch the ball when it comes to you, okay?” the pitcher finished.
Duh
, Joelle thought. “Thanks,” she said sarcastically. “I’ll try.”
Unfortunately, the ball didn’t come her way for the rest of that inning.
When it was Joelle’s turn at bat, the guys actually moved in for her. That was totally annoying. But if she got the right pitch, they’d regret it.
“Come on, Joelle!” One of her teammates clapped.
“Hey, look. She’s a lefty!” the other pitcher said to his teammates when she took her position. But he didn’t sound too worried.
Joelle adjusted her footing and her grip. She let the first pitch go by. One strike. She squared up again. All she needed was a high fastball.
And that was exactly what she got.
Crack!
The ball sailed over all the outfielders’ heads.
Behind her, Joelle heard Ryan give a low whistle under his breath.
The pitcher took off his cap and watched as the ball fell to the ground over by the playground swings.
Joelle grinned as she dropped the bat and started around the bases. Two guys took off after the ball, but there was no doubt she would make it all the way home.
“All right!” Ryan and the rest of her teammates applauded when she crossed the plate.
“Not bad.” A guy with glasses slapped her on the back. He sounded totally surprised.
“Thanks,” Joelle replied coolly.
As the morning went on, Joelle got three more hits—a single, a double, and another home run. And Hughes even gave her a chance to field now and then. She didn’t get every ball that came her way, but she did all right. By the time the game broke up, some of the guys were almost treating her like one of them.
“Too bad she can’t play with the Hawks,” Joelle heard the guy with the glasses say to Hughes as they gathered up bats, ball, and gloves. “We could use a few power hitters.”
Excellent!
Joelle thought. She tossed the glove back to the guy who’d lent it to her. “Maybe you should tell your coach that,” she said with a glance at Ryan. He was busy zipping up his equipment bag.
“I don’t know,” another boy
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