âI was singing first,â and he said, âI wrote the song.â I thought you were going to fight.â
âWhat happened?â
âDunno. I woke up.â
Lisa was smirking. âZoey, I think you may be a psychic. You are definitely in touch with the energy around here.â
We ate breakfast. I checked my phone. There were lots of missed calls from Dad. I didnât want him to have a heart attack worrying, so I texted him.
Spent the night with friends. Iâm fine.
OK
, he texted back,
see you at practice
.
I didnât answer.
Â
. . .
Lisa and Zoey were planning to go to the mall that morning. I passed on their invitation. I thought Iâd just chill by the pool, play games, whatever. I felt like I was on vacationâa vacation Iâd needed for a couple of years.
The girls had been gone for just half an hour when the front doorbell rang. I looked out through a window and the old sick feeling started again. It was Pop Mancini.
CHAPTER 16
I opened the door, and once again the world of baseball entered my life.
âTrip!â Pop said when he saw me. He seemed surprised, but friendly. I explained that Iâd been visiting Lisa, and that she and Zoey had gone shopping.
âYou were wise to stay home,â he laughed. âTheyâll be hours.â
He looked at me for a minute and said, âSit with me by the pool. I think thereâs some lemonade in the fridge . . . Yep. Grab a couple of glasses.â
So we headed out to the patio. It was a gorgeous morning, cool for the summer. We didnât say anything for a few minutes. Then he said, âGreat game against the Miners.â
âYeah, it was.â
âI meant you. You played great.â
âThanks.â
âScott Harris told me youâre sort of tired of the game lately. That he wanted to give you a rest.â
âYes, sir.â
âApparently not what your dad had in mind.â
âNo, sir.â
âWell, he talked to some of us about it. Said heâd pull his money out of the team if Scott didnât put you in the lineup.â
âI heard that, sir.â
âCall me Pop. You know, we kind of laughed at him. I mean heâs very generous, but several of us have means.â
âSo the season wouldnât end if he . . .â
âOh no. I think Scott was worried about that for a while. But weâre all interested in keeping the Runners going.â He looked at me. âAnd in taking care of our players.â He paused a few seconds.
âAnyway, I talked to Coach this morning and told him to do what he thinks is best.â
âDad will freak if I donât play.â
âTrip, I know youâre the one who has to deal with him, but his âfreakingâ wonât affect the Roadrunners. And the Roadrunners do need youâyouâre a great player. But we need you healthy. Anyway, your dad wonât know until Coach actually benches you. Right now heâs assuming heâs won, that youâll be in the lineup.â
His cell phone rang. âExcuse me,â he said, and then, âYeah, itâs not locked. Come on in.â
A minute later the door to the patio opened and in came Wash.
âHey Trip!â Wash said. âThought weâd have little chat about your situation.â
I looked at Pop. âYou knew I was here?â
He smiled. âA friend of yours told me.â
Lisa!
Wash tells stories, and of course he had one relating to my predicament.
âTrip, I played on a team with a guyâfantastic, could have made the MLB. And he loved baseball when he played. Who doesnât love doing something theyâre terrific at? But he had different plans for his life. He went to law school, and now heâs in St. Louis defending people who canât afford a lawyer. Heâs happy with the past and happy with the present because he did the job he wanted to do when he wanted to do it. Once it
Learning to Kill: Stories