Page 38 of Totally Fanatic

LION: How was training? Are you psyched for another amazing game this weekend?

TIM: I couldn’t seem to connect with the ball today at batting practice. I’m not sure what’s wrong. Maybe that home run was a one-off, never to happen again. Like what they say about lightning never hitting the same place twice. That’s how people will describe my ability to bat.

LION: You’re probably just tired. Sleeping in hotel rooms can’t be easy. I’ll have the Bed and Breakfast in Houston you can come stay at before the game. It has a huge king bed and a spa bath. You probably just need to rest.

TIM: Maybe. I don’t think I’ve ever played this bad. They’ll probably replace me this weekend, and I wouldn’t blame them. There was a reporter at training today doing interviews, too. They weren’t impressed either.

LION: You are an amazing baseball player, they won’t replace you. They know how awesome you are. Remember last year when your whole team couldn’t hit off the OG’s fast ball, you stepped up there and on the second swing clipped the ball.

TIM: It didn’t even go far enough to get me to first base.

LION: But it showed your whole team that no matter how fast they were, you could still hit them. The Monkeys and Animal Control all cheered for you, remember? The crowd, too. It was awesome seeing the OG’s faces. I think there was a picture I posted when it happened. I’ll find it and send it to you. Don’t worry, today was just an off day. You’ll be hitting every ball that comes down the line at you tomorrow, just wait and see.

TIM: Maybe.

LION: No maybe about it. I told you that you were going to hit that home run, didn’t I?

TIM: Yeah, you did. I still can’t believe that happened. I still think maybe I’m just not good enough for this.

LION: Believe it. And believe me when I tell you that tomorrow you are going to be on fire. You will smack every ball they throw at you deep into the field. You are amazing,Tim, really. You are always more than good enough. You are everything!

TIM: Thanks, Lion. I really needed this. You have no idea. I miss you out here. What time do you get here on Friday?

LION: Just before the game starts, but I’ll be there, cheering for you like always, and then after the game, when you kick their asses, you can have mine.

TIM: Is that a promise?

LION: It’s yours whenever you want it.

TIM: Deal. See you Friday.

I scroll through the images on my phone, looking for the one I was telling Tim about. When no one thought they were going to be able to rival the OG’s and then here Tim was, this blond-haired, wide-smiling Aussie strutting into the box like it was his, and when that ball went flying across the grass, the game of Banana Ball changed forever because the new guys finally knew they stood a chance. Tim did that. Now I just need to remind him.

Thankfully, my photos app stores all my images in years, then months or I might have never found it amongst the ten-thousand pictures currently on here.

But I do find it, and I text it right off to him.

LION: Never forget you changed the world of Banana Ball forever. You did that.

I head home, King greeting me with his stoic glare.

“I know I’m later than I said I would be. I’m sorry,” I say, dropping my keys in the bowl by the framed vet card signed by Tim and heading into the kitchen to grab theKitty-Cream. “How about a treat?” I offer, and when the refrigerator door opens, thesound draws Chip and Reynolds out, too. They aren’t as patient as King, weaving in between my legs, rubbing against me as I try to walk to their bowls.

“Where is your brother?” I ask, looking at King. He turns up his nose in reply.

“You are supposed to be keeping an eye on him, you know he’s still young and doesn’t make the best choices.” King meows, and a moment later Daffin pops his head through the open window.

“Thank you. Daffin, where have you been? You know that you should be inside before it’s dark.”

I walk over and close the window, and King moves to sit beside his purple bowl, the one that’s just for him and meows again.

“Okay, but next time, you make sure he’s home before I am or I’ll have to stop leaving the window open.”

Daffin must hear me and nudges my arm as I pour theKitty-Creaminto King’s bowl, making it spill over King’s paws.

“Now look what you did,” I scold as King flicks his paws, sending a spattering of droplets across the floor. Daffin and Chip seem quite pleased by this and immediately start lapping the drops up.

At least with them distracted I can finish topping off King’s bowl while he licks himself clean, then I add a good amount to the shared bowl for the other three. Reynolds, the most patient of them all, finally stops circling my feet and sits to drink.

---