Page 7 of Totally Fanatic

“No, not a poly thing. I’m struggling to find one good guy to date, I can’t imagine how I would find two.”

“They have apps for that, too. You just have to filter your search.”

“How do you… never mind. Anyway, it was a bust, so I am now free for dinner. How about we grab something from the bodega, a bottle of wine and watch Bake Off?”

“Okay.”

While Mary Beth heads into the bodega to grab our food, I bring up my socials and skim the feeds for mentions of Tim. There is only one shot of him on his own. His first catch slidingacross the grass on his knees, a look of sheer determination on his face. Better than the last shot of the teams shaking hands afterward. I zoom in, and his smile is still there, but it’s forced, he’s disappointed in the loss. But it was a close game. He played great. He has to know that, doesn’t he?

I flick through my photos from tonight, looking for great ones to share online. There are plenty to choose from. I’ve got close-ups and wide shots of Tim that I took from my seat, and the ones I got when I was on my way back from the bathroom, and then there are the extra shots I got from against the fence when he was dancing with the team just before the ninth inning. I start uploading a different one to each of my logins with boastful captions about how great he was. I’m sure to jump in and heart and like the other posts I throw up to boost them, too. The Tim and Banana Ball fans do the rest, and by the time Mary Beth comes back to the car, Tim has liked and commented on two of them, too.

***

Game two, and tonight, it’s Animal Control versus one of the OG’s. That’s another thing I love about Banana Ball. They always play a few games in a row in each city. Savannah gets four this year before they move along to Jacksonville. It’s only about a two-hour train journey, so I don’t need to take any time off work to go to all three games being held there. The same for the next week at Charleston. They’re back in Savannah after that for a week, but then they move onto Tampa, and it will take eight hours to get there, so I’ve already booked a B&B for the three nights. Actually, Mouse booked it. She booked the whole season for me, train tickets, flights, accommodation, it’s all sorted. Big sisters are the best.

Tim isn’t playing tonight, but he’s still performing. They all do, and one of the best parts about being here on a night where Tim doesn’t play is that he gets to spend way more time in the crowd with the fans. Too bad my seats aren’t on the far side, because that’s where Tim is right now with Calvin Parks. They’re sitting on the stairs together watching the game and chatting to the right fielder, Arthur Green. He keeps looking back at them. Are they trying to distract him? No, Tim wouldn’t do that. It must be Calvin.

Gordon steps onto the mound. He’s on fire tonight, three hitters have already been sent packing without a single run. He sends the ball, and Ferris Sagon’s bat clips it, sending it high into right field where Arthur Green is thankfully paying attention. Arthur jumps, spins in a full circle, then catches the ball behind his back. An awesome trick play. The crowd erupts. Tim is on his feet immediately cheering and so am I.

I bring out my phone and take a few shots zoomed in on Arthur celebrating with Tim and Calvin cheering behind him in the stands. I crop the perfect shot. Tim’s got both hands raised in the air in fists, cheering with his whole heart, Calvin’s clapping, and Arthur is doing his celebration wiggle. I add the pic to a social post, add the caption:Tim at it again, showing us what a real friend is. #Celebrateyourmatesand hit post. Tim started that tag after he posted a clip the year before, when Tony Parks first home run. His brother Calvin is on Tim’s team, but that didn’t stop him boasting about how amazing it was. He even paired the post with a photo of him cheering as Tony jogged around the bases, waving at fans.

Mouse is beside me clapping and cheering, though she doesn’t have a favorite team or player. She’s never been to a game before, not until now. Mary Beth couldn’t come and because my pass is for two tickets, I didn’t want the extra seat to go to waste.

“I can see why you love this sport, it’s actually pretty fun,” Mouse says, sitting. “Can they all do that?”

“Do what?”

“Catch the ball behind their backs?”

“I don’t know. I’ve seen Tim do it a few times.”

“Ohh, right, he’s your favorite. Which one is Tim?”

“He’s in the stands over there,” I say, pointing across the field.

“He’s not playing?”

“Not tonight, he played last night.”

“Oh, okay. So, who is the best player tonight?”

“Tim.”

“You just said he isn’t playing.”

“He’s still the best, even if he isn’t on the field.”

She shakes her head. “I’ll give it to you, baby bro, you’re devoted.”

“It’s not devotion. He really is the best, look,” I say, passing my phone over for her to see the post I just made. “He’s supporting his friends when they play, too. He doesn’t just think of himself all the time.”

“Which one is Tim?”

“The cute one.”

“They’re both cute.”

“Calvin isn’t cute. He’s… a twin.”

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