Page 39 of The Third Baseman

And it was anyone’s guess how much longer I’d be able to hold out.

6

MARNIE

Fourteen years ago – January

The concealer I’d rubbed in was doing nothing to hide the purplish circles under my eyes so I gave up trying, then pulled my hair back into my standard, boring ponytail. I didn’t have time for anything else. I was already running late as it was.

The photography lab was always busy before the school bell went off, and I wanted to get these pictures printed out. Along with my tiredness, they were evidence of me staying up way too late, but the Milky Way was in full force last night, and I couldn’t stop watching it.

I’d gotten some amazing shots.

“Mom, see you later!” I shouted to her while running down the stairs, gasping loudly as I jumped off the bottom step. “Whoa, jeez, Mom.”

I turned back around and looked up the stairs. I could have sworn she’d been in her bathroom, but no, she was in front of me, appearing out of nowhere in a way that only moms could do.

“Marnie, there’s no need to yell. I’m right here,” she said quietly and pointedly.

“Yeah, you made me jump.”

“Have you had any breakfast?” she continued with a raised eyebrow which meant she knew I hadn’t.

“No, I don’t have time for breakfast. I’m late,” I inched toward the door.

“Here.” She thrust out a packet of foil. “It’s a good job I made you some waffles to take on the way then, isn’t it?”

I paused my exit, “Are they banana ones?”

“Yes,” she nodded.

I leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Thank you, Mom. Love you, I’ll see you later.”

“Have a good day. Try not to fall asleep at your desk.” She pinned me with a look that told me I had definitely not gotten away with being on the roof most of the night. “Don’t forget Daddy and I are out tonight, so you and Will need to fend for yourself.”

“Money for pizza?” I fluttered my eyelashes at her, which won me an eye roll and an affirmative nod. “Oh, you’re the best, Mom. Bye.”

I looped my arms through my backpack and heaved it onto my shoulders while trying not to topple over. After I’d dropped all my books last week, I’d stolen my brother’s old school backpack.

It was clunky and ugly, but I guess it solved a problem.

Slamming the front door shut, I headed down the path in the front yard, and took off on my usual route to school.

What a strange day that had been. Not to mention Jupiter Reeves.THEJupiter Reeves spoke to me. Actually, he did more than speak to me. He gave me a ride home – in his truck.

Jupiter Reeves gave me a ride home in his truck.

When I’d walked in the front door, I’d sneaked a look out of the window and he’d still been sitting in it outside my house. I waited thirty seconds before he drove off, then ran upstairs and wrote it all down in my journal, just in case I forgot.

Not that it was likely that would ever happen.

And I don’t know what he did after he got home, because later that evening I had a message from Josh Ridley with a very profuse apology forbehaving like a total dick,as he put it, insisting he would never behave like that again, and would turn up to all his allotted tutoring sessions if I took him back.

I was going to reply, but when I got to school the next day, he’d already been assigned to someone else. And I had a funny feeling that was also to do with Jupiter Reeves.

So, yeah, weird day, and I’ve had a fair share of those.

I kept it to myself. If I had anyone to tell, no one would believe me anyway. I mean, I had people to tell, Lena and Byron – my Astro study buddies – but given they didn’t know who Jupiter Reeves was it would fall on deaf ears anyway. And as I hadn’t seen him since, I was beginning to wonder if maybe I did imagine it.

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