Page 45 of The Perfect Game

I glanced around, surprised to see not only Kate and Penny, but several of the baseball guys. Even most of my volleyball team had shown up. But as I scanned the room, there was no sign of my tall pitcher boyfriend.

“Uh, thank you all. I had no idea you’d planned all this.” I glanced at my friends, smiling wide. This was my first surprise party, and it was just as amazing as I’d always pictured. After thanking a bunch of people, I stared at Penny, hoping she’d be able to communicate the reason my boyfriend was missing across a room full of people.

She gave me a sad smile and a shake of the head like she didn’t know what had happened with him.

Kate ushered everyone to the upstairs bonus room where music was playing and a bunch of food and games were set out in the large space.

Brynn, Kate, and Penny surrounded me. “You look amazing, Serena,” Kate said. “I need to borrow that shirt for school.”

I leaned closer to Penny and whispered in her ear, “Where’s Ben?”

“I don’t know,” she said, her voice a little louder. “I told him we were doing this tonight, and he said he’d be here.”

I turned to survey the room, wondering if anyone could hear her over the loud music blaring from the speaker system overhead.

“I talked to him on Tuesday night about the party. I told him I’d pick you up a gift for him to give you since he wouldn’t have much time coming back from camp, but I never heard from him after that.

“Okay, let me call him.” I pulled out my phone, walking down a hallway in the hopes of finding a quieter spot to be able to hear. I dialed the number on my main screen, listening to it ring several times before going to voicemail. I texted him, worried he’d gotten into an accident or had some other injury.

Brynn hooked her arm through mine. “Let’s just enjoy tonight. I’m sure he has an explanation.”

I stared down at the black screen on my phone, wishing it would light up and have his name as the caller. “I hope so.”

I liked him way more than I wanted to admit, and each time I thought about it, the worries increased. My feelings for him were lightyears beyond what I’d felt for the other guys I’d dated, which had been more of just a physical attraction than anything else. Ben was relatable and funny, and when he wasn’t too stressed about baseball, he treated me like I was the only girl in the world.

I hoped he was all right and there was a good reason for him not being there, because I didn’t think I could bear it if he fit into the same category as my parents.

Twenty-Eight

Ben

I swatted at a mosquito near my face and leaned forward, squinting to see the catcher’s signals behind the plate. It was the last day of the camp, and I’d learned so much in the few days I’d been there. The lights shone down on the field, making the navy-blue sky look black. The stands were filled with over thirty different college coaches, armed with radar guns, tablets, and notebooks.

I had to focus on the next pitch and not let my mind panic over what they might be writing down. It wasn’t necessarily all about me, with thirty-nine other players at the camp.

The catcher flashed me the sign for a fastball on the outside corner. I glanced at the batter, taking in his stride, how far away his feet were from the plate, where his hands rested on his shoulder.

I nodded, bringing the ball into my glove. I strode forward, throwing the ball to where the catcher didn’t even have to move. I made a small fist pump, not wanting to show too much emotion with the batter still at the plate.

The next pitch was a slider, moving out of range of a strike. The next one was another fastball, this time on the inside corner. As soon as I let go of the ball, I wanted it back, knowing my shoulder had rotated farther than it was supposed to and the ball was headed right for the middle of the plate.

The ping of the ball hitting the bat caused my heart to sink, and I turned to watch it sail over the fence. The batter rounded the bases with his arms high, and I was just ready to go home. I glanced up into the stands where most of the coaches had their heads buried, writing whatever it was they needed to remember.

The kid playing catcher jogged out to me with a new ball from the umpire. “Hey, you’re good. Just settle down. Hit your spots. We’ll win them with offense.” He tossed the ball into my glove and looked at me until I nodded.

“Yeah,” I mumbled. I needed to keep my focus. Hit those spots I’d spent so much time throwing to so I could get out of this inning.

“Just throw like you’ve been throwing this whole week. There’s no surprise here.” He jogged backward a few steps and turned around to sprint behind the plate.

The word “surprise” triggered Penny’s voice from her call the other night. “We’re throwing Serena a surprise party on Friday.”

I closed my eyes, shame washing over me. I was missing the surprise party, and I hadn’t even contacted her today to tell her happy birthday. With the camp beginning around seven in the morning and not finishing until after nine for the last four days, I’d been exhausted and hadn’t even called my mom, just sending her a text that I was still alive.

The schedule had said we’d be done with the camp by four, but some of the guys who’d been there before said there was always a big scrimmage the last day, and that was the best chance to be looked at by college coaches.

Blinking a few times, I saw the signal and threw the next pitch, the ball landing in the dirt a few feet in front of the plate. The catcher moved enough to block it with his chest protector, but I knew that things were already spiraling out of control.

Three pitches later, the guy who was in charge of the pitchers walked over and pulled me out, trying to tell me good job. I tuned it out, feeling the failure in every part of my body. I’d not only failed at getting attention from scouts, but I’d failed my girlfriend by not showing up when she needed it.

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