The Hitting Zone-Chapter 16: Trouble (1)

Noah was oblivious to what was behind him. He just kept up with the nonsensical chatter which I couldn't hear too clearly over the sound of bats connecting with baseballs from the other cages.

"Are you done?" The guy I ran into before suddenly spoke, making Noah jump.

He turned around, and had to look up at the guy and his friends. "Uh. Can I help you?"

The guys friend on the end, with a nearly bald head, crossed his arms in front of his chest. Making his arms look like they belong on a weightlifter. "Your friend is holding up the cage. Is he just going to stand there all day or will he let others have a go?"

Noah glanced back at me as I stood still as a statue. "Jake? Do you want a break or something?"

Or something is right. I nodded. I wanted these big guys to stop staring me down. It's intimidating. I forced my feet to move and I slipped out of the cage, keeping my distance from the big four as best as I could.

Noah gave them a wave as if presenting the cage. "Sorry for the holdup." He left them and joined me where I stood a few yards away. "You okay, Jake? You're acting funny." He thought for a second. "Well. Even more unusual than usual."

I looked down at my running shoes that were brand new from yesterday's shopping spree. "Intimidating." I mumbled.

"Wow. Five syllables. I'm impressed." I looked up to glare at him. He just laughed and patted my shoulder. "Don't worry. They won't hit you. They can't really. The old man would kick them out indefinitely and then where would they go?"

I gave it some thought. It sounded true. Normal people wouldn't just go around hitting others. I took a deep breath and let some tension out.

"Just look at them." Noah pointed to the cage with a smirk. "You would totally own them in there. And they're even older than us. That really says a lot about you."

Noah's voice carried his comments to three of the four guys. Two of them looked at one another, communicating without words. The third turned all the way to stare us down.

I flinched, and tried to shift my body behind Noah, but he wasn't having it. He threw an arm around my shoulders, keeping me at his side. "Look pass them and into the cage. Mr. Tall and Buff has already missed two, fouled three, and hit three. Ok four fouls now."

I cringed at his narrating, not even daring to look. I kept my eyes on my shoes, praying Noah would lose interest and we could move on.

"Foul. Foul. Foul." Noah told me about the rest of his pitches. "Wow. Lame. Seven fouls. Three hits. And two misses. He's not even close to your level."

I wish I could be invisible. Why isn't this over yet? The guy has already finished his token so we should definitely leave now.

"You got something to say brat?" A pair of shoes came into my line of sight and I feel ten seconds away from fainting in fright. Noah basically summoned a demon before us.

I glanced up and it was the bald guy. Great. The scariest looking one. I nudged Noah, trying to move us away from this potential fight.

But Noah stayed firm. In fact, he merely scoffed at the baldy. "What's there to say? I was just telling my friend what was happening in the cage since he couldn't see clearly."

I didn't dare to look up at the baldy. "Brat. You trying to say you can do better."

"Nope. Not at all. But my friend can. In fact, he could do it left-handed."

Oh god. If you exist, please make me disappear.