Free Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally Page B

decided. Laura would’ve made me feel guilty for accepting. Besides, I always put my friendships first.
    Funny how Laura didn’t return the gesture when I needed her more than anything. Are you there for me, God? Are you putting me first? Or is something else way more important in your eyes?
    Written at the breakfast table on February 16. Burned.
    •••
    Call me presumptuous, but I bring my cleats and workout clothes to school. I don’t have any softball pants or jerseys that fit this 110-pound frame. I’ll have to buy new stuff.
    I blow out air before knocking on Coach Lynn’s office.
    “Come in,” she says.
    I open the door and step inside, and she beams.
    “I can’t wait to tell Coach Burns I’m stealing you,” she says with a smile, touching her swollen stomach.
    Late that afternoon, I accompany her out to the field, and when my cleats sink into the clay I suck on my bottom lip to stop myself from grinning like a crazy person. I gaze up at the lights, which are already blazing because the sun is beginning to set. The boys have just finished up their practice, and I wave at Drew, who gives me a thumbs up.
    “Noooo, Parker, don’t leave us!” Corndog yells, getting down on his knees and clasping his hands like he’s praying. “I need you! Who’s going to take care of my cup?”
    I flip him the bird down low, making him laugh. Then a bunch of the guys get down on their knees and start begging me to come back to them, and I’m laughing and playing with my tangly ponytail, to calm my nerves.
    Brian swings his bat in circles, raising his eyebrows, glancing from the boys to me.
    The softball team has already gathered by the dugout. They’re watching the baseball boys act like idiots, and envy flickers on their faces. A volcano erupts in Laura’s eyes.
    “Before we talk to the team,” Coach Lynn says, “do you want to tell me why you quit in the first place?”
    “Well, um, it was family problems and some issues with friends…” I feel my face burning up.
    “I figure it must’ve been pretty serious.”
    “It was.”
    Coach Lynn nods and touches my shoulder. She leaves it at that, and I’m grateful. But it turns out she doesn’t even need to tell the team. The minute I look at Laura, she lets out this whimper-scream-yelp thing that sounds like a puppy caught in a trap.
    “Coach! No way!” Laura says, shaking her head like crazy.
    Coach Lynn ignores Laura and looks from girl to girl. Some of them I know. Some of them I don’t. Some of them I used to share clothes and Animal Crackers with.
    “Parker Shelton’s decided she wants to join the team this season. We’ll see how she does in practice tonight and go from there in terms of choosing her position and where she’ll bat in the lineup. But I imagine we’ll try to put her at third.”
    “But, Coach, this isn’t fair!” Laura whines. “We’ve been working out all winter, and practices have already started, and she just gets to waltz in and take over third base?” My former best friend looks like she might cry. Allie pats Laura’s back and nods vehemently at the coach.
    “It is fair,” Coach Lynn replies, checking her watch. “I’m the coach, I make the decisions, and as captain, I hope you’ll welcome Parker back, Laura.”
    Laura pounds her fist into her glove and bites her lip. I bet she’s thinking: if Parker rejoins the team, I won’t be the best player anymore, and I have to be the center of everything or I’ll just die.
    Some of the girls look at Laura with sympathy, but I notice a few girls rolling their eyes. I sort of want to tell them to stop, because our friendship was once good, and deep down, I still care about her.
    Freshman year, one of our favorite things to do was to go tanning in her backyard. Then one day her dad, Brother John, decided to plant an apple tree right in the middle of our spot. Fourth of July was coming up, and Laura’s older brothers had been stockpiling fireworks. We stole some in an attempt