Strikeout in the Spotlight

The cafeteria hummed with lunchtime chaos, but I couldn't focus on my food. Not with Jordan sitting three tables away, looking perfect as always.

"You're staring again," Maya whispered, sliding into the seat opposite me. "It's creepy, dude. Just talk to them."

"I can't!" I hissed back, gesturing helplessly at my tray. "I literally have spinach in my braces from lunch yesterday. This is not the moment."

Maya rolled her eyes so hard I worried they'd get stuck. "You're dramatic. Anyway, baseball tryouts are Friday. You going?"

"Maybe?" I poked at my food. "But what if I suck? Everyone would watch. Jordan would watch."

Outside, the sky chose that moment to crack open. Lightning flashed across the windows in jagged white streaks, making half the cafeteria jump.

"See?" I pointed at the ceiling with my fork. "Even the weather's judging me."

That's when it happened. Jordan stood up and started walking toward my table.

My heart did that thing where it forgets how to work. I grabbed my milk—why did I grab my milk?—and tried to look casual. But someone had bumped my backpack, and my carnival prize goldfish bowl from last summer's fair tilted.

Time moved in slow motion. The bowl wobbled. My hand knocked it trying to save it. Water everywhere.

Jordan stopped. stared. The entire cafeteria went silent.

Then Jordan started laughing. Not mean laughing. Real laughing, bent over, gasping-for-breath laughing.

"That was the most dramatic thing I've ever seen," Jordan said, stepping over the puddle. "You looked like you'd just seen a ghost."

"My goldfish!" I protested weakly.

"We'll get them water," Jordan said, like this was totally normal. "Hey, you doing baseball tryouts Friday?"

I blinked. Jordan knew I played baseball?

"I—yeah. If I don't choke."

"You won't," Jordan said, grabbing a napkin to help with the water. "You've got good form. I watch from the bleachers sometimes."

My face burned. Jordan watched me practice?

"So," Jordan continued, totally calm while I was internally screaming, "want to practice together? Since we're both going for the team?"

"Yeah," I managed. "That'd be... actually really nice."

Maya was vibrating with suppressed excitement across from me. I couldn't help it—I started laughing too.

Sometimes life hits you like a baseball to the face. But sometimes, just sometimes, you get a story out of it.

Even if it involves spinach, lightning, and a goldfish named Kevin.