Parking & Third Base

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~ Parking & Third Base ~

~¤°*°*°*°¤~

Since my car was fixed, I thought it was only fair for me to drive everyone to the park. Yvee sat up front with me and the boys squeezed into the backseats, which somehow led to Theo being squished in the middle.

I could see his scowling face in my rearview mirror and grinned at him when he looked up into it. He winked at me and his features softened, but it didn't last because he got jabbed by Eli's elbow and shoved by Jarod when they buckled their seatbelts.

"It's a short trip," I assured Theo, and the others too when his glare caused them to scootch closer to their doors and farther from him.

"Oh! Can we go get your guitar, Jarod?" Yvee twisted in her seat to flutter her lashes. "Please? I want to work on the song."

Jarod rolled his eyes, but he still agreed to do it, "Fine."

Eli asked, "Are you guys writing a song?"

Jarod gave a short laugh and said, "No, she's trying to learn a K-Pop song and she forces me to teach her."

"I don't force you! You just can't stand my poor pronunciation and have taken it upon yourself to correct me," Yvee smirked.

He slouched back into his seat, unable to deny the truth.

It was a simple detour, since Jarod lived so close to my house. When we pulled up to his place, he ran in and came back out a minute later with an acoustic guitar case. Yvette and I had bought him some stickers to cover the case when he got the guitar as a present from his parents, but he only ever used one of them. That was why there was a single Batman logo sticker on the front bottom corner of the black case.

I hadn't heard him play in a while due to how busy I was, so I was excited hear him again. He couldn't sing a note, but he was amazing with the stringed instrument. His playing paired nicely with Yvette's singing and even though he liked to complain, it was obvious to me how much he enjoyed it. Whenever he played without the accompaniment of her voice, he would look bored. Yet when they were together, he would strum with more enthusiasm. He would smile when she got a part right or hit a note perfectly, then he would laugh at her if she messed up the words.

I wondered if Yvette noticed anything other him laughing at her, but I was doubtful of it. She typically got mad at him for making fun of her and blamed it on him or she was too busy singing to see his soft smiles. I had a feeling we would be seeing some of that while we were at the park, so no matter what it was bound to be fun.

When we got to the park, we searched for a vacant picnic table where we could sit. The pond was on the other side of the park and so was the playground. Since there were a lot of people over there, we found a spot near the softball field where a few boys were playing a game. None of them looked familiar so I assumed they were from a neighboring high school. Some people were sitting around the area watching, but the only one near us was a girl about our age sitting against a tree.

Absorbed in the pages of a book, she was either oblivious or really good at ignoring the game and their distracting shouts and cheers. She spared us a glance when we sat down a few feet away. I smiled politely at her and hoped that we wouldn't bother her too much. Then Eli had to ruin it.

"A rare sighting of a gorgeous bookworm out of her habitat," Eli commented quietly. "It would be ungentlemanly not to introduce myself. Excuse me, friends."

Eli made his way over and sat down beside her, just the right amount of distance to not creep her out but still managing to be intimate. Then he smiled, showing off his adorable dimples. Her lips turned down at his unwanted presence.

"Hello, pretty girl."

She furrowed her brows, looking at her attire and back at him like he was crazy. She was wearing torn and faded jeans and a loose t-shirt knotted at the bottom. Her long hair was in a side braid with wisps framing her face. She wore minimal makeup, but she didn't need it anyway because of her natural beauty.

She responded with an uncertain, "Hi?"

We all watched him try to charm her, but he wasn't doing so well for once. At least he was smart enough not to use his A.F Smooth line on her. For the most part, she looked unimpressed and maybe a bit uncomfortable with the sudden attention. He finally said something right and made her laugh. She loosened up after that and started to talk to him, closing her book after ensuring the bookmark was in place.

The rest of us lost interest for a couple of minutes because it wasn't so entertaining when she didn't reject him.

While Jarod got to work tuning his guitar, Theo asked us, "So exactly are we gonna do here? Just chill?"

"And feed the ducks!" I chirped, holding up a bag of chopped kale that I brought from home. After learning that bread wasn't the best for them, I looked up healthier alternatives to feed them whenever I came to the park.

Yvee and Jarod chuckled at me.

"What? They're cute. The way they walk and shake their fluffy butts..." I trailed off, feeling embarrassed under Theo's twinkling gaze.

He leaned over and whispered, "You're cuter."

I swatted him away when he playfully nipped my earlobe.

Jarod's hand slipped, playing a sour chord that caught our attention. I looked at him and noticed his eyes following something arching in the air. Before I could turn around to see what it was, a loud thump sounded from where Eli and the girl were sitting.

A softball had hit the tree above Eli's head, ricocheting off of it and landing in the grass ahead of them.

"Sorry!" A voice yelled from the field. The boy jogged around the chain link barricade--which was apparently pretty useless--to retrieve the ball. He told Eli, "I'm used to playing baseball."

Eli looked up at the dent in the tree and pulled a piece of fallen bark out of his hair. He chuckled nervously, "No problem."

"Hey, Darling. Didn't see you there," the boy told the girl with a smirk. He had a hint of an accent that I couldn't quite place.

"Darla," she corrected with a bored tone. "You know my name, Enzo."

He shrugged, barely making eye contact with her. The two of them clearly had a history. Eli sensed it too because he stood up, clearing his throat.

The boy, Enzo, smiled at him but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Then he looked between Eli and us, "Any of you play? We got room for a few more."

Much to Yvee's disappointment, Jarod jumped up to join in the game. Wanting to break the tension he was in the center of, Eli agreed to play. Theo didn't seem all that interested, but he got up too.

"Ladies?" Enzo invited us, and I was curious if the other girl was included as well.

"Yeah, why not?" Yvette sighed and rose from the bench. "Just a fair warning. I will destroy you all, so don't take it easy or underestimate me." She walked towards the field like a boss, not waiting on the others.

"Abby, you coming?" Jarod asked me.

"Nope," I shook my head. I was terrible at sports and stayed far away from them. "You guys go ahead. I have some ducks to feed."

Theo gave me a 'You sure?' look, so I motioned with my hands for him to shoo. I was perfectly fine on my own and enjoyed the idea of peace and quiet for a little while. I glanced over at the girl to see if she was going with them, but she was back to having her nose in a book.

I picked up the bag of kale and followed the trail to the pond where there was a small wooden bridge that arched over the water. I crossed over it to the less crowded side and sat in the grass near the edge of the pond. A few ducks were close by on land, so I lightly tossed a few pieces to them. They quacked and began to eat. I did the same with a couple in the water and they wiggled their butts and swam to the food. There wasn't much in the bag, so when I ran out they all lost interest and waddled or swam away from me.

I stayed where I was for a while, enjoying the nice weather and sounds of nature. I loved my friends and being around people, but on a rare occasion it was nice to be alone. I wasn't alone very often, so I had to take the chance whenever I got it. I leaned back into the grass and watched the clouds until I started to doze off.

It was eventually ruined by a disgruntled babysitter or older sister yelling at a kid on the playground not far from me. When it became clear that it wasn't going to stop anytime soon, I decided to go back to the game to see who was winning. As I crossed over the bridge, I also crossed paths with someone I didn't expect to see on such a nice day.

"Crabby-Abby! Always a pleasure seeing you."

"Hi, Craig," I greeted and gave him an obligatory smile. "It's nice to see you too."

"Oh, come on," he grinned. "No need to lie when it's just the two of us."

"Out for a run?" I ignored him and continued to play nice. He was wearing workout clothes and had a layer of sweat on his skin. I knew he lived close to the park, but I never saw him in the area.

"Yeah, I got a late start today. I partied a little too hard last night," he explained as if I cared. "You're welcome to join me next time."

"That's sweet of you to offer." In some alternate reality where you're not an ass and I don't loathe you. I didn't say I would go, but I didn't refuse either. I made an art of coming up with vague responses to Craig.

He chuckled, "I know you hate me, Abby. I used to hate you too, after what you did to me."

I swallowed down the lump that instantly formed in my throat and looked away at his mention of the incident.

"I've grown to like you though. I mean," his eyes swept over me as he took a step closer, "you are gorgeous. And you used to be a snarky little brat, but now you're sweet and eager to please."

Clenching my jaw, I felt a sudden wave of anger and disgust, but I wouldn't take the bait. I was better than that, and he wasn't worth it. My mantra wasn't very useful in the current situation, but I tried anyway.

Sugar, no spice, all things nice.

"I bet if I told you to jump in the pond, you would do it."

Sugar, no spice, all things nice.

He leaned into my personal space and murmured, "Or if I told you to kiss me."

"That's not funny, Craig," I muttered, squeezing my fists to the point of feeling my nails digging into my palms. It was to prevent my hands from shaking in a combination of fear and rage.

"I'm not trying to be funny," he smiled as he noticed the cracks in my facade. His breath tickled my neck in a way that had me internally cringing. "I've been wanting a kiss from you for a while. And I think it's the least you can do after putting me in coma for two weeks. There's a scar on my head to remind me of it everyday."

"That was a long time ago," I reasoned bitterly. He was pushing me too far and that was exactly what he wanted.

"It's hard to forget though, isn't it?"

I didn't answer because he was right. That partially had to do with Craig's presence constantly reminding me of it, but I've also been unable to forgive myself for the accident I caused.

"My family suffered for two long weeks, wondering if I would ever wake up. I never asked, what did you do during that time? Were you miserable? Scared?"

"Yes," I admitted quietly as my eyes welled with tears.

"Good," he said. "But that's not enough for me. Maybe a kiss will be all I need to forgive you. A willing, passionate kiss from Little Miss Perfect. What do you think?" Then with a glance at my mouth, he added, "I bet your lips are sweeter than your personality."

"Abby!"

Craig stepped away from me as Theo came jogging up to us.

The second he saw my face, he wrapped his arm protectively around my waist. "Is there a problem here?"

Craig laughed. "Don't tell me," he motioned his finger between us," this is a thing? So what, are you her protector now?"

Theo's arm tightened around me as he pulled me closer. "I'm sure you already know from personal experience that Abby can take care of herself." He smirked and my eyes widened at his brazen implication. When I told him what happened, I never thought he would bring it up to Craig so casually. "I'm just her henchman, if she ever needs me."

I wasn't sure if I should be mad or flattered, but I was too shocked to care.

Craig didn't seem fazed by it. "Whatever you say, cuz. We both know you're all talk."

"Not when Abigail is involved."

At that, Craig's smile dropped. He and Theo had a short stare down before Theo decided we were done talking and steered me in the direction of our friends.

We started walking and Theo said over his shoulder, "See you later, cuz."

I shot a stunned look at Theo when there was enough distance from Craig. "You two are cousins?!"

"Did I forget to mention that?" Then he shrugged, "On my mom's side, but I don't like to claim him as family."

I nodded in understanding as I wiped away the unshed tears. I could not blame him for that at all.

He saw what I was doing and asked, "Are you ok? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"I'm better now and no, he didn't hurt me."

"If you want to talk about it," he started.

"I know," I said, but I wanted to move on from it. I didn't want Craig to turn a good day with Theo and our friends into a bad day. "So you didn't know your cousin was in a coma because of me?"

"Of course I knew about the coma, but all my parents and I were told was that he got into a fight. There were no specifics." As I was still processing the fact that he was related to that, he went on. "You're not upset about what I said back there, are you?"

I took my sweet time responding because he was worried about how I would react. "No, I'm not. Although I'd like to think of you as more than just my henchman."

"Oh, really?" He pulled us to a stop with his arm still around me.

I didn't answer as I grinned and slipped out from his grasp to walk ahead of him to our friends. When I reached the table, Jarod and Yvee were arguing about the song he was teaching her. Despite the fact that Jarod spoke fluent Korean, Yvette couldn't stand being wrong.

"You're saying 'you apologize,' not 'I apologize.' It changes the entire meaning of the lyrics."

"I can't help it. I mix up the Is and Yous."

"Neon paboya."

"Yeah?" She and I both knew he called her an idiot. "You're a sagwha," she said, using the word she just learned for the song.

Jarod groaned, rubbing his face in exasperation. "Now you're just calling me an apple."

"Well, you're a rotten one!"

Yvette's proud grin over her comeback and Jarod rolling his eyes with a hint of a smile implied that their fight wasn't serious. Then Jarod had to explain to her that the word was a homonym. Eli was sitting on the table beside them looking the slightest bit annoyed at their bickering. He was the first to notice our return and his expression morphed into relief that he wasn't alone with them anymore.

Yvette started to sing the verse again as Jarod strummed the guitar. When they finished the song, Jarod gave her a thumbs up and told her she did it right for once and put his guitar down. They made room for us to sit when they saw Theo and I standing by them.

I asked how the game went and everyone told me all about it. The team Yvette was on were the victors and she took all the credit since they weren't there to say otherwise.

"Wish you had played with us, Abby," Eli said. He had thrown in a joke about bases and later coughed to cover a laugh when third base was mentioned in the conversation. "I think that guy Enzo had it out for me because I flirted with his girl or something. It was entertaining for everyone else."

"That's been happening to you a lot lately," Theo commented under his breath as he weaved his fingers through mine, which caused Eli to smile my way and wink.

I shook my head at Eli and felt my face warming at Theo's unspoken declaration.

I'm his girl.

"You would not have wanted Abby playing with us," Yvee said, graciously continuing the conversation. "Abby is with sports as," she took a second to think of a comparison, "Theo is with cooking."

"Or Eli is with girls," Jarod added, giving another example that had all except Eli laughing.

~¤°*°*°*°¤~

Abby: That title was waaaaay misleading.

Theo: Agreed. I'm disappointed. I was hoping for some action.

Author: Teasing is half the fun though. And I would never write third base material.

Theo: Never say never.

Author: *ignores him* Second base maybe...but you guys are too innocent for that kind of action.

*somewhere in the distance a boy shouts about protecting innocence*

Abby: Who was that?

Theo: Some guy from some other book by the Author...?

Author: Ah yes, that lovable idiot. I miss him.

Abby: Didn't you miss us? You left us for a month!

Author: *slowly backs away, looking all kinds of guilty*

A/N: Ha, so that kinda sucked, but I was in a hurry to post this chapter and my mind just blanked. When in doubt, bring in a character from S&S.

Thank you for waiting for me, Sweeties. I'm sorry it took me so long, but things are better now and I should be getting back on schedule.

As I said on my board, I will have news soon! Keep an eye out for it. And you may get an early teaser within a few days if you follow me on Instagram. Or just check in, no pressure to follow; I rarely post, and it usually involves my pup or random stuff. Maybe that's why people realize their mistake and unfollow me, LOL. Seriously, I'm so terrible with social media...

Insta: wordsofazephyr

A note from me to you, my Sweeties (yes, you silent ones too):

¤*°Have a Pop Rockin' whatever day of the week you read this chapter!°*¤

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