516 Jeremy’s Visit 3 (1/2)

\”Do you...get picked on? At school?\” Jeremy asked.

\”Not with me around.\” Noah puffed out his chest.

\”It's just normal school stuff.\” I told him. With a few exceptions. \”It's not because of you.\”

\”Then why?\” He stood up. \”You're quiet and a good ball player. There shouldn't be any problems.\”

I blushed.

\”He's a freshman on the varsity team.\” Noah rolled his eyes. \”There's bound to be a player or two that disagrees.\”

\”But, he's so good.\” Jeremy complimented me further, making my face feel like it was on fire. \”I saw Monday's game. Jake, I was impressed. You can hit from both side with such fluid motions. I really wanted to ask, how?\”

\”Practice.\” I muttered, looking away.

\”Jake hasn't played on any teams, just in batting cages.\” Noah explained what he knew. \”So in the beginning, a lot of players were mad that he sucked at everything else. His batting was his only redeeming quality.\” I poked him, feeling angry. \”What?? I said 'was'. Now you can field and turn double plays without getting scared.\”

\”You can go for another round.\” I pushed Noah to the cages.

\”Okayyy.\” Noah slowly left after grabbing a few tokens.

It was just me and Jeremy. I sat down and so did he. \”Mom didn't like me playing baseball. Watching baseball. Thinking about baseball.\” I explained. \”I knew it reminded her of you guys.\”

\”Then...how?\” Jeremy asked.

\”I felt closer to you and Dad. I remembered little things here and there. There was a bat I would use at the middle school. A coach there would let me play in the batting cages even though I couldn't get a parent's permission to play on the team. He was very nice.\” I reminisced a little.

\”The reason she....did what she did, with a bat...was it because..?\” Jeremy gulped.

\”She found the bat I was using. It just set her off.\” I squinted in the distance, trying to stop the stinging in my eyes. \”I remember being in pain. A lot of strangers. And...an empty feeling.\”

\”Jake.\” Jeremy said my name with such pain, it made me look his way. \”Just do you know...if I could go back and change things, I would. No matter how tough it would have been.\”

I looked away, feeling shy. \”It's okay. This life isn't so bad. I like where I ended up.\”

\”I heard you spent a lot of time at the hospital after-ya know-last year.\”

I tensed up. \”I don't remember much of that either to be honest. I didn't like it there. I felt alone, yet there were so many people coming in and out.\” I shivered.

\”Sorry.\” He said. \”There's not much I can do now. But. If you are getting picked on at school, let me know. I'll make a visit. I know what it's like to be bullied.\”

\”You do..?\” I asked, surprised. Then realized. \”You mean...by Mom?\”

I nodded. I got that. There would be the occasional kid that picked on me for having no parents around in elementary school.

\”I had to stand up for myself to make it stop.\” He looked me in the eyes. \”I can see how you feel protected with Noah around, but he won't always be there for you. If you're being picked on, don't be afraid to fight back.\”

A loud snort signaled Noah's return. \”What an adult you are. Practically telling kids it's okay to fight. You know nothing. I'll always be around to defend Jake.\” He glanced at me. \”Plus. Jake would never fight. Ever. He doesn't even like it when I slide hard into second base or home plate. Whenever there's a chance for contact, that's a no-go for him.\” He pointed at Jeremy. \”What did I say in the beginning?\”

\”Fear. Of. Violence.\” Noah repeated himself, stating each word firmly.