621 V2 ch93 (2/2)

I hurried to get set. His mood had change. Did he want me to bat from the right side? His first pitch came...it was fast, but had movement. I held back from swinging, let the pitch go by.

”Ball.” Zeke decided.

Rhys threw his slider, but I didn't commit to swing, and his pitch missed the zone. He got a new baseball and got set again. He upped the speed, but the throw was the same. A slider. I held back.

”Strike.” Zeke stated. I guess it made it to the corner of the strike zone.

I pursued my lips. 1-1 count. Would he throw another slider?

Rhys grabbed a new ball and was set. He completed his motion and whipped his arm forward, revealing the ball in his hand. I started my swing, following through when the ball arrived at the plate. My hands shook as I completed the swing, sending the ball forward.

”Way to go, Jake!” Noah hollered. ”Rhys, you can't even beat Jake. How will you survive in college?”

Rhys looked genuinely confused as he stared at me. He glanced at his glove then back at me. Then, instead of grabbing another ball to start my third at-bat, he walked over to me.

I swallowed a lump, feeling slightly nervous at the sight of his face.

Rhys didn't look so good. ”Hey...am I tipping my pitches?”

??

I stared blankly at him.

”Don't be making excuses.” Noah told Rhys. ”Jake beat you fair and square.”

”I'm serious.” Rhys looked distressed. ”I know that Jake is good. I don't doubt that. But...it feels like he knows what I'm throwing.” He looked at me. ”Can you tell when I'm going to throw a slider or fastball?”

I nodded.

”What?!” He looked alarmed. ”How?? Is it something with my glove or is it the way I move?”

”It's your fingertips.” I told him.

Rhys looked stunned. ”Am I showing you the ball when I draw my arm back?”

”No. It's when you throw the pitch.” I told him.

”Explain.” Zeke demanded.

I turned so everyone can see me. I put my right hand forward. ”When Rhys throws a fastball, I see two fingertips. When I don't see it, I just assume it's a slider.” I scratched my head. ”I don't know if I can hit the slider so I decided to wait for the fastball.”

”So what would happen if I threw nothing but sliders?” Rhys asked.

I shrugged. ”If I had two strikes against me, I would do my best to foul them off until you showed a fastball.”

Rhys looked even more distressed. ”Are you even human? There's no way you're 14. You should be closer to Noah's level, not the pro level.”

I felt embarrassed. ”It's not a perfect system, but I tried to think of the different ways you moved when facing Zeke. Nothing but the fingers changed.” I shrugged. ”In a way...I feel like I'm cheating. I know I can hit the fastball, so that's what I hit.”

”That's not cheating!” Rhys told me. He put his hand on my hand and messed up my hair. ”You're a real prodigy. Did you just think of this??”

I nodded. ”You pitch faster than anyone I've seen.” I glanced up at him. ”And I felt like you really wanted me to bat righty. Like Zeke. But I don't know if I could still see your fingers clearly from the other side and time my swing.” I looked to Zeke. ”Is it easier to hit a slider from the left or right side?”

Zeke grinned. ”It doesn't matter if you can find the fastball instead.”