Dropped Third Strike (Portland Pioneers #1)

by Micah K. Chaplin

  Sam and Kathy Benjamin were certainly proud of their son’s athletic accomplishments, but they longed to see Reid earn a college degree. He knew it, and he felt an obligation to give them that since he’d been the reason neither of them had a degree. His parents’ educational journeys had been cut short when Kathy became pregnant during their junior year of high school. Thanks to night classes and help from their parents, they both finished high school, but medical bills from Reid’s premature arrival had eaten up every extra penny they had, eliminating their already dwindling post-secondary options. Both had worked hard to provide Reid a comfortable childhood, and a college degree would be the culmination of their dreams for him.

  But school didn’t come easily to Reid. He had to work twice as hard as many of his classmates to pull a low B average. Early in the fall semester of his senior year, Reid found himself struggling in pre-calculus. The first few assignments took him all night, and he completely bombed the first quiz. He knew he needed help. Badly. He stared at his quiz with a frown for most of the class period, barely noticing when the bell rang.

  Katie was in the same class, and since she was always watching Reid, she’d noticed his reaction to the quiz scores. Clearly, he hadn’t done well. The confidence she saw him exude on the field was not present in pre-calculus. She could only assume his prowess didn’t extend to math, which was one of her strongest subjects. When the bell rang, she hesitated only a few moments before doing something she’d never done before – she spoke to him.

  “That quiz was pretty killer, huh?” she said, coming up beside Reid as the classroom emptied into the hallway.

  “An average-killer for sure,” Reid grumbled, not even turning to see the source of the voice. “But someone must have done well, because I sure didn’t see any curve in my score. Even a curve wouldn’t have gotten me into passing range though.”

  Katie blushed and bit her lip a little. Reid shifted his glance to look at her in attempt to read her silence.

  “Let me guess - you got an ‘A,’” he said.

  Katie nodded shyly.

  “Math is pretty easy for me, I guess,” she said with a shrug. “I could help you if you want.”

  She was working hard to keep up a nonchalant exterior as her insides quivered with anxiety. Katie had never approached any guy in school, and now she was offering to tutor Reid Benjamin. She had been watching him on the baseball field and in the school hallways for almost three years. He was one of the hottest guys in school, and he wasn’t lacking in female admirers, most of whom were far less subtle than Katie Marks.

  “Really?” Reid asked. “I don’t know. I wouldn’t want to take up your time.”

  “It’s no big deal,” Katie said. “Meet me at the coffee shop after baseball practice tonight. We’ll get started on tomorrow’s assignment.”

  Not leaving him the option of telling her “no,” Katie walked away and disappeared into the crowd of students. Even as she left him behind, she could feel her heart pounding. It took the entire next class period for her to calm down, and as soon she did, she began questioning her offer. It was entirely possible that she had just made a fool of herself. Reid Benjamin was probably sharing the exchange with his buddies at this very moment and having a laugh at her expense.

  By the end of the school day, she’d convinced herself he wouldn’t show up for help. She was certain he’d laugh it off and steer clear of her for the rest of their high school careers. But just in case, she went to the coffee shop anyway. If nothing else, it was an excuse to get her favorite latte and a quiet place to get her other homework done.

  Even though she repeatedly told herself not to expect him, she looked up from her books whenever the bells on the door chimed. From her spot at a corner table, she had a clear view of the entrance. Her heart sank a little every time the new customer was not Reid Benjamin. Her history homework was largely neglected. It was hard concentrating on the women’s suffrage movement when she thought the school’s baseball star might be joining her at any moment.

  By seven o’clock, she’d decided he definitely wasn’t coming. Ignoring her unwarranted disappointment, she was finally able to zone in on her reading. It’s better this way anyway, she thought. At least she would get some homework done in peace and quiet, two things that were hard to come by at her house with four younger sisters who were constantly chattering or bickering.

  She was five pages in when she heard someone nearby clear his throat. She looked up and there he was – all 6’4”, 205 lbs. of him. (Well, that’s how the baseball program listed him, but Katie always suspected it was a tad generous.) For a few moments, Katie couldn’t speak. She could only look at him. His dusty blonde hair was still damp with sweat at the temples and his brownish eyes looked down at her with a bit of uncertainty, as though he wasn’t sure he should be there.

  “Hi Reid,” Katie finally spit out. “I wasn’t sure you were going to make it.”

  His shoulders appeared to slump in relief as he pulled out the chair next to hers and sat down.

  “Yeah, I was in the cages, and I lost track of time,” Reid said. “Sorry about that.”

  “It’s fine,” Katie said. “It gave me a chance to get some of my history reading done.”

  She closed the book and pulled out her pre-calc book and notebook. Reid quickly followed suit, retrieving a bottle of water as well. Katie watched as he took a drink and then opened his materials.

  “Alright, let’s get started,” Katie said, mentally shaking herself out of her reverie. She had offered to help him, not stare at him. She needed to deliver on her offer.

  “First, I need to ask you something,” Reid said. “And I feel stupid asking…but what’s your name?”

  She wasn’t at all surprised he didn’t know her name. Katie and Reid didn’t share any mutual friends, and although she hadn’t missed a single game in his high school baseball career, she knew she wasn’t on his radar.

  “Katie,” she said. “It’s Katie Marks.”

  “I’m sorry I even had to ask,” he said. “You must think I’m a jerk.”

  “Nah,” she said, shrugging. “Why would you know it? Pre-calc is the only class we have together, and Mrs. K doesn’t take roll.”

  “I still feel like kind of a tool,” Reid said. “On my way here, I hoped I would be able to recognize you since I didn’t know your name to ask for you.”

  “Well, you did,” Katie said, smiling a little. “And now you know my name. Let’s see if we can introduce you to pre-calc too.”

  Over the next few weeks, Katie and Reid spent three evenings out of every seven at that same table in the coffee shop. Occasionally, after they finished pre-calc, they would both linger to work on other assignments. Katie found herself looking forward to doing her homework, although she tended to still have plenty to do when she got home from the coffee shop. She had difficulty focusing with Reid around, but she wasn’t about to call an end to their study sessions. She enjoyed her time with him, knowing it probably wouldn’t last long. At least that’s what the realistic voice in her head told her. It was usually the loudest one. But that wasn’t always the case when it came to Reid.

  Katie felt butterflies every time he spotted her in the coffee shop and smiled as he headed her way. When their arms would accidentally brush, she felt a tingle run all the way up to her brain. She’d never experienced anything like it before. At 17, she’d had crushes before and even a few adolescent “relationships” at summer camp, but none of them had shaken her like this. Until Reid, she figured those sensations were made up for romance novels and movies. Now that she knew they were real, she hadn’t yet decided if she was better for the knowledge or not.

  Too often, she had to remind herself that she was just his tutor, and if it weren’t for pre-calc, he still wouldn’t know her name. He said “hi” to her in the hallways and gave her a thumbs-up gesture in pre-calc when he scored well on his assignments. But that was it. Even when they studied together, they didn’t talk about anythin
g but school. Yet she somehow still managed to cling to this tiny hope that he might start to feel the way she did. At times, she felt foolish for having that hope, but as long as she periodically gave herself a reality check, she was certain she could avoid getting hurt.

  After their next big test, Reid ran up to her in the hallway and gave her a hug. His warmth enveloped her and although it was only brief, it was enough to weaken her knees. Reality check shredded.

  “I got an ‘A’! You are amazing.”

  When he let her go, Katie smiled and adjusted her t-shirt, still reeling from the surprise of his action. She looked around to see if anyone had seen them embrace, but no one was paying attention.

  “That’s great,” she said. “But don’t give me all the credit. You worked hard.”

  “I know, but there’s no way I would have figured things out without your help,” Reid said. “We should get pizza or something to celebrate. How about Friday after I get done with practice?”

  “Sure,” Katie said easily.

  Meanwhile, her mind was racing.

  Did Reid Benjamin just ask me on a date?!

  “Great,” Reid said. “Let’s meet up at Valerio’s at seven. See you then.”

  He rushed off without another word, but that was okay with Katie. She wasn’t sure she could keep a smile off her face much longer and she didn’t want to look foolish in front of him. She wore a permanent grin for the rest of the day and on through Friday as she rushed home from school to get ready for her date with Reid.

  Dressed in a brand new shirt, her favorite jeans, and a pair of trendy boots, Katie arrived at Valerio’s a few minutes before seven. She looked around, but Reid wasn’t there yet. She went ahead and found a table, ordering water and looking over the menu as she waited. More than a few times, she checked her reflection in the silver napkin holder on the table. So far, her meticulous curls and makeup were holding up just fine. If only she could say the same about her nerves. As the huge clock opposite her ticked to seven and then to five after seven, she began to wonder if he’d forgotten – or worse, that he’d changed his mind.

  Finally, nearly 15 minutes later, as Katie was convincing herself to leave, Reid rushed in. Any anger or disappointment she had felt melted away when he spotted her and grinned.

  “Sorry I’m late,” he said. “Coach kept us a little longer than usual.”

  Katie merely nodded. She wanted to be mad at him, but he made that impossible. Especially with that smile.

  “Thanks for getting a table,” Reid said. “We’ll need a few more chairs though.”

  She frowned in confusion. “Why?”

  “Doug, Jake, and Lee are coming too,” he replied.

  “Oh, they are?” Katie asked. “I didn’t know. I thought…”

  “It’s no big deal. I got it,” Reid said, pulling over another table and more chairs. “They should be here any minute.”

  As if on cue, three of Reid’s teammates entered and headed straight for their table. Wound up from a vigorous fall baseball practice, the boys were noisy. Introductions were mixed in with general conversation about baseball and pizza toppings, and Katie wasn’t even sure her name or presence registered with them. Once they ordered, baseball and other school gossip dominated the table. Katie tried to keep up, but the boys barely let her get a word in.

  After most of the two pizzas were gone, Katie pulled some money out of her purse and set it on the table.

  “Well, this was fun, but I have to get going,” she said, standing up.

  Reid looked surprised, and for a moment Katie wondered if he’d forgotten she was there.

  “Do you want to take any of the leftovers?” he asked.

  Katie shook her head. “No, you guys split it up. I’ll see you in school on Monday.”

  “OK, bye Katie,” he said.

  She barely heard him as she pulled on her jacket and exited the pizzeria as quickly and nonchalantly as she could. She hoped no one saw the embarrassment on her face as she walked around the block to her car. She started it and pulled away from the curb, but she didn’t go straight home. Instead, she drove around aimlessly, analyzing the situation. After more than an hour and lots of emo songs on the radio, it all came down to one thing – she felt ridiculous.

  How could I have even let myself believe it was a date?

  Why would Reid Benjamin ever be interested in dating me?

  Then, she began analyzing herself. She hated the way she acted around him. She had catered to his schedule, never called him out on being late, and turned into a quiet mouse whenever she was around him. That wasn’t her. Being with Reid had been an emotional boost, but he had effectively killed her confidence and turned her into someone she didn’t know.

  Well, those days are over.

  By the time Monday rolled around, Katie had re-discovered her confidence and self-esteem. A weekend of hiding in her room watching her favorite movies helped her get back in touch with the real Katie Elizabeth Marks. The one who didn’t go gaga over some guy just because he looked good in a baseball uniform and had a smile brighter than the Arizona sun.

  The hard part was pretending not to notice Reid when she passed him in the hallway. He gave her his usual wave and smile, but she averted her gaze and ignored the way her stomach flip-flopped. It took considerable effort to put Reid out of her mind. He made it particularly difficult by taking the seat behind her in pre-calc. That alone was enough to unnerve her, but then he went a step further. She heard him lean forward and then his voice was right in her ear, sending a shiver through her. She hoped it wasn’t visible.

  “You left in such a hurry Friday,” he said. “Are you mad at me?”

  “Of course not,” Katie said. “Why would I be mad?”

  “I don’t know,” Reid said. “You just didn’t seem … well, as talkative as usual.”

  “There wasn’t room for everyone to talk,” Katie said. “And it was clearly a boys’ night out, so I just let you all have your fun.”

  Reid sighed. “I’m sorry it turned into that. I really did want to celebrate that ‘A’ you helped me get. I guess I shouldn’t have invited the guys. Either way, you shouldn’t have tried to pay for your pizza. Dinner was my treat. I picked this up after you left.”

  He held the folded bills over her shoulder, but Katie brushed them away.

  “I can pay my own way,” Katie said. “You didn’t owe me anything.”

  Reid withdrew the money and leaned back. He was quiet for a few moments and Katie wondered what he was thinking. She heard him lean forward again and she could tell he was just about to say something when class started. Katie was somewhat relieved, and as soon as class was over she left quickly, wanting to avoid any further conversation with him. She successfully evaded Reid for the rest of the day and felt a rush of relief when she arrived home later that day. Admittedly, she also felt a twinge of sadness as she sat down at the desk in her bedroom to do her homework that evening. She was usually at the coffee shop by now, waiting for Reid.

  She wasn’t the only one troubled by the change in her routine. Around eight that night, her mother called for her and said she had a visitor. Katie made her way downstairs and was surprised to see Reid standing in the entryway of her house.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  And how did you find out where I live?

  “I could ask you the same thing,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for you at the coffee shop since six.”

  “Oh, I guess I thought we were done now that you got an ‘A’ on that test,” Katie said. It wasn’t the complete truth, but she figured it was a passable lie.

  “It was just one test. I still need your help.”

  “Fine. We can start again on Wednesday.”

  “Why not tonight? I’m here now, and tomorrow’s assignment is hard.”

  Katie sighed. “Fine. I’ll go get my books from my room and meet you in the den.”

  She’d used the word “fine” twice in a short span of time. If R
eid had been older and a little bit wiser when it came to women, he might have gotten a clue that she was not being completely honest. But the boy’s mind was filled only with thoughts of pre-calc and baseball, so he missed the signs that anything was amiss.

  She pointed him toward the den, and she heard her mother offering him popcorn and soda as she went back up the stairs. She had finished her pre-calc homework already, but she picked it up along with her history book. Before she left her room, Katie couldn’t resist giving herself a once-over in the mirror. After school, she’d traded her jeans and blouse for yoga pants and a t-shirt, and she’d pulled her long hair back into a low ponytail. Katie decided it was acceptable for studying with Reid – especially since he’d made it clear he wasn’t going to notice anything but her math skills.

  When she returned, Reid had one hand in the popcorn bowl while the other held a pencil over his notebook. His attention was on his open pre-calc book, so he barely noticed Katie’s return. She sat down next to him on the floor, using the coffee table as their desk.

  “So what are you stuck on?” Katie asked, opening her notebook to her homework.

  “The third problem,” Reid said.

  “Ah,” Kate said, finding the problem in question. “That one was a little tricky.”

  She explained her process of finding the answer, and Reid listened carefully, working through the problem. They repeated this cycle a few more times, and between help sessions, she was able to finish reading her history assignment. She expected Reid to leave once his pre-calc homework was done, but he surprised her by hanging around to do other homework, just as he had when they worked together at the coffee shop. It was after 10 when he stood up and stretched.