Chapter One
Kay Bennett was not a boat person. Which was the precise reason why she was looking at her best friend and major crush, Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald, like he had grown another head. "Miguel, there is no way I am getting on a boat," she reiterated for what seemed like the millionth time.
"Oh, come on Kay," Miguel cajoled. "This is the most important tournament of the entire baseball season. We can't play without you there."
"What part of no aren't you getting?" Kay asked. She would never have thought she would say no to anything Miguel asked her to do, but water had always been her biggest fear. "Besides, I'm sure you'd much rather take Charity."
"Maybe if this was just a vacation," Miguel answered, oblivious to hurt undertone in Kay's voice. "But Charity can't play third base like you can." At the look Kay gave him, he hastily added, "no one can."
"Okay Miguel," Kay said suddenly. "I'll go on the cruise."
"Really?" Miguel asked, surprised at her sudden change of attitude. He had expected it to take at least another two hours to convince her.
"Really," Kay answered. "I'll go on the cruise the day the spaceship comes to take Jessica back to her home planet." And with that Kay walked off, leaving a chagrined Miguel.
~*~
"Hey Miguel," Justin DeWitt greeted his baseball teammate as he opened his locker. "Any luck in convincing Kay to go to the tournament?"
"I wish," Miguel answered gloomily. "She's being really stubborn about this."
"Don't worry man," Justin reassured. "She'll come around," he paused. "Sometime within the next hundred years," he added with a laugh.
"If she doesn't go, we won't have a third baseman," Miguel reminded him.
"Third baseperson," Justin corrected. "Baseman isn't P.C."
"Whatever," Miguel said, annoyed.
"Man, why don't you just tell her that you're going to ask Jessica to fill in for her?" Justin asked, well aware of the Bennett sisters' rivalry.
A look of inspiration crossed Miguel's face. "Justin, you are a genius!" he exclaimed. "I'll see you later," he said as he headed off to find Jessica to ask for her help.
~*~
"So you want me to pretend that I want to play baseball with you?" Jessica asked skeptically. "Kay won't buy it."
"Of course she will," Miguel answered. "I'll come over to your house after school and pretend that I need to talk to you about the trip. Kay will go ballistic. Trust me."
"I think you know her a little too well," Jessica laughed. "Okay, I'm in, but only because I'll have the benefit of an absent sister for two weeks."
"Just as long as you're with me," Miguel smiled.
~*~
At three-thirty Miguel knocked on the Bennett's door. After a couple of minutes Kay opened the door, clearly annoyed at having to answer. 'Jessica must have made up an excuse to not answer it,' Miguel thought. "Charity's at Mom's shop," Kay said shortly.
"That's okay," Miguel responded cheerfully. "I'm here to see Jessica."
"Jessica?" Kay echoed in confusion as her sister walked down the stairs.
"Hey Miguel," Jessica greeted. "Come in."
"Thanks Jess," Miguel said as he stepped in, taking notice of the fact Kay was trying to appear uninterested. Perfect. "I brought the papers for the tournament."
"Great," Jessica said, winking at him as she took the papers.
"What's going on?" Kay asked.
"Well, since you won't go, Jessica agreed to fill in for you at the baseball tournament," Miguel said.
"What!" Kay yelled. "That's ridiculous! Jessica doesn't even know the difference between a ball and a strike!"
"Now Kay, that's not true," Jessica answered with perfectly concealed delight at her sister's reaction. "A strike is when you hit the ball, and a ball is when you don't," she said, playing along.
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