Hit & Miss Read Online Free Page B

“The biggest model Mercedes.”
    â€œNaw, I think it was a Rolls-Royce or something. And did you see the driver ?”
    â€œHey, how do you know that wasn’t his dad?” Derek butted in.
    â€œDads don’t wear caps with visors when they drive,” said Jeff.
    One kid put on a pair of sunglasses, stuck out his hand, and mimicked being Dave, saying, “You can all kiss my Oscar now.” This brought on gales of laughter from the kids sitting nearby.
    Derek took a seat next to the mimic, while Vijay found aseat two rows back. Derek sat there, hearing the mockery and jokes about Dave but tuning them out.
    He felt bad for Dave, that was the truth. He’d been made fun of himself back in the day, and as young as he had been at the time, the memory was still fresh in his mind.
    Maybe the kids were right. Maybe Dave was an impossible, stuck-up snob. But one way or the other, Derek was determined to try reaching out to him again. There had to be a way to break through Dave’s hostile armor and let him know someone understood.
    He just hoped Dave’s feelings weren’t already crushed beyond repair.

Chapter Four
IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED . . .
    â€œHey, are you trying to take my head off?”
    Derek grinned as he rounded first base and Jason barked at him playfully. Derek’s liner had come awfully close to beaning Jason, who had ducked out of the way just in time, letting the ball go past him into right field.
    Derek stopped at second, seeing the throw come in from right. “You’re supposed to catch it in your mitt, not in your teeth,” Derek explained, putting his two hands together as if to catch a ball.
    â€œI’m not catching anything going that fast,” Jason shot back, laughing. “Why don’t you hit it like that during the season, instead of trying to kill your teammates in practice?”
    â€œHa!” Derek shook his head and laughed.
    Jason was funny, and Derek knew how to shoot the jokes as well as anyone else. He and his dad had been ribbing each other that way ever since Derek was old enough to hold a ball in his hands. It was part of competing, the part where you could let loose a little of the tension between games or between innings.
    The Red Sox were having a scrimmage today, with the team divided into two squads, and a few players from each side switching back and forth so there were always enough players on the field.
    Derek liked the way Coach Kaufman ran things. Unlike last year’s coach, he didn’t seem to be holding auditions for the various positions. He was just letting the kids catch, throw, run, and hit—and he was paying close attention.
    Not just that. By holding this scrimmage, the coach was already assigning kids to positions, and places in the batting order, to see how they fit there.
    What Derek liked best about it was that he himself had been assigned to play shortstop, and to hit third in the lineup. That suited him fine. In fact, it was just about perfect!
    The next hitter up was Dave. He had already made a mental mistake at third base, forgetting to tag a runner when there was no force play on.
    It was obvious to one and all that Dave hadn’t played organized baseball before— ever . Derek guessed he wouldfigure out the rules of baseball sooner or later. But Derek knew it could be sooner if Dave would only let him help!
    Dave whiffed on the first pitch to him, then whiffed again. Both pitches had been right over the plate. “He can’t hit a lick,” Jason said.
    â€œHe looks good swinging, though,” Jeff said. He was playing second. “He just doesn’t make any contact.”
    â€œNot even close,” Jason agreed.
    Derek felt bad. If he could hear them from his lead off second, Dave could probably hear them from home plate.
    â€œHe hit it great that one time,” Derek reminded them as Dave whiffed on a third straight pitch to end the