Page 55 of The Way We Swing

“Sure,” he said, walking to the bed at the far end of the room. “Take a seat.”

I walked over and sat on the edge of the other bed. A single lamp barely gave light to the room. I folded my hands with my elbows on my knees. I stared at the floor, my eyes following the green and purple patterns on the carpet.

“Speak, Tanner.”

I stood up and paced the room. I turned to Coach and blurted, “Move me to second.”

Coach smiled. “Why would I do that?”

“Easton has more range than me and already has a stronger arm. We’re a good middle infield as is, but we’d be great with him at short and me at second base.”

“I figured that’s what this might be about.”

“You did?”

“I’ve been considering it for a while. It was close enough that I didn’t want to rock the boat—you’re the leader with this group and have been for a long time. It’s a lot easier of a change to make when I know you’re on board, though.”

“I need to put the team first.”

“You’ve been pushing this team forward for four years, Tanner.” Coach smiled at me again, and I couldn’t help but let relief engulf me.

“Everything else okay?” Coach asked.

I thought about telling him, right then, about everything that had gone on with Easton and my brothers. I wanted to just get it out in the open and be done with it. But that wasn’t his cross to bear.

“Things are good, Coach. Thanks.”

“No, thank you, Tanner.”

I walked out of the room, frustrated I was no longer the starting shortstop but elated we were now in a better position to win some baseball games.

CHAPTER 20

“TannerQuinn, please report to the principal’s office,” the loudspeaker crackled. My math class erupted into a chorus ofooohsas our teacher waved me out. I slung my bag over my shoulder, racking my brain for what I might’ve done wrong.

As I neared the office, I spotted Gavin through the glass window, standing stiffly at the counter, eyes fixed on the far wall. He wore a lime-green Under Armour shirt and lime-green shorts, accenting the point that he was now in his highlighter phase—the same one I had gone through at thirteen.

Whatever was going on, he was twisting his body every way possible so he didn’t have to make eye contact with me.

“Hey, Ms. Cage." She had gone to school here with Mom and Dad, and she had a daughter in Gavin’s grade. Mom said that Ms. Cage had been homecoming queen their senior year, and she still had a hint of those looks.

“Hi, Tanner. Gavin says he forgot to give you your dentist’s excuse.”

Gavin avoided my gaze, still studying the wall of drug awareness posters like they held the secrets of the universe.

“Right, right. I came in early to hit, and I forgot to get the note from Mom.”

“Make sure the dentist signs it,” she said, handing me the slip. “Looks like you two should be back after lunch.”

“See you then, Ms. Cage,” I said. I grabbed Gavin’s shoulder, digging in my fingers a touch more deeply than needed, and ushered him out of the room. We walkeddown the entrance hallway in silence, the sun shining through the doors at the end. Our steps echoed in the emptiness of the lobby.

When we left the school, I stopped Gavin. “So, what dentist appointment do we have that Mom didn’t tell me about?”

“Don’t be mad,” Gavin said. “We aren’t going to the dentist.”

“Oh, wow, you’re such a great actor. You faked it?”

“You really didn’t know?”