Kai planted her feet in the dirt, gripping the bat tight. She took a deep breath, trying to ignore the little voice in her head that sounded way too much like her dad. Focus. Swing clean. Don’t mess up. The machine pitched, and she swung—crack! The ball shot into the air, and a little thrill ran through her.

She grinned, wiping her sweaty hands on her jersey. A few months ago, she would’ve kept her head down, hoodie pulled tight, hoping no one looked too close. But now? Now she let the wind tug at her hair, let her teammates cheer her on. She wasn’t just some new kid trying to disappear.

She was Kai, a girl, star hitter for The Pickles. And for the first time in a long time, that felt really good. Like she was floating on air.