⚾️๋࣭ ⭑📀📼📻๋࣭ ⭑🎞📼

"shorts' the best position they is," a thick new york accent drawled. there were two new guys, actually. since it was summer break, people's cousins started coming 'round and joining our ragtag baseball team. they were both corey's cousin (apparently), was a big guy, sporting a yankees cap named jonathan, "nothin' else." he grumbled when we asked for a nickname. he'd have one soon enough anyway - all the boys did, and mine was "shortstack" since i was a late bloomer. jonathan's cousin, theodore - (i assume they just breed 'em like that there), was from boston while from jonathan was from new york - theodore was also a big guy, but he was all smiles and chatter. "ted's fine", he grinned. just like clockwork, it was ted & jonathan, & they'd been placed to two seperate teams, each one team captain. jonathan seemed like he was picking people based on skill, while ted seemed like he was picking guys based on how much he liked them, beaming and laughing the whole time. ted was like an open book - & jonathan was like a closed book locked in a damn vault.

it was a thick, warm day for a texas summer - the summer of '99. i was thirteen, the two new guys were fourteen. the usual squad dripping with sweat and rowdy. our shitty baseball field, with the bright orange dirt, the bases falling apart, but hey, it was home enough, especially during summer. our dirtfield, was called it. during the school days we'd run out of classes & drop all our bags, picking up a bat, a cap and a worn out pair of shoes. insects always whirred in the background as us boys gathered around, yapping on about. there was a lemon tree at the end of the field where i'd pick the lemons, go home and sell it for a dime on the street to save up for a new bike. but for now, it was the present, and we were about to start a game. jonathan and ted were team captains, so they both got to have picks - and jonathan had first pick. he was shortstop, and i was an outfielder, & i was always last pick. but i'd guess we'd see what new york'd pick.