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Story: Left on Base

Callie wants to knock up a hockey player
I press send.
Wait, what?
She said she wanted a hockey player to have her babies
clearly she doesn’t understand how it works
I don’t doubt she said that
She’s tryna to tell me Canada is way more advanced than us
cuz they in another time zone
Bro she legit thinks it be august in Australia cuz it’s summer rn
Idk how she gets straight A’s
It’s a mystery
frr
Shit. The bubbles stopped.
Fuck. Was I too dry? He’s not typing. Now what? Do I say something else? Also, what does this mean? If he’s not texting her, does that mean they’re not talking anymore? The rain picks up, drumming harder against the window. A flash of lightning illuminates the Olympic Mountains for a second before darkness takes over again.
I want to make my brain stop but I can’t. This is who I am. I overthink everything to the point my head feels like it might explode. My reflection stares back at me from the window—messy bun, oversized T-shirt, probably too many feelings written all over my face.
Well ima get some sleep
okkk
Goodnighttt
goodnightt
There. I added one less “t” than he did because I don’t want to seem too eager. He’s in love with me. You can’t tell me different.
I scroll back through our messages and smile. I need to make myself some rules so I don’t fall back into whatever I did over thesummer. I can’t let my feelings get out of hand again and hold out hope this texting means anything.
I flop back onto my bed, staring up at the glow-in-the-dark stars Callie insisted we stick on our ceiling. They’re slightly crooked, like my heart right now.
You know in baseball when you barely nick the ball and it goes straight into the catcher’s glove? They call it a foul tip. It’s not a full-on miss, but it’s not a real hit either. The play keeps going, but you’re still at the plate. That’s kind of how it feels with Jaxon right now.
We’re not together, but it’s not silence either. It’s a tiny connection, and honestly, it gives me hope. I can’t help but think maybe it means something, like I’m still in the game, still got a shot.
I’m hanging on, hoping the next pitch is the one I can connect with. For now, I’m glad he’s talking to me again. It’s not everything, but it’s enough to keep me standing here, waiting to see what happens next.
So here we go. First rule: No more fucking feelings. Boom. Problem solved.
Honestly, that should be the only rule, but more are probably going to be added soon.
CHAPTER 6
CANNON
CAMDYN

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