Chapter Forty Seven Straight Kickin' It

"You did what?" Mom said, narrowing her eyes at Dad.

"I thought it would be a great thing to do." Dad defended himself.

Mom had just gotten back from her vacation a couple of hours ago and Dad left work early to tell us all the surprising news.

"I knew you and Michael were up to something. You always are." Mom replied.

Levi came to stand beside me.

"What did our brilliant dad do this time?"

"He signed us up for a kickball tournament." I informed him.

Levi nodded. "So why's Mom upset?"

"Because she's on the team and we have our first game in half an hour."

"Honey, please." Dad begged. "I already paid for our team and the shirts are made."

Mom sighed in annoyance. "I really don't have a choice. Now do I, Richard?" She looked at Levi and I. "Go get ready, I guess."

"I signed Hailey, Nolan, Cassidy and Anthony up too." Dad told us. "You might want to call them."

As I walked up the stairs, I sent a group message, informing everyone about the tournament and the location. I went to my room and changed into running shorts and tennis shoes. I put my hair into a ponytail and I was ready to go.

I walked downstairs and Mom and Dad were already standing by the front door. Levi emerged a moment later and then we left the house.

"So who all did you sign up?" I asked as we drove to the sports complex.

"Sabrina, Jayce, Vonna and Michael."

"Does Sabrina know? I didn't text her." I said.

"Yeah, I ran into her the other day and told her and she was fine with it." Dad said.

Dad parked the car and I noticed there were a lot of people here. They were either playing or watching. Dad went to the back of the car and lifted up the trunk. He pulled out our bright orange team shirts.

"Straight Kickin' It." I read.

"Or SKI, for short." Dad said, grabbing the reminder of the shirts before closing the trunk.

A few minutes later, the rest of our teams arrived and received their shirts. After they had their shirts on, Dad got us into a group huddle and started explaining everything to us.

"Okay. There's a total of six teams and I looked at them. We're the best or we should be. I think our only real competition is Kickators. We have to go in a girl-boy order when kicking it and it has to stay in the same order. If one of us can't kick it for whatever reason, we automatically get a strike and you can't blunt it. You have to extend you leg. Got it?"

We all nodded our heads.

"So what's the kicking order?" Nolan asked.

"Vonna, Michael, Cassidy, Nolan, Hailey, Anthony, Cole, Jayce, Sabrina, Levi, Blair and then I'll close it out."

"Okay so what's our position for on the field?" Cassidy asked.

"I didn't decide for y'all. I'll let y'all pick but be smart about it." Dad said. "Michael and I are the pitchers."

"I'll be hindcatcher." Vonna said.

"So will I." Mom agreed.

"First base." Hailey chose.

"Third base." Cassidy said.

Jayce and Nolan were outfield center, Anthony was outfield right with Levi to the left. Sabrina was short stop and I was second base. Once everyone knew the order and what position they had, we went into the dug out. There was five minutes before the game started.

"Landon go get the drinks and snacks." Vonna ordered.

Landon got up from the bench and did as he was told. Skylar went with him.

"Are we kicking first or what?" Sabrina asked.

"They kick first." Michael said. "It's Free Ballers. Easy win."

We walked onto the field as the game began and I went to second base. Jayce was standing a few feet behind me.

"I can get used to the view." He commented.

I rolled my eyes. "Stop staring at me and get ready."

"Yes, ma'am."

The first kicker walked out and it was a girl around the same age as me. Michael rolled the red bouncy ball and the girl kicked it to third base. Cass went for the ball but it was too late the girl was already on first base. The next kicker was a man the same age as my father maybe younger.

Michael turned to look at us.

"Scoot back." He ordered outfielders before rolling the ball.

The man sent the ball flying into the air straight into the middle. Either Jayce or Nolan would have to get it.

"I got it, bro." Nolan said.

The ball was coming back down and it went straight between his arms.

"How are you a wide receiver and you can't even catch a ball?" Cassidy yelled.

"Shut up, Cassidy!" He said as he quickly at the ball and throw it me as the girl was running full speed towards me.

If she was smart, she would've already ran to second base instead of waiting on first base.

I caught the ball just before she touched the base.

"Out!" The umpire said.

As the game went on, we finally got the last two out before it was our turn to kick. Vonna was our first kicker.

"Mom, kick it toward third." Jayce said.

"I'll try to." She replied as she walked onto the dirt field.

Vonna did good and we followed her lead, everyone made it on base until it was Hailey's turn to kick. She didn't have anywhere to kick except for first base, which she didn't want to do that since she was running in that direction, or into the out field. Nolan was on second base and Cassidy was on third.

She went for the out field but they caught the ball and she was out. We kept kicking until, we got two more outs and we went back to the field.

Since the game was timed for thirty minutes, we ended up winning the first round and our next game was at four.

"Who wants to eat?" Levi asked. "I'm hungry."

"When are you not hungry?" I said, before I took a drink of blue Gatorade.

"We might as well eat. It's lunch time anyway." Mom said.

"Where are we going to eat?" Vonna asked.

"I vote Raising Canes." Cassidy said.

I rose my hand. "I second that vote."

"Me too!" Skylar agreed, jumping up and down.

"Anyone else?" Mom asked, looking around and when no one said anything she spoke. "Okay, Raising Canes it is."

We piled into the cars and drove over to the Raising Canes. Mom and Vonna went to the counter to order for us while we found tables to sit at.

"For the next game, we have to kick our energy up a bit more." Dad said.

"I think our energy is fine." I replied.

"She's right." Hailey said. "I think we need to focus on our kicking."

"What's their to focus on?" Michael asked. "All you have to do it kick the ball either in the outfield or in the opposite direction you're heading for."

Dad nodded in agreement.

Sabrina crossed her arms. "Okay we'll try it your way and see if it'll help us get on base."

"Trust me, it will work." Michael said, confidently.

After we got done eating, we headed back to the sport complex and the game was just ending, starting the fifteen minute break in between games.

"You sure you don't wanna practice kicking?" Levi asked Dad and Michael.

Dad nodded. "I'm sure but if y'all want to, go ahead."

Sabrina and Anthony went to practice while I sat down on the hood of the car, watching them. The air felt nice and I was enjoying our time with family and friends.

Jayce leaned against the car with his arms folded against his chest.

"I think you should change base with Hailey or Cassidy." He said.

I looked at him. "Why?"

He turned his head and grinned. "Cause you're a distraction. I need to focus and I can't do that with you standing in front of me."

I smiled. "That's your own problem. You need to learn self-control."

"I have self-control. If I didn't, we wouldn't be here right now."

I rolled my eyes. "Sure."

"Cole!" Skylar called my name and I turned my head in her direction. "Watch what I can do!"

"Be careful, sweetie." Vonna warned her.

Skylar was standing in soft green grass and she was she did a light jog before doing a round off into a backhand spring. She tumbled a little on her land but she did good.

I smiled. "Oh my gosh, Sky! That was really good!" I praised her.

"Pssh. I could do better." Jayce said.

"I would hope you could." I replied. "Otherwise, you're getting upstaged by a little girl."

"I'm a pro at that. I'm pretty sure I'm better than you and you're a cheerleader."

I rose an eyebrow. "Oh really? It's that a challenge?"

"Oo I heard someone say challenge." Cassidy said, walking over to us. "What is it?"

"Jayce said he's a better tumbler than me."

"Jayce I know you're good at alot of things but Cole has this one in the bag." Nolan said.

"Thank you, Nolan." I told him.

Jayce smiled. "You're underestimating me. I'll show you."

He pushed off the car as I hopped off the hood. We walked over the grass and I stretched my legs.

"I call to be the judge." Cassidy said.

"Same." Hailey said.

"That's not fair! Y'all are gonna cheat for Cole." Jayce replied.

"Then Nolan and Levi can be judges too." Cassidy said.

"Ladies first." Jayce responded, motioning for me to go.

I decided to go something simple because I was pretty sure Jayce couldn't do it. But then again, I hadn't seen him flip in a long time. He could surprise me with some things.

I did a back tuck and Jayce smirked.

"Is that all?"

I crossed my arms. "Can you do better?"

"You know it."

He did a backflip into a back tuck and to say I was impress would be an understandment.

"How are you gonna top that, Cole?" Levi asked.

"With this."

I did a front aeiral or a cartwheel without hands as most people call them into a back handspring step out.

"That was good." Jayce commented. "But watch this."

We kept going back and forth and Jayce kept pulling out tricks. He was really good. I was never gonna tell him that but I didn't think he needed me to tell him that anyway. He knew already.

Our little challenge was cut off when Dad interrupted us.

"What are y'all doing?" He said, walking over to us. "Y'all are going to hurt yourselves before the game even starts. Get over there and get ready. Our next competition is a tough one."

"So who won?" I asked as we were heading towards the dug out.

"I vote you." Hailey said. "And I'm not saying that because you're on my squad."

"No way, Jayce totally won." Cassidy said. "Sorry, Cole but he out did you."

"I agree with Cassidy." Levi said.

I looked at Nolan. He was the last judge. Either I tied with Jayce or he won. I hoping we would tie but I knew Nolan and he would pick his buddy.

"I'm just gonna say Cole. I don't want anymore unnecessary challenges again."

"So in other words, I really won." Jayce said, smirking.

I rolled my eyes. "I'll let you have this one, Ryder. Only because you were kinda good."

We kicked first and Vonna got on first base. She was doing a good job. The game continued and Dad wasn't lying. They were better than the first team we played against but we still come on top. We were the unbeatable team so far.

Our next game was at 10 p.m. Which was great. I could go home and rest for some needed hours. We all did.

I tended to Bear and Koda while I was at the house and when 9:30 rolled around we packed our things and headed back to the sport complex for the last game of the day.

I sprayed off on my body and so did the rest. Our enemies, the mosquitoes, came out and they were merciless.

"Let's go get this win." Michael said.

We took the field and I went to second base. This game was the most intense one than the rest of them. We had a few agruments here and there. It was one crazy game.

"Calm down, Michael." Vonna warned him.

"No, she's out." He said, angrily.

"There's nothing we can do about it now." Mom said. "Just keep playing."

"No, he's right." Jayce said. "Hailey got there first."

I turned my head to look at him. "Don't say anything else. It's just a game."

We went inside the dug out and got ready to kick. When the thirty minutes ended, we had the most points. So we moved on to the championship tomorrow.

"I don't think I could do any more splits." Cassidy said.

"Same." I groaned, holding my inner thigh.

"I'm with y'all." Hailey said.

"I could only imagine." Sabrina said. "I felt your pain."

"But thanks to y'alls' flexibility, we mananged to get a lot of people out." Dad said.

"Yeah sure. We might not even be able to play tomorrow." I replied.

"No, no, no." Michael said. "We need y'all. Go home and ice, okay."

"Sure okay." Hailey said.

"Do you want me to carry you?" Jayce asked.

I shook my head. "No, I can make it to the car."

I was so glad when I went home for the second time that day. After my bath, I climb into my bed and let the darkness known as sleep take over me.