The afternoon sun shone bright and high above the field as we gathered in two teams for the match. The heat was heavy, but we barely noticed it with the excitement buzzing through everyone.
Caps were pulled low to block out the sun, and a few of the guys were already sweating as they adjusted their gloves and threw practice pitches back and forth.
"Catch it Harry."
"Throw with all your might."
The benches behind the railing were filled with familiar faces. Lily sat with a group of friends, giving me an encouraging smile as she waved.
"Teams are set! Let's get this going!" Kyle announced, clapping his hands and glancing around as everyone took their positions.
I ended up on a team with Beta who is Lena for now, Kyle, and Rose. Across from us were Ryan, Sarah, and a few more friends who'd joined for the game. Ryan had his usual competitive energy going, and even from this distance, I could see the determination in his expression as he took his place on the pitcher's mound.
