Chapter 35

"I see you decided to show up after all."

I'd been standing and talking to Coach Calloway and Doug Mendenhall. Doug was the plate umpire for today's game and the senior umpire for this part of the state. The base umpire was pretty senior too. I guess Wasay wasn't taking any chances.

I turned and saw Coach Rich standing just inside the backstop.

I looked back at Coach Calloway. "Coach, if I call a teacher a fat-assed neanderthal idiot will I get in trouble? Especially since he isn't one of my teachers. We're not at our school. And he is a fat-assed neanderthal idiot."

Coach Calloway looked tired. "Yes, Tony."

I looked at Rich. "Too bad."

"Why you little..." Rich said as he stepped toward me. 'Please hit me, ' I prayed.

Coach Calloway stepped between us. "Tony apologize."

"Sorry, Coach, can't do it."

"Two laps. Then hit the dugout. You're sitting."

"That's putting the little twerp in his place," Rich smirked.

A baseball slammed into Rich in the side of his rib cage. He staggered against the fence. Coach Calloway, the ump, and I looked at the field as Rich groaned and held his side. Robbie shrugged. "Sorry, Coach, it slipped," she yelled. "That's why spectators shouldn't be on the field."

"Are you going to let her..." Rich moaned.

Coach Calloway ignored him and turned to Mendenhall. "If that person is still on the field in twenty seconds, I'll take my team and go home." I hadn't started running yet. The coach ignored me and walked back to the dugout.

I smiled. "By the way, Coach, enjoying your vacation?"

Just before spring vacation the Lake school board had suspended Rich for a month without pay for 'unprofessional behavior'. I'm pretty sure that the recall petitions circulating the district for every member of the board had nothing to do with them finally deciding it was time to deal with Rich.

Rich glared as Mendenhall pointed toward the gate next to the dugout. I tossed Robbie a salute and took off at a trot for my laps.

Lake turned out to be a pretty good team.

But not good enough.

The final score was seven to three.

Rich left after the fourth inning. I think he came to see us get beat and we disappointed him. Or maybe it was Coach Calloway letting me in the game in the third inning.

Tami and Darlene had driven my car over to watch the game. After the game, Tami gave the coach about five seconds of her puppy-dog face, and he let me ride back with them instead of on the bus.