"Analise." Alex yells across the hallway.

I slither through the crowd, trying to pass by unnoticed. I prefer it that way. I’ve had enough attention. Besides, I'm not in the mood to chit-chat, especially with Alex. I pick up my speed.

Alex manages to escape the crowd to get to me, almost knocking one student to the ground. "You are going to the game tonight, right?" He says breathless, crashing into my side. God, I can feel the muscles in his chest. Relax. Focus.

"Oh. Hey. I didn’t see you.” I lie casually. I am way too good at lying. “Sure. I wouldn't miss it. It's your last game." I say as I stare into his eyes. I lose myself. There is something about those green eyes that is making me fall. My hands grow clammy. I dry them on my pants. He never made me nervous before, but I can only imagine this is what it is like. My heart starts beating faster. Of course, I could just be exhausted. I ignore it. "And rumor has it you be playing in Charleston as well," I say, matter of fact.

"Maybe. I’ve got a new job as your personal bodyguard." He laughs. “Elizabeth offered me something I couldn’t pass up, a great compensation package."

"I don't believe in monsters anymore, Alex. No boogeyman in my closet." I shake my head. Elizabeth better not be behind his going to Charleston. She probably did pay him off.

"Really?" Alex repositions his book bag. It pulls his shirt tight against his chest and arms. Ah. Torture. Focus. I still can’t look away. "Cause, baby, they believe in you. I'll see you in the front row." He winks his green eye in my direction as he walks away. I shake it away. I need to shake it all away. I walk to the quad and sprawl out on the grass.

Let’s try to get back to reality. This day will pass like any other normal day. Tomorrow's forecast isn't calling for any change either. My life is an open book, no surprises, maybe a couple, but what can you expect in a town like this? Maybe I have been paranoid. Maybe I have actually gone crazy. My life, until I move to Charleston, is mapped out finely, and always has been. No detail is left unattended. No moment has a spontaneous opportunity. No excitement. I really hate it. I stare up at the clouds and block out all the noise from around me. No barking dogs, cars passing by, or honking horns. Only the passing white clouds sweeping across the blue sky accompany me. Oh, here comes a dark one. A rain cloud maybe.

But, wait. I did see that man in my dreams. I can’t ignore that. I’m not crazy. This is not a delusion. It is disturbing that I somehow feel excited about what happened. The anticipation for what will come is even more alarming. The man in the suit is back on my mind. That dark, mysterious, rude man I met only a couple of times comes crawling back. I can't help but feel he has seen me quite a few times before.

The parking lot is a sea of headlights as Taylor and I pull in. Baseball is this town's pride; everyone will be here for this favorite small town pastime. It’s pathetic really. But, I can't takemy eyes off the floodlights overlooking the field. I will miss this just as much as the bonfires. Not the game, cold, or the field, but the friends and the great times, even as insipidly dull as it may seem at times.

I turn the car off and instantly feel the chill in the air as a brisk breeze blows through the open car door. Taylor, grabbing her coat and money from the cup holder, quickly jumps from the car and jogs toward the line at the ticket master. I can't help but smile. Her child-like temperament always astounds me. For a girl of twenty-two, she is much too immature for her age. She always seems more like a baby sister that needs constant attention and regulation.

I make my way to the ticket booth, a bit more excited than usual. The wintery gusts weaken my spirits, but after the hot chocolate and warm blankets are in their respectful places I am ready for the game.

"Strike two!" The umpire yells, holding his hand into the air, and extending two of his fingers. He is a large man who wears his clothes two sizes too small. His stomach is protruding and hanging like a boulder over his pants, while his jolly red face shakes when he yells strike. I can't help but wonder if he would have been a completely different person if he had left this town, like most of those here.

Before I know it we are in the seventh inning. How did that happen?

The batter, Hale, hits the fastball thrown by Alex with fervor. All eyes are on the ball now; all except the batter. He runs with all his might to first then second base. He rounds third as the ball leaves the center fielder's hand. Hale is halfway to home plate when the ball reaches second base. The ball leaves like fire again, streaming perfectly in line with David's catcher's mitt— the only thing standing in the way of the runner and home plate.

The baseball reaches David's mit before Hale reaches the plate, but this only makes him run harder and faster. The sheer determination on both of their faces can be seen a mile away. The two collide like two cars hitting head-on. The booming sound leaves everyone standing in the bleachers with their hands to their mouths in dreadful anticipation. Even myself. This game will determine who will be advancing to the championship. This grand slam will ruin their chances. The ball remains in the glove. "Out!" The crowd goes wild with excitement. The game is over; we have won.

I stay on the bleachers as everyone else rushes the field. Normally I'd be the first one to the field at a time like this, but not this time. My mind is consumed by those outrageous thoughts. I look to the field and catch Alex's eyes. A smile appears only because of its habitual nature, not because I’m happy. He can always tell when it's forced. I can tell in the way he looks back at me. He quickly looks away and celebrates with his fans and teammates. I know how much he hates the crowd. It gets considerably colder the next few minutes. My hot chocolate is long gone, and I can’t help but shiver. The absence of people in the stands makes me the only target of the wind’s powerful chill.

Alex pushes through the crowd and jumps into the stands, falling to my side and grabbing my shoulders. The warmth from his body feels amazing against mine; I don't even mind the smell of dirt that permeates from his clothes and skin. It's almost soothing. "Why so blue?"

I can only sigh as I sit beside him, his warm body sitting close to mine. "Oh, I'm fine." I smile. "Just tired. Sure, you think baseball is tough. Try sitting with Taylor and that gang for over two hours without becoming exhausted."

Listening to his laugh always makes me feel better. He grabs my shoulders and pulls me to my feet like I am nothing but a feather. "Let's go." He almost whispers as he pulls my face closer to his.

We jump down the bleachers and find ourselves lost in a crowd of people talking, yelling, laughing, and pulling in every direction. Two seconds pass and I lose Alex in the sea of chaos. I feel alone amongst them all. I push through, gasping for air, almost suffocating from the heat being produced by the crowd. The air that was once cold and unwelcome is now what I long for.

It takes a few moments to gather myself and dust the crowd from my clothes. I stand still for a moment and take a deep breath to feel the cold enter my lungs and refresh my body. I look out in front of me as I release the contents of my lungs through my cold lips. Through the fog that escapes, I see red uniforms, filled out by two guys smiling back at me. They begin walking closer.

"How's it going sweetheart? Want a ride home?"

All I hear are their voices now. The lights are beginning to dim. I turn my head to find out where the crowd has gone. Nowhere. I have walked a bit further than I expected. The stands and the bus now stand between me and the crowd of people.

"Who you looking for, baby?" The guy says as he grabs my arm.

He looks familiar. It's the boy who crashed into David's catcher's mitt—Hale. I can tell by the mud stain down his left pant leg. I pull my arm away and smile, trying to avoid a confrontation.

"I'm just looking for someone. Good game, fellas." I turn around and walk back toward the crowd. I only make it two steps, though. One of the players grabs my arm and throws me around toward the bus, making me crash into it. That hurt.

Unfortunately, I am prone to be placed in less than fortunate situations. It seems, as I press my body off the cold bus, this is going to be one of those moments. And like all the other situations, this really pisses me off. I can feel the blood boiling in my veins and the red fill my eyes. I quickly get back to my feet and look them in their empty eyes. In. Out. In. Out. I can’t control it.

"You shouldn't have done that," I say.

"Hey, assholes." I hear someone yell from the distance. I have been interrupted by none other than our champion, David. "What do you guys think you are doing? Go back to your hell before I send you there.

It is three to one. David is outnumbered. However, David has size on his side. At first glance, he is no one you would want to mess with. Fortunately, they can't read my mind. Otherwise, they would know he is a huge teddy bear and horrible at fighting. He relies solely on his huge stature for intimidation purposes. He just doesn't know how to use it.

They do look frightened; they even take a step back, until one of them grabs something from behind the bus. I can hear the metal clink against the metal on the bus and know instantly this is about to be an even more unfair fight. Hale pulls a metal bat from behind the bus and drags it against the dirt until he is in David's face. David doesn't back off an inch. Hale pulls the bat up and drums it against his other hand, teasing us.

"Back off, big boy. You won't be so lucky this time." Hale says.

"Let's go, Analise," David says.

Hale laughs. "No, no she wants to hang out with us a bit longer."

David steps toward me and grabs my arm. "Let's go."

In the same second, Hale pulls his arm back and swiftly swings forward. I don't even have time to step backward. The bat is going to hit David in the back. However, it is stopped. The bat has stopped mid-swing by a hand. It is Alex.

"Leave," Alex says as he pulls the bat from Hale's hand. The boys quickly scramble off into the dark parking lot.

"Are you alright?" David asks. "Dude, your hand?"

"I'm fine." He laughs and throws the bat to the ground. "Just a few jerks; nothing I can't handle. Let's go. Analise, you good? I can't leave you alone for a second."

I can only shake my head.

"How is it you are always where you don't need to be, huh?" Alex asks. "David, make sure you have backup next time, buddy.

"I could have taken them.” He flexes.

Compared to David, Alex is slim. Although, he is of average height and has enough muscle and definition everywhere it matters. I can see them now that he walks ahead of me. The floodlights reflect off his golden hair; it creates shadows on his jersey that outline his perfectly chiseled arms and back.

Alex turns to hold out his hand. "I need to keep a close eye on you."

"Oh." I laugh, as I grab his hand. "I assure you; I can take care of myself. I was about to break bad just before you all showed up."

They laugh. "Right. Yea, I'm sure of that." Alex says. "So." He pauses. I can hear him swallow.

“You two be careful,” David says as he jogs off to the field house.

"So, what?"

He wraps his arms around my shoulders. "So how about you let me take you home. Make sure you get there safely."

I grab his waist and hold on tight. "I'll have you save me another day, hero. I've got to take Taylor home." I manage to escape his clenches and run toward my car, and Taylor, who is waving me over.

"Until next time." He yells.

The ride home is better than most. Taylor is too caught up texting about the win to talk to me. I am, for once, able to sit in peace and think about the best part of the night. Strangely, Alex is on my mind. I think tonight I actually see hope for something more. I don’t know if that is necessary the right decision. Probably not, but from the darkness comes light, so I've always heard. At the stop sign, I look into the sky for answers for the third time today. And there they are again, the three stars that form Orion's Belt, leading my way home. I lift my right arm to eye level and examine it closely. The three freckles, just as the other night, line up exactly like the stars I found in the night sky. "So they do. Interesting." I sigh. Something tells me that is not a good thing.

"Interesting?”

“Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself.” I turn left.

“You are more than just a little weird sometimes. Anyways, graduation, New Orleans, and then we are gone. Oh, I didn’t tell you. David and I. Yep." She winks.

Perfect. Just when I thought I was home free. I don't feel much like talking tonight. So, I don't. Taylor doesn't even realize it. She is already back on her phone. It is really one of the reasons I love her so much. She asks a lot of questions, but she is easily distracted.