Hello all who read this. This was a sequel to the book, Painting the Black that we had to read in school. I'm sorry that I didn't split up the chapters, but it won't matter because it's not that long. Thanx

-SJRaider

Painting Five Years

CHAPTER 1

It had been five years. Five years! And here we were: I was standing in front of the stadium, my heart racing. I hadn’t seen Josh in five years. My mother and father had bought half of my ticket to fly down to Colorado. The other half was provided from my job earnings.

“Have a good time!” my parents had told me. Grandpa Kevin had offered to come down with me, but I insisted to go alone. Grandpa told me that I wouldn’t survive alone in a dry state:

“Sun breaks in Colorado each morning, noon, and night, Ryan!” he growled.

“I told you that the Daniels are going to be with me!” I pleaded. He merely shrugged his shoulders and went back to the newspaper that he read. My mother made sure that I would be safe, but I quickly reminded her that I was grown up and not an eleven-year old making his first trip to Disneyland on his own. I hadn’t seen Josh Daniels in a long time, and my father wasn’t too happy with me traveling to a different state to see someone who had formally committed a crime. With some grudging words and actions, Grandpa Kevin let me go, and so I did. On the way to Colorado, the plane was pelted with rain, but as we reached the sunny state, the blue clouds were cut by the large plane. As the plane flew on, I thought of Josh. For the past five years, I had had no contact with him. I figured that an almost famous player of “The Colorado Rockies” wouldn’t have time to talk to a mere college student. I didn’t even think that Josh would remember me. I had asked Mr. and Mrs. Daniels, asking if Josh was available, and they told me to go to the central stadium. They said that the big game practices were today, and they would join me in watching the game. After ten minutes of eagerly waiting outside, I walked toward the large front doors and pushed them open. The lobby was like any other I had seen: Small, two desks by the wall, a secretary jabbering into the phone busily.

“I know” she said into the receiver “I have to stay here all night with the others to be their janitor” she complained, popping the piece of gum that she chewed. I stepped up to the desk she sat at and cleared my throat. The girl laughed and popped her gum again.

“Eh, excuse me?” I began my voice shaky. She laughed again and chewed the pink gum louder. “Excuse me” I said a little louder. She sighed and popped the gum once more.

“Just a sec” was all her words. With a sneer, the secretary turned and raised an eyebrow. “Need something?” she asked in a cold voice. Her pink bubblegum stuck to her tongue.

“Is the team practicing?” I asked slowly. She nodded, jabbing a finger to the doors to her left.

“Uh huh.” She said angrily, scraping the gum off of her tongue with her teeth. I nodded and walked toward the doors, pushing them open. Another hallway met me, and then the green grass of the stadium. I spotted feet going back and forth. Some jumped from the ground, others kicked the grass. Out of the stadium doors I walked a slight smile upon my face. In a line stood people I had never seen before: Some were tall and thin, others were short and large. I couldn’t see Josh anywhere. Ahead of the team stood the Coach. He had an aggressive look about him. He threw his whistle into his mouth and blew.

“Team code!” he yelled. The Rockies team hurriedly formed a line and jumped their feet up and down.

“Red team jump! Red team go! Red team, red team, red team!” they chanted. The coach nodded his head in approval and smiled as they said it again. “Red teams go! Red team, red tea…” they stopped as the whistle sounded. As they marched around again, I couldn’t spot Josh. He was nowhere to be seen. Had Mr. and Mrs. Daniels lied to me? I asked myself, but then my questions were answered.

“DANIELS!” the coach yelled through a large megaphone. The doors on the other side of the field swung open and there he was: Josh Daniels ran out, a grin covering his face. “Daniels, you’re late! Always late!” he yelled.

“But today’s a record! I was only three minutes!” Josh said.

Laughter was heard coming from the red team. , and then Josh stopped. There I was, just feet away. The famous Rockies player looked as he always did: Long black hair, dark brown eyes. He wore a red team shirt that had the letters 77.

“Ryan?” he asked slowly, a state of awe covering his face. I laughed slightly and shoved my hand in my pockets. Red team turned and looked at me awkwardly.

“Daniels?” the Coach asked. “What’s the matter? He growled. Josh smiled and put his hand up, signaling five minutes. I nodded and stepped back.

“Nothing, coach, it’s an old friend” he said, smiling again at me.

“Alright, Red team! Get to catching!” he commanded. “We can’t lose”. I went red. I wasn’t usually put on the spot, even when I played on the team back at Crown Hill. I was just a part of the team, nothing too special, except the time when I won the award for “Most Inspirational Player: Ryan Ward.” Till this day, I kept that award on my beside table. It reminded me of the day I got it back in High School. Those were good times, times before I had to speak to the police or lieutenants or anxious parents. After a while of catching and throwing, Josh walked away from the practice and over to me. I smiled.

“Ryan!” he said again, a smile of joy on his face. I nodded and sighed.

“Good practice” I replied, seeing that the 77 on his jersey was stained with wet g rass and dirt.

“Thanks!” he replied, a warm smile upon his face. On his right hand, there was his catcher’s mitt pulled on like a delicate glove. Every two seconds, he slammed his fist into the mitt, letting dust particles surround the clear air. I still wondered if he would be angry at the thought of me telling the police the truth about Josh’s actions. Upon our last meeting, Josh took my congratulation proudly. He thanked me back. At the back of my mind, there was still the nagging thought of hate toward the person who had turned him in. “So” he said slowly, “What are you doing down here? I knew my Mom and Dad were coming, but I didn’t expect you!” he exclaimed.

“Just thought I would come and see your big game!” I said, almost sneezing as the dust that came from the catchers mitt flew into my nose. He nodded his head. “Eh, and, I went to Shoreline! It was great! I got into their baseball team and have been playing for the last two years!” I exclaimed. He nodded again and stopped beating his fist into the mitt. Now, he reached into his pocket and withdrew a tattered baseball. On the worn leather were the letters: R. D.

“Who signed that?” I asked, looking at the curved initials. Around the r and d was a ring of red.

“Roger Daniels!” Josh replied, throwing it in the air and catching it with the glove.

“Close relative?” I asked. That’s not really what I wanted to say. I wanted to ask if he had been married, if he had won any games, if he had spoken to Monica, but I couldn’t spit it out. There was a different air around Josh that made him seem like a changed man. After every word he would grin, which was highly unusual for him. He had taken anger management classes! Why would I believe that he wouldn’t be changed?

“Yeah, he’s my Grandpa. Played with Babe Ruth, he said once” Josh said, grinning larger. I nodded and put my hand behind my back.

“So, when is the game?” I asked, watching team red run back and forth.

“Seven!” he replied joyfully. I knew this wasn’t what Josh wanted to talk about. He seemed excited to see me, but there was something that separated his enjoyment. Something during those five years had changed. Was there a girl in his life? Had Monica come back to him so that he could redeem himself? These were all unanswered questions that I’m afraid he would refuse to answer.

“So, see you around?” I asked. He nodded, giving a toothy grin.

“Wait! Hey, do you want to play catch?”

“Sure” I replied hurriedly. The red team still threw and caught. I remembered back at the Community Center in Seattle: We had a routine where he threw the ball and I caught it, throwing it back. In the winter, snow covered the ground and we threw the ball back and forth, losing it in the white frost. For the next ten minutes, we threw back and forth. The coach ended practice with a blow of the whistle and the team got ready to go.

CHAPTER 2

I left Josh with a goodbye and told him that I would see him at the game. The Daniels invited me to stay with them in the hotel they were at, and I did. The money that I received from working bought half of my ticket, a hotel, food, etc. I knew that I wasn’t going to stay long, but they thought that being prepared would be for the best. The hotel that we entered was old and musty. My room was right next to Mr. and Mrs. Daniel’s. It had a bathroom, a bed, and a medium-sized television. Through the hotel window, I could see the stadium, its lights shining bright.

“The Rockies play tonight at Fielding Stadium! 7:00!” said the sign. I sighed, went over to my bed, and closed my eyes. The uncomfortable bed wasn’t welcoming, but I was easily taken by sleepiness.

Two hours later, Mr. and Mrs. Daniels knocked on my door.

“Ryan, game’s in one hour!” Josh’s father reminded me. My eyes flickered open and I sat straight up. I looked out of the window and saw the same sign flashing. The time on the sign read 6:00.

“Yeah” I replied, sniffing in. “I’m ready”. I got up, swung the door open, and we were walking to the stadium. Cars were parked neatly in the large lot that stood feet away from Fielding Stadium. We crossed the street and followed everyone else that entered the fan seats. I could see people laughing, eating their baseball food, and having a good time. This is what it was like. I was now one in the crowd. Always back at Crown Hill or Shoreline, I could just see the fans’ faces beaming, but now, I was one of them. After an hour of waiting, the Rockies made it out to the field. I smiled and the Daniels waved at their son. Josh looked up and smiled, waving at us. I nodded and watched the team get ready.

“Red team jump, red team go, red team, red team, red team!” they chanted, running around in a circle. I noticed that the stadium was crowded with eager looking fans from ages one to ninety. Some wore large hands with the finger pointing up, others had large red shirts with “ROCKIES RULE” lazily painted on. I smiled, feeling memories of the old baseball games coming back. I would run back and forth, the ball releasing the grip of my hand. Those old games were just a swarming memory that was clouded, only to be brought back by my trophy: “Most Inspirational Player: Ryan Ward”. After the team had warmed up, the announcer came on.

“Eager fans of Colorado, give it up for the amazing Colorado Rockies!” he yelled. The crowd yelled and stomped their feet.

“ROCKIES! ROCKIES! ROCKIES!” they yelled. Some of the team members smiled and looked up. I could barely see Josh holding the baseball bat in his grasp. He was the hitter, a star of the game.

“The Rockies are playing against Arizona’s ferocious SCOTTSDALE SCORPIONS! And up to bat, we have none other than the one who won us the championship two years ago! The one, the only, the amazing JOSH DANIELS!” the announcer yelled. Josh didn’t dare look at his fans. He kept his eyes focused on the field, and that was the only thing that mattered now: the field. When I looked down again at the players, I saw another familiar face: Chris Sealin kicked his feet on the ground. My eyes lit up to see him in five years, just as I had done with Josh. My old team friend was standing at first base. He smiled at Josh and Josh swung the ball a few times in the air. The coach ran out to the field, yelling at the team. After a few moments of lecture, the game began. Every time Josh swung, the ball soared out and he punched the ball through the air with the bat. It flew across the air and down to first base. Chris attempted to catch it, but Josh was too fast for him. He made his way to second base, and then to third. Before I knew it, the game was over. The Rockies had nearly beaten the Scorpions and the team was exhausted from playing against the SCORPIONS. I couldn’t believe that the game was over. It had gone by too quick. The fans began to leave, yawning. I looked up at the large view screen to see that it was Nine O’ Five. Mr. and Mrs. Daniels led me down to Josh. A smile of victory was on his face.

“You did it!” his parents said. I smiled and congratulated him.

“Thanks for coming, Ryan” he said.

“No problem!” I replied excitedly. It was the first game I had seen Josh play that would be spread across televisions everywhere in Colorado. Mr. and Mrs. Daniels went over to talk to Chris Sealin’s parents and I stood in front of Josh. I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off.

“Wait, Ryan. There’s something I have to tell you.” He said, looking back and forth. I raised an eyebrow.

“Yes?” I asked, studying his face. He leaned in and began to whisper.

“Remember Monica?” he asked. I rolled my eyes. How could of I forgotten her? That incident back in that portable had been horrible. Images of Monica’s white face still haunted me. I nodded my head, swallowing.

“Yes” I said slowly, hoping that he was going to get to a good point. Josh pointed behind him. I looked behind him, seeing busy fans and team members signing trinkets. I was expecting Monica to jump out of the crowd, a firearm at hand.

“Well” he started, getting redder.

“She’s here, waiting for me” he said. My eyes went wide. I couldn’t believe my ears. Monica Roby, the most perfect, unforgiving, snobby, intelligent student waiting for a mere baseball player? I had thought that she would find someone at Stanford and run off with them. I never thought in all my time of knowing the two that such a thing would happen. I looked behind him again and saw the same girl from Crown Hill. She had a warm smile on her face. She looked back and forth at the people, waving at some.

“How? When? Why?” I asked, my eyes carefully studying Monica. Josh shrugged his shoulders.

“Two years ago, I was getting ready to go back home to visit when Monica showed up at my home.” He looked at me, smiling nervously. I opened my mouth. “I know what you’re thinking. I thought that she wanted revenge for what I did.” He stopped, turning to Monica. She smiled at him and stood next to the tall baseball player.

”Hi Ryan”

CHAPTER 3

After hours of talking to each other, Monica and Josh had to go. They left me with a slight look of disbelief still on my face. Mr. and Mrs. Daniels didn’t tell me about Monica and him, and I’m afraid that they were forced not too. I was surprised to see Monica. She had told me about Stanford and I told her and Josh about Shoreline. Josh rambled on about practicing for the Rockies. I agreed with them to meet at the local Movie Theaters the next morning, and I did. We caught the earliest double-showing of the new “Creature from the Black Lagoon” and “Frankenstein”. I enjoyed it, and so did Monica. Every time that she would look at me, she smiled. I smiled back and looked at the movie screen, thoughts still running in my mind of the way Monica was when I ‘rescued’ her. She definitely wasn’t the same person. Maybe something happened at Stanford I guessed. Monica had told me the details of everything that happened there, not leaving anything out. I couldn’t pay attention to the movie. Every few minutes, I would hear the screaming of the girl at the swamp that was about to be taken captive by the evil creature, or Dr. Frankenstein yelling “It’s Alive!” over and over. The thoughts that Dr. Frankenstein had come and switched brains with Monica and Celeste Honor, making Monica an unintelligent teenager kept swimming through my brain. “How had she been so forgiving? Why did she come down all the way to Colorado to see a man who had committed a crime against her?” I asked over and over. After the movies ended, we had lunch, and then said our goodbyes. Tonight was when Josh’s mom and dad were leaving for Seattle. Since I was only staying there for two days, I didn’t have much to carry onto the plane. Josh drove us all, with Monica, to the Colorado airport. We boarded the plane and headed for home. Thoughts of Monica and Josh were the only ones that took place in my brain on the way back home. As we reached Seattle, rain pelted the plane once more. I was home safe in Washington. The Daniels were nice enough to give me a ride home, since we just lived across the street from each other. At home, I told my mother, father, and Grandpa Kevin about the game. Grandpa listened eagerly as I spoke of the Rockies winning and the sore loss of the SCOTTSDALE SCORPIONS.

“Pure genius!” Grandpa Kevin said after every time I spoke of Josh slamming the baseball just right. After a nice dinner of Lasagna, I retired to bed and looked out of the window. Images of Josh walking out on the driveway, waiting to walk to school, but this time, the image changed: Josh walked with an arm around Monica, and she grinned. The five year reunion with us three had been short and strange. Josh was changed, now a famous Colorado baseball player. Monica was an educated woman who was the girlfriend of the very man who had committed a crime against her. After minutes of thinking of these incidents, I smiled and fell back on my bed, thinking of those warm, welcoming words that Monica had said,

“Hi Ryan”