A/N: My work is an unfinished project. Basically, what I mean is that I read reviews and take the advice given to me. I look at my work and try to make it better. This does not mean you have to read each chapter each time a new one is submitted. It just means that I am always working to make the story better!

"Slide, slide, sliiiiiide!" Coach Lian shouted as I rounded third and headed for home. Following his instructions, I found myself on the ground, spread out over home plate with the catcher breathing in my face.

"SAFE!" The umpire roared.

I jumped up as quickly as I could, which is not very quick when you've got a catcher on top of you, and headed to the dugout, high-fiving players as I went in.

"Good job!" Coach Lian patted me on the back, thanking me for providing the go ahead run in the bottom of the fifth. If we won this game, we would be going to the play-offs next week. If we lost, we'd still have a chance if Calden High lost as well.

Panting, I grabbed a cup of water, taking a sip as I sat down on the bench. I had just run home all the way from first base on a double provided by our left fielder, Julie. I didn't get to sit down for long. Anita, our catcher, hit a pop up to the pitcher to end the inning.

"We're the best, oh yeah! We're the best from the east to the west. We're the best! Kernsboro!" The girls on the bench chanted as Natalie caught the ball in centerfield to end the game. It has become a tradition for the bench to chant that after a victory.

"Congratulations on the win, Sport." My dad said with no emotion as I walked in the front door that evening. He was sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper. I silently groaned knowing what was coming next. It always came next. "I heard the UCLA scouts were at the game today."

I shrugged my shoulders dropping my backpack by the stairs. I didn't know nor did I care. My dad's only interest in softball was getting me a full scholarship to college. Yeah, I did want that, but more importantly I wanted my dad to show more interest in me playing the game than how much money it could save him in college tuition. I knew that it was highly unlikely for college coaches or scouts to attend a high school game. I also knew that it was highly unlikely for me to receive a full scholarship over a partial.

"Have you thought more about playing for the Holland Hills Lightening this summer?"

Holland Hills is a tournament team that I've played for the past five years. I usually took the summers off to go to camps and the past two summers I've worked in spite of my dad's persistence that I do something softball related.

"I dunno, Dad. Mr. Olgunic wants me to wait tables for him again at his restaurant." His restaurant was aptly named Olgunic Family Restaurant. "He said he'd give me a 5 cent raise."

"Don't you care about your future? Don't you care about what you can get out of this?"

"Yeah, I do. That's why I want this job. I want money so I can afford the future."

"If you get on one of the best college softball teams that can help you with your future." My dad had put the newspaper down and was now glaring at me.

"My future?" Sure, there were professional softball teams out there, but it wasn't anything like baseball. A girl could not make a living playing softball. And what if I wanted to have a family? That kind of thing could affect a girl's career.

"Don't you like playing softball? What am I wasting my money for?"

"Wasting your money? All you care about is not having to pay for my college!" I stormed out of the kitchen, up the stairs and into my bedroom, slamming the door before flopping down on my bed. Before I let myself cry, I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and dialed my best friend's number.

"Dad driving you crazy again?" Melanie answered. I smiled at how she could practically read my thoughts.

"Ohmigosh, I wish he would just care about me."

"He does care about you."

"Yeah, how much he has to spend, how much he can save. It's all money with him." I sighed. "I wish for once I would find him in the stands, watching me, having fun, wanting me to have fun."

"He does want you to have fun."

"I don't know anymore. I think he'd rather me forego fun if it means he can save money on college."

"Well, you know your dad. He's more of a businessman than a sports fan."

"Yeah, how did I end up in this family?"

"Guess who was at the game today?" I sat up, listening intensively as Melanie changed the subject. All thoughts of my dad escaped my mind. "Mike Renaldi." Melanie stated matter-of-factly. Not waiting for me to say anything, she continued on. "He was sitting on the other end of the bleachers, but I think he was watching you."

"Really?" Mike, a junior like me, was the right fielder for the baseball team and I do have to admit that he was kind of cute. OK, I thought he was a lot cute. "Wait, wait. I thought he had a girlfriend?" For the past year, Mike had been dating a varsity cheerleader, Jessica Jones.

"Have you been living under a rock? They broke up a month ago. She was cheating on him with a second string football player."

"How could I have missed that?" I laid my head against a pillow.

"Well, you have been busy with softball. You are always busy with softball."

"I know. I know." I sighed again. "Well, I'm not busy with softball right now, but I do have to get busy with my homework. I want to continue this fascinating conversation, but I do have my homework. Groan. Do you think he'll be at the game next week? Will you be at the game next week?"

"When is it, where is it, and who will you be playing? You know, the baseball team has one more game before their post season…if they make it."

"Oh. Um, you know, I don't know, I don't know, and I think the Sandersville Lady Tigers." I paused, trying to think of the local high school softball standings.

"You know me, I'll do my best to be there."

"If only you were my father."

"Lizzie!" Melanie moaned. I guess I did whine about my father a little too much sometimes.

"Sorry, well, I do have to get to my homework. I'll see you tomorrow in school." I closed my black flip cell phone, tossed it to the side, and rolled my brown eyes as I thought of how much homework I had that evening.