"Quinn! Over here!" My cousin yelled at me. It was dark, and it was pouring down rain. They were great conditions to be running around trying to put a massive tarp over a baseball field. Not, but we didn't care because it was for the good of opening day on Saturday. My cousins, my uncle, some volunteers, and I were trying to pull a baseball field sized tarp over the baseball field. It was the last of three and it had just started raining. Great, we should have started earlier. I said we should've started earlier, but no one listens to me.

My aunt and uncle are the co-presidents of the baseball field so I am always here helping. I enjoyed it a lot and I really like baseball. And I'm not so bad, if I do say so myself.

Right now we are trying to cover the fields so they wouldn't be too terribly muddy from the rain for Saturday's opening ceremonies. I ran over to where my cousin needed help and grabbed a handle on the tarp. I started to try and pull it to the ground when the wind caught it and blew it up like a giant wave. My uncle ran over to us.

"Quinn, go inside!" He ordered as he grabbed the handle that I had.

"No, I've got this. Cole needs your help over there." I let go of the handle with one hand and pointed to where my other cousin was struggling to pull on the tarp.

"You're going to get sick!" he gave the tarp a tug and helped me start to lower it down to the ground.

"So you're willing to let your sons get sick but not me?" I asked defiantly. It took all of my strength to pull on the handle, and it still wasn't enough to get it to the ground.

"Go inside!" He yelled through the rain one more time before running over to help Cole. I refused. We managed to get the tarp down and the tires on it to weigh it down, so all of the people who had been working were standing in the concession stand talking and drying off a little before heading home for the night.

Let me explain a little. I have three cousins, Jack is the oldest, Thomas is the middle, and Cole is the youngest. Jack is a junior in high school, I'm a sophomore, Thomas is a freshman, and Cole is in eighth grade. I'm the shortest of the bunch, except for Cole. Jack and Tom are really tall, like six foot. I'm five seven and Cole is five six. The three of them play baseball here at the fields. I wanted to play, but we don't play. Us girls, that is. My name is Quincy Heart, or Quinn for short.

My uncle walked over to me with a grave look on his face. His brown hair was stuck to his face, wet from the rain. His brown eyes were upset, but not angry. "You should have come in earlier, young lady." He said whilst giving me an expectant glare. He was obviously expecting me to apologize. I love my uncle, but I'm not apologizing.

"That's discrimination." I said, matching his glare with my own. "Girls are not weaker than boys."

"No one is getting sick on my watch."

I rolled my eyes. He's been so protective since my parents died and I had to move in with them. Not that he wasn't protective before, he's just more protective now. "Whatever you say."

"Thanks for your help, Quinn." Judd said. He was a board member and also a friend of my aunt and uncle. That, thankfully, caught my uncle's attention so he walked over to talk to him.

"No problem." I smiled at him. He was really nice. His son, Matt, is hot, too, but we'll save that for another time. Not that I like him. He's a little immature for my tastes.

I always hung out at the fields. They were like my second, I mean third, home. Practically all of my friends are here. It's like my third family. Even before my parents died I always hung out here. It's my sanctuary from all of the shit that goes on in my life. Here, I'm free.

The next day was Tuesday, and I was sitting taking a break. I just moved twenty bags of chalk for the lines on the fields into the shed, and I was tired. I had a few minutes before my aunt Kim needed help in the stand and I was going to enjoy every minute of it. I was enjoying the nice breeze as I leaned back on the uncomfortable wooden stands when Matt walked over and sat down beside me.

Matt is tall like my cousins, way taller than I am. He has dark brown hair that's cut short but you wouldn't notice because it's always hidden beneath a baseball hat. He had brown eyes and a slender athletic body. See, I told you he was hot.

"Hey Quinn." He said as he sat down next to me.

"What's up, Matt?" I asked without looking up at him. I was too tired to move and I needed to conserve my energy.

"So…" He started. Matt and I haven't been friends for very long. He was my cousin's friend and that's how I met him. I just recently found out that he was Judd's son. I've known Judd for a few years now. This is Matt's first year playing here because he usually just plays for the school teams. We really don't talk all that much unless it's about something stupid like the weather or my cousins…or everyone's favorite topic, baseball.

"So…what?" I asked. I have no idea why he's talking to me. He must want something.

"What are you doing tonight?" He asked casually.

"I don't know, why?" He probably wants me to do something stupid like his chores.

"Do you want to do something?"

"Like what?" Here it comes.

"We can go to Wave Riders and play pool."

What? No favors or jobs for me to do? I don't really know why I would expect him to want me to do anything for him, but I certainly didn't expect him to want to do something with me. Uh…what do I do? "Sure, what time?" Where did that come from? I don't want to hang out with him.

"How about four?"

"My aunt needs my help until like six." Phew, saved by my aunt.

"Alright, I'll stay and we can go up together." What? I didn't agree to do this. Leave me alone.

Just then I saw Jack walk out of the concession stand. "Jack!" I hollered and Jack came running over. C'mon Jack, save me from being alone with him.

"What's up?" He asked.

"Matt and I are going to Wave Riders to play pool, do you want to come?" I tried to send him telepathic messages making him agree, but it didn't work.

He looked at Matt and then back at me before saying, "No, sorry I'm going out with Trina." Trina's his girlfriend. She's really nice, but she hates baseball so we don't really talk all that much.

"Well I don't have a ride then." I said gloomily. Inside I did a little cha-cha dance in my head. I really don't like Matt. He's stupid and he gets high and then tells me about it.

"I'll drive you." Matt said.

I turned and looked at him. "Are you sure?" Oh, please no.

"Yeah, sure, it's no big deal." He said casually.

"Great. I've got to go. I need to get paid." I hopped down and started walking towards the stand.

"You get paid?" Matt asked.

"Yeah, people pay me to do their shifts in the stand. Twenty bucks per shift. It's pretty good money."

"No kidding. Well I'll see you later." He called after me as I walked into the stand.

Jack's POV

"She doesn't know that you like her." I said to Matt after Quinn disappeared into the stand. When she asked if I could come and he violently shook his head no behind her, I figured it out. "I don't think she likes you like that."

"What?"

"She's not the boyfriend type of girl."

"What makes you say that?"

"Last year six seniors asked her out and she told each one of them no."

"So, what does that prove?"

"That she obviously doesn't want a boyfriend."

"You're jumping to conclusions."

"Does she know that this is a date?"

"It isn't."

"Sure it isn't. Just remember that when you are walking her to MY door."

I turned to walk away but he shouted, "What?"

I turned and walked back over to him. "Shh, don't announce it to the world." I brought my voice down to a low whisper. "Her parents died two months ago and now she's living with us. She didn't want anyone to know."

"Why does she work then? You guys are rich."

"Dude, her family was rich. She's been living with us since the funeral two months ago. She hasn't asked for money once. She tried to pay rent but my parents wouldn't allow it. She earns all of her spending money and if we go out to eat, she pays for herself. God, if I could I'd let someone else pay for me."

"Oh my god. That sucks."

"Yeah, but don't mention it to her…ever."

"Gotcha."

I turned and walked away. I can already see that this is going to end in disaster.

After my shift stand ended, I tried to sneak out of the stand and grab Jack so we could go, but, unfortunately, Matt spotted me.

"Quinn!" He called as he walked up to me.

"Hey, Matt." I said with a big fake smile.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, uh, you know I can walk if you don't want to drive me." I said, hoping by some miracle that he would let me go.

"Don't be stupid. C'mon." We walked over to where he parked his car and I got in. "Ready?"

"Yeah."

We arrived at Wave Riders a few minutes later and we walked up to the hostess counter. "Can we get a pool table?" Matt asked.

"Hey, Quinn." The hostess smiled. I knew her because we often came up to Wave Riders. "Sure, here." she reached under the counter and pulled out a set of pool balls.

"Here." I put down the twenty that I had just made.

"No, no." she smiled. "You get a free table because of Jack."

Jack works at Wave Riders. "I want to pay."

Matt took my money and tucked it back into my pocket. "C'mon." He grabbed my arm and pulled me in the direction of our table. So far so good. At least he hasn't made any immature cracks like "Hey, dude, look, I'm naked. Ha ha! You looked!"

"I don't like taking things for free." I said as he started to rack the balls.

"I know. Do you want to break?" Is he completely ignoring me?

"Sure." I set up the shot and took it. We had been playing for about a half an hour when he sat down next to me to talk.

"So, do you want to get something to eat?" He asked.

"Sure. Let's just call a waitress over and-"

"Or we can go somewhere else."

"But I stink and I need a shower." I really don't want to go anywhere else with you. I've had a nice time, but let's stop while we're ahead.

"You can go home and shower and get dressed and I can pick you up there." He said with a smile.

"No!" God, doesn't he just think of everything?

"Why not?"

"Sorry, I just don't want to go home." He can't know I live with them.

"Okay, well I was just thinking…"

And then it clicked. "Are you trying to ask me out on a date?"

"I was." I shook my head as I stood up and took my turn. "Why not?"

"You don't want to date me." I said. Maybe he'll take that as an answer.

He stood up and came to my side. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Uh…" I've got to think of something and quick. "I'm moving." I said.

"What?!"

"Yeah." I quickly put my stick up ran out. I started on my walk back to my cousin's house.

Okay so the truth is that I'm moving out, but not away. I've always wanted to play baseball, but girls just don't do that. Girls play softball, but I like baseball better. Even if I did try out, I would never have been drafted. So I came up with a plan. I told my aunt and uncle that I was going to go stay with my aunt on my mom's side because I wanted to go to school in Jersey. I'm going to move in with my friend Eliza and then I'm going to cut my hair and become a guy. I'll show those stupid guys that girls can play just as well as they can. My plan is foolproof!