Ann Martin - Kristy And The Walking Disaster

It was Charlotte's cheering, more than anything else, that suddenly gave me a surge of hope for my team. Maybe they could win after all.

The game continued. It was a warm day and the sun was beating down. The people in the stands put on sunglasses and took off jackets and sweaters. The frosting on the cupcakes and brownies at the refreshment stand began to melt. A few of the Bashers removed their hats because their heads were too hot, then

put them back on because the sun was in their eyes.

I stuck a piece of gum in my mouth, chewed it, and followed the game.

In the third inning, Hannie Papadakis hit the ball - hard.

"Oh, my gosh!" she cried disbelievingly.

"Run, run!" I shouted to her.

"Oh, yeah!" she said, suddenly remembering - and managed to get around all the bases, beating the throw home. She even sent Margo home before her.

Two more runs for the Krushers.

The Bashers frowned. They gritted their teeth. They concentrated furiously on the game. When Gabbie was up next, I didn't even have to say anything to the pitcher. He just switched balls and moved forward.

At the end of the inning, the score was 8-6, still in favor of the Bashers.

At the end of the fourth inning, the Bashers were ahead 10-6, and Bart called for a "fourth-inning stretch." Everyone needed it - players, cheerleaders, fans, and coaches.

I wiped my forehead with the shoulder of my T-shirt (something Mom absolutely hates for me to do), and met up with the other members of the Baby-sitters Club.

"The Krushers are doing great!" cried Claudia.

"We're losing," I replied.

"But you're playing a very tough game," said Mary Anne, even though she knows next to nothing about sports. "Don't you see how the Bashers are acting now? You're giving them a run for their money."

"Yeah," agreed Mal. "I bet they thought they'd just walk onto the field, cream you, and leave. But your kids have gotten home runs and everything. Gabbie is amazing with that wiffle ball."

"Oh, but Jackie and the refreshment stand," I moaned.

"Everyone's forgotten about that," Dawn assured me. "He's played so well since then. Anyway, just look at him."

I looked. Jackie was by the stands, talking to his family. He was grinning, and he looked pretty pleased with himself.

As I watched Jackie, I noticed Karen signaling to me. Well, not exactly signaling; more like waving frantically. Karen just cannot be subtle.

"I better go see what she wants," I said.

I left my friends and trotted over to my family.

"Hi, Coach!" cried Karen. "I am so excited!"

"What a game!" Watson said.

"Yeah, we're winning," Andrew exclaimed.

"Wait a sec. No we're not," I had to tell him.

"Karen says we are."

"Karen, the Bashers are ahead of us. You know that," I said. "They've got ten runs and we've only got six."

"Only!" cried Karen. "Six is a lot. If we got six, we'll get more. I think we're going to beat the Bashers!"

I looked helplessly at Mom and Watson, but Mom shrugged and Watson said something about "hope springing eternal."

"What?" I said.

"The optimism of youth," Watson tried to explain.

I'd been about to ask him for some advice, but I decided not to. Not if he was in this dumb poetic mood.

"I better go check on Sam and Charlie," I said, and rushed off.

It was a good thing I did, too, because what with the fourth-inning stretch, they were overrun with lemonade requests. I snagged Mary Anne, and she and I helped them out. While we were filling cups, I overheard someone say,

awed, "Those Krushers are really something."

I turned around. It was a Basher!

Ten minutes later, the game began again. An hour and fifteen minutes after that, it was just about over. It was the top of the seventh, the Bashers were still ahead, and the Krushers had two outs. Claire Pike went to bat.

Boy, I thought, trying to send her a mind message, if you've ever needed to hit that ball, it's right now.

Claire struck out.

The Bashers leaped to their feet and threw their hats in the air. The game was over.

The score was 16-11, and the Bashers had won. They had crushed the Krushers. I had seen it coming, of course. The Bashers had been ahead all along.

I guess I'd been hoping for a miracle.

I took off my collie hat and stuffed it in my back pocket. The Krushers were running off the field and the crowd was cheering. The cheerleaders were cheering, too - all of them, even Charlotte. And then I heard a third cheer: "Two, four, six, eight! Who do we appreciate? The Krushers! The Krushers! Yea!"

And an answering cheer: "Two, four, six, eight! Who do we appreciate? The Bashers! The Bashers! Yea!"

The Krushers and the Bashers were slapping five and pounding each other on the backs. The Krushers didn't look too disappointed, not even Karen.

"Hey, you Krushers!" I yelled.

My team separated from the Bashers and straggled over to me.

"Congratulations, you guys," I said. "You played a really good game. I mean it."

"Even though we lost?" Jackie ventured.

"Even though you lost. You were playing against kids who are older and bigger than most of you. And who have been a team longer than the Krushers have. And you got eleven runs. Do you know how terrific that is?"

"Yup," said Karen. "We do."

"And the next time we play the Bashers," said Jackie, "maybe we'll beat them."

I grinned. "Okay, you guys. Time to go home. Find your parents or your brothers and sisters. Andrew, Karen, and David Michael, let's go help Sam and Charlie."

People began to drift away from the playground. Mary Anne left with Logan. Jessi walked off with Mallory and the Pikes. But Claudia and Dawn stayed and counted the money Sam and Charlie had taken in at the refreshment stand.

"Wow!" said Dawn a few minutes later when the counting was done. "This ought to buy hats for your team."

"I'll say," I agreed. "Thanks, Sam. Thanks, Charlie. The Krushers really appreciate your help."

"No problem," said Charlie, as he folded up the tables.

I checked to make sure that there were no stray cups or napkins on the ground, and then I turned to walk toward Mom's station wagon.

"Hey, Kristy!" called a voice.

I would know that voice anywhere. It was Bart's.

Chapter 15.

Even though Bart was calling me, I didn't turn around right away. I stalled just long enough to see all sorts of things happen - Sam and Charlie nudge each other, Dawn and Claudia raise their eyebrows at each other, and Mom and Watson wink at each other.

Oh, brother. Did they all know there was something more (maybe) between Bart and me than just coaching our teams?

"Yeah?" I said, turning around.

Guess what? Bart wanted the two of us to walk home together again. So we did.

"See you later," I said to my family. Then, " 'Bye!" I called to Claud and Dawn. "I'll phone you tonight."

"You better," Claud replied mischievously, glancing at Bart. "If you don't, I'll call you."

Bart and I walked off sort of quickly. As soon as we left the playground, Bart said, "Well, congratulations!"

"On what?" I replied.

"On the Krushers' game, what else?"

"Oh, that," I said.

"They were great!"

"Some of them."

"All of them."

"Jamie Newton still ducks balls, and Claire Pike still has a zero batting average and throws tantrums."

"Maybe. But I noticed something today. Your team has total dedication."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I mean that they would do anything for the team or anyone on it. They may not be excellent players, but being part of a team means a lot to them. I could see it in their faces. I saw it every time one of them was at bat, especially kids like Jamie and Claire. I could almost hear them saying to themselves, 'This time I'm going to get that ball. I'm going to do it for my team. I know I've never done it before, but I'm going to do it now.' I think your kids realize that they couldn't be on any other team - at least not easily - so they're, like, really fierce about the Krushers."