The Girls of Summer: 7

 

A big couple of days for Hunter. A big dance, a big game and a big talk with his dad.
It's a lot for a little kid whose already going through a lot. Thank you, thank you,
thank you for all your comments and support. Honestly, I was afraid that this story
may not connect with a lot of people. Hunter is a much younger protagonist than I
ever created before. I'm so happy that he has captured your hearts the same way
that he captured mine.

---

 
Author's Note: Once again, I am humbled by the number of supportive comments and emails.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I hope you all enjoy where this story takes us.

ps: The usage of the word Hunny is slang for "Hunter" not honey. ~Clara.
 
This version of The Girls of Summer: 7 has been updated with many corrections towards spelling and grammar.~Sephrena.
 
Image Credit: Image created through the use of ai at https://perchance.org/beautiful-people .~Sephrena.

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Chapter 7
 

Thursday was a perfect day to play softball! The sun was up and shining, but it was a little cooler than it had been with the high temperature of the day expected to be just under eighty degrees. Hunter's first game of the day had been a bit of an upset. Group A had taken on Group B and, shockingly, Group A had won with a score of seven to three. Even so, Coach Marie had lectured them about the three runs they'd given up and told them that she expected more concentration when they took on the winner of the Group C/D game - which ended up being Group D.

The Group A -v- Group D game was a much more contentious event than anyone could have expected, with the final result being Group D winning two to one, but both teams were really proud of their performances on the field. Even Coach Marie was thrilled that her team had held the much bigger and more experienced girls to just a one run victory.

As they left the field that day, a lot of girls were taking pictures of themselves and their friends to remember their time on those fields. Hunter was being called hither and yon to be in pictures with this girl and that girl and that girl and that girl...

Finally, Mary Ellen had to go and take him by the hand. "Sorry, girls," she smiled, "but Short Stuff needs a shower and to get to the salon to get ready for tonight."

The girls were all shouting their goodbyes and Hunter shouted back that he'd see them all that night.

"Alright - Hunter, into the shower in mom and dad's room. Wanda, into the one in the hallway between my room and Hunter's," Mary Ellen ordered as soon as they all entered the house.

"And no dilly dallying," Joyce called behind them. "Get rid of that dirt and sweat and then get out and get dressed to go to the salon." She clapped her hands, just like the coaches did, as the two youngest ran up the stairs. "Chop, chop! Be quick!"

Twenty minutes later, both softball players came running back down the stairs in casual clothes. Hunter had a choice of anything in his closet to wear, but he was wearing a light blue sundress with white lace around the modest neckline. He looked lovely, but since dresses had been a source of argument until just a few days ago, it did surprise his stepmother. "Let's go," Joyce demanded, holding the front door open, motioning theatrically that they should exit the house. Moments later, Joyce was behind the wheel with Mary Ellen in the passenger seat and Wanda and Hunter strapped-in in the backseat.

The women at the hair salon were waiting and happy to have their two, young customers returning.

It only took moments for the two friends to be reclined in their chairs with capes draped across them and their hair being washed, yet again, by the stylists so that they could do their jobs correctly.

An hour later, their hair looked beautiful and their makeup was perfect and feminine. As had happened on Saturday, the makeup made Wanda look a little older and a bit sexy, while it made Hunter look just a little younger and more innocent. They'd done a little extra work on his eyes, so that they looked a bit bigger than usual and kind of popped.

Hunter's hair was done a bit differently that night, too. This time, they'd used a curling iron to give him big, vertical curls on the sides of his head, then they brushed and relaxed those curls a bit so that his hair was full and wavy. It looked very different than he'd ever seen his hair before. The curls made his hair fall into his face a bit, so in order to stop that, his stylist put two, very pretty hair clips into his hair - one on each side. Because Joyce had told the stylist that Hunter's dress was purple, the clips had pretty purple, faux stones on them that sparkled in his red hair.

"Oh, my," Joyce said, her hand on her heart. "You've out done yourself. Hunter... you look... just beautiful, baby. Just beautiful."

The next stop was the nail salon. This time, Wanda got bright red polish to match her dress and Hunter's nails were done in a deep, shining purple. Even before he'd put on his dress, the way that the nail polish matched the sparking glass gems in his hair clips already looked beautiful.

They were back home at four forty-five. Veronica had left work early to help Wanda with her dress and was waiting for them when they arrived.

"Have you heard from Bob today?" Veronica asked Joyce quietly, as they walked towards the front door.

"No," Joyce replied becoming concerned. "Why?"

Veronica shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I'm just imagining things, but he just seemed... off today."

"'Off' how?"

"Like he had a lot on his mind, I guess."

Joyce just shook her head and turned to the kids. "Let's go, girls! Dresses, on. Now!"

So, up the stairs to Bob and Joyce's room went Veronica and Wanda, while Mary Ellen took Hunter's hand and led him up to her room.

They started with the elegant underwear that Joyce had gotten for him. Silk and lace, dark purple boy shorts that seemed to offer his little bottom a bit of shape. Then came the matching bra, which seemed to lift and shape his breasts in a way that no other bra he'd worn had ever done.

"Whoa," he said, looking down at himself. "Have they gotten bigger?"

"Maybe," Mary Ellen smiled. "You are at 'that age' when they can grow quickly, but this bra is designed to display and... enhance... your bust line."

"It makes me bigger?" he asked.

"No. It displays what you have better. That's all."

Mary Ellen had him step into his cute, new, one inch, strappy sandals and by that time, Mary Ellen had pulled down the zipper on his dress. She carefully lowered it over his head, then pulled the zipper up his back. Then she turned him to face her. His cleavage was just barely visible under the sheer lace of the stretch-to-fit top, and it gave him a feminine look that was undeniable. This was a very pretty young woman.

"Wow," Mary Ellen said, shaking her head and smiling. "Hunny... I never expected you'd look this nice... ever. You're absolutely beautiful." She kissed his head. "Hang on."

She hurried to her jewelry box and found a necklace with a silver chain and a small amethyst pendant.

"This will be perfect," she smiled as she placed the purple necklace around his neck and attached the clasp in the rear.

"So..." she looked at her little stepbrother, looking so girlish and pretty. "Tonight's a big night for you, isn't it?"

Hunter nodded. "I guess."

She looked at him some more. "Hunter... after daddy sees you like this... he will understand when you talk to him. I'm sure of it."

He took a deep breath and sighed. "I hope so. Between the dance tonight and the game tomorrow... I just hope he gets it."

She put one hand on each of his cheeks. "He will. Ready to go down and see mom?"

He nodded.

They went down the stairs to find Joyce and Veronica speaking quietly. They looked a bit concerned until Joyce turned and saw Hunter in all of his feminine splendor. Once again, she was an emotional wreck as she fussed over Hunter and took picture after picture of him and Wanda. Some in the house and some outside by the big, flowering bushes.

Finally, Veronica said, "I think we'd better get going, girls."

Hunter looked around. "Where's dad? He's supposed to take me."

"He'll meet your there, baby," Joyce said. "He got held up at work, but he's going to meet you there." At least, that's what he'd told her and that was what Joyce was praying he'd actually do. God, look at this child! He'd been through so, so, so much and here he was - smiling and dressed beautifully for his father. She just prayed that Bob wouldn't let them all down.

"Ok, ladies," Veronica said, grabbing her purse. "Let's get a move on."

Hunter and Wanda climbed carefully into the backseat and smoothed their dresses before buckling in. Veronica and Joyce stood a good twenty feet from the car and Joyce whispered, "Call me if Bob is a no-show. Ok?"

Veronica nodded. "I think he'll be there, Joyce. I really do. I know this has been a lot for him to deal with, but I think he'll come through."

Joyce nodded her head, nervous about the next hour or so. "God, I hope so. Just in case, I have my little black dress ready to go. If he doesn't show up, let me know and I'll be there in twenty minutes."

"Ok," Veronica agreed. She gave Joyce a reassuring smile, followed by a friendly hug, "but I think he'll be there."

On the way to the function hall, Veronica glanced into the mirror and said, "Hey, girls, I need to call a client. Ok"

"Sure, mom," Wanda said. Then she and Hunter began talking about that games they'd played that day.

Veronica put her Bluetooth Airpods in and then pushed Bob's contact number.

"Hey, Ronnie," Bob said as he picked up. "What's up?"

Veronica's voice remained upbeat and businesslike while she spoke to her friend. "Oh, hi! I was just calling to check in with you and make sure that everything was on schedule for our upcoming delivery."

"What?" Bob asked, confused.

"Our delivery is on schedule and I just want to be sure that you'll be able to accept delivery on time."

"Delivery?" he thought for a moment. "Oh... Hunter. Ummm... look, Ronnie, I am kind of caught up with things here at the office. After you left, all hell broke loose here, and..."

"I don't think that is the case, sir," Veronica interrupted. "In fact, I think that we are still able to make this whole deal work, if you are willing to cooperate and live up to your obligations."

Bob heaved a heavy sigh. "Ronnie... you don't understand. I don't want to sound like a jerk, and believe me, I am trying to support my son, but... taking him to a father/daughter dance?... this is asking a lot..."

"Oh, no sir, I understand, fully and I also understand that you made a specific agreement to make good on this delivery. Now, I am very sympathetic to your situation, but I am afraid that I must insist that you make yourself available to accept delivery."

He grunted on the other end of the phone. "Fine. I'll be there as soon as I can finish up..."

"Now," Veronica said, flatly and quietly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Now," she repeated in the same tone. "The package is en route and you need to accept delivery - on time and looking happy about it."

Another grunt. "Ok." He sounded defeated. "I'll leave now. I'll be there in a half hour."

"It'll only take you ten minutes to get to the delivery site," Veronica said, happy to have made her point.

"Alright, Ronnie. You win. I'll be there in ten to fifteen minutes."

"Very good, sir. Thank you," she said and ended the call.

Then she noticed a full service gas station up ahead with a few cars waiting for service. This looked like a good way to kill a little time and give Bob the chance to get to the hall. "Hey, kids, I'm just going to pull in here and get some gas."

"Ok," Wanda said, in no way concerned about the minor change of plans.

She waited in line for a good six or seven minutes before she said. "You know what? I don't know what I was thinking. I've got plenty of gas. Let's just get going." She pulled out and headed to the function hall once again. Wanda and Hunter just looked at each other, amused by Veronica's strange behavior, but not concerned about anything.
 

~^~
 

Mary Ellen was ironing Hunter's uniform while watching a show that was streaming on her computer.

"I don't think that those need ironing, sweetheart," Joyce said. "I mean, they're athletic clothes, so I don't think they need much maintenance."

Mary Ellen shrugged. "I just want everything to be perfect for his game tomorrow."

Joyce smiled at her daughter and rubbed her back a bit. "You and Hunter have gotten very close over the past month, haven't you?"

Mae lifted the tee shirt to check for wrinkles and shrugged. "I don't know... I mean, we've always been pretty close." She put the shirt onto a hanger.

"I know, but... it's more like... you're sisters, now."

Mary Ellen looked at her mother with a bit of concern. "I guess, but... that's what Hunter needs right now. Right?"

Joyce nodded. "He does indeed." She thought for a moment before saying, "Mae... if Hunter had to make a difficult decision, you'd want to help him, right?"

"Of course."

"Well... come take a seat and let's talk."
 

~^~
 

Bob arrived at the function hall as quickly as he could, but his mood was a little darker than he would have preferred for an event like this. He needed to push all that aside. He would rather not be here, but now that he was, it was time to man up and get through the evening.

He entered the hall and was met by two very fit looking twenty-something women with clipboards. "May I help you?" One of them asked.

"Oh, yes," he put on his best business smile. "I'm here to meet a friend."

"And who might that be?" The woman asked.

At that moment, he noticed Veronica standing by a table, looking off towards the dance floor. "Never mind. I see her," he said and started to walk towards her, but one of those women stepped in front of him.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I'll need to know the name of the camper you are escorting this evening."

"Oh," he said, a bit flustered. "I misunderstood. Ummm... I'm here with Hunter."

The woman suddenly smiled. "Oh, Short Stuff!? Oh, she'll be so happy you're here. She seemed disappointed when she arrived and you weren't here, yet."

"Oh?" Bob found that concerning.

"Enjoy your evening," the girl said and stepped aside.

He crossed to Veronica. As he reached her, she smiled, then pointed. "Look."

He followed her finger and saw a large group of girls on the dance floor, all dancing. It looked like a nice evening to Bob, but that was about all.

"Where's Wanda and Hunter?" he asked.

"Right there," Veronica said, shocked he didn't see them.

Bob looked again. "Oh," he said as he spotted Wanda, but then he realized that he knew the very pretty little girl in the purple dress dancing next
to her. "That's not..."

"It is," Veronica smiled. "Doesn't she look pretty tonight?"

Bob just stared for a moment or two. "Yes... yes SHE does." He was truly astounded at the look of his son. His curly, red hair, his doll-like makeup, his fit and flare, lace covered dress that seemed to emphasize his feminine breasts, his cute shoes - he was a very pretty little girl and Bob knew at that moment that he was probably never going to see his son again.

Part of him felt terrible about that, but part of him was very happy that Hunter was accepting the situation with so much grace and, maybe even a little joy. There, on the dance floor, was his wallflower son, in the midst of a huge group of girls, all of whom seemed to love him, dancing up a storm and singing at the top of his lungs. It was a beautiful sight to see. Not something he'd ever expected to see, but beautiful none the less.

The song ended and Coach Skylar shouted, "Alright, girls, let's all go back to our tables and we can serve dinner. Then you can have some more fun."

The girls all headed back towards the tables and when Hunter spotted Bob, a big smile appeared on his face. "Dad!," he said. "You came!"

"Of course I came, Hunny. I told you I'd be here." Bob was then more than a little shocked when Hunter threw his arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Thanks for coming, dad. It means a lot,"

Suddenly, Bob felt terrible about the way he'd been behaving recently. What difference did it really make if Hunter was his son or his daughter? He loved Hunter and Hunter loved him. End of story. He could get past this, right?

They grabbed their meals and Bob and Hunter joined Wanda and Veronica and Sarah and her father, Aaron, at a table.

"This is a really nice event," Veronica said, looking around. "All the girls look so beautiful."

"It really is nice," Aaron agreed. "A little hectic when you have more than one in camp, though. My wife is sitting with my older daughter and her friends.

"I wonder why they do it the night BEFORE the big game," Bob said. "I mean, wouldn't it make more sense to do it tomorrow night."

"Ahh... I can answer that," Aaron said, dabbing his lips with a napkin. "The first year they held a banquet, some of the teams lost their games, so the banquet was more like a funeral dinner than a celebration. This way, everyone is happy... at least for the time being."

"Makes sense," Bob laughed.
 

~^~
 

"Wow," Mary Ellen said, when her mother had finished telling her what the endocrinologist had told her. "So... if Hunter should decide to be a girl... everyone would be ok with that?"

"It might be his easiest choice," Joyce said, sadly. "That poor child... No one should ever have to make a choice like this, but for a little boy who didn't even think about being a girl, this is going to be so hard on him. Honest to God, Mae, I haven't slept a wink in the last week thinking about what we're going to say to him."

Mary Ellen took her mother's hand in hers. "Look, mom... I told Hunny I wouldn't say a word about this, but right now, it seems like staying quiet is the wrong thing to do. So... please don't tell dad anything about this, and never tell Hunny I told you, PLEASE, but... Remember, Sunday morning, when you found Hunter sleeping in my bed? Well... he couldn't sleep that night because he was afraid to talk to you and dad."

"Afraid?" Joyce didn't want her little boy to ever be afraid to talk to her. "Why? What did he want to talk about?"

Mary Ellen took a deep breath, and then told her mother a story.
 

~^~
 

'It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.'

One of the younger coaches was acting as DJ for the night and the music blasted into the hall through a borrowed PA system. All of the campers and most of their parents were on the dance floor doing all the cheesy moves that go with the song. Even Bob was dancing with Hunter. Hunter had never seen his dad act this way! He looked like he was having as much fun
as his friends were.

"Wow, dad!" Hunter shouted as they danced. "How do you know this dance?"

Bob laughed. "Sweetheart, this song is older than I am. I've heard it at every party I've ever been to."

"Really?" Since Hunter had first encountered the song at the bat mitzvah party, he thought it was a fairly new song.

Bob stopped dancing and put his hands on his hips. "Yeah... really! I know that you think that your mother and I used to put on our powdered wigs and danced the minuet while a string quartet played, but that's not true. We grew up to all the songs you've been listening to tonight." He went back to dancing, but the song ended and the sax solo that begins Wham!'s 'Careless Whisper' began.

"Now, see - this is the 'guilty feet' song," he said to his son.

"Guilty feet?"

"Listen and learn, my dear," Bob smiled. "May I have this dance?" he bowed low in imitation of a courtly dancer in a movie.

"Ok," Hunter shrugged.

Bob took his pretty son into a dance position and began to guide him. "You've done this before, haven't you?" he asked.

"Yeah... a little," Hunter said without wanting to discuss his dances with Brian.

Bob didn't care. He was enjoying dancing with the small girl in his arms. "No I'm never gonna dance again," Bob sang, a little out of tune. "Guilty
feet have got no rhythm.... See? Guilty feet!" he laughed.

Hunter smiled at his dad's joke, he was thinking, though, and this seemed like a moment that would never come again. He stopped dancing and took Bob's hand to guide him. "Dad. Come with me."

"What's the matter, baby?" Bob asked, drifting into nicknames he'd used when Mary Ellen was as small and as cute as Hunter.

Hunter heard what he said and knew he had to talk to his dad right then and there.

"It's... It's just..." he couldn't say what he wanted near so many people. "Please... just come with me." He turned and led a more confused, but cooperative Bob off the dance floor and back to their abandoned table.

When they reached the table, he asked Bob to sit. Even seated, Bob's head was higher than Hunter's.

"Dad..." the child said, looking petrified. "I... I... I need to say... something."

Bob nodded. "Ok, Hunter. What do you want to say?"

"Dad... I don't... I don't want..." he looked around. "See all these girls, dad? They're... well... I'm... one of them, now... and I don't want that to change."

Bob looked around. There was no question that all of these girls seemed to like each other and they all seemed to like Hunter. "So... are you saying you want to go to this camp again next year?"

"No... well... yes... I mean... yes, I do want to go to this camp again next year, but... dad... I didn't ask for breasts or to be small or any of this, but... now that this is how I am..." a tear ran from the corner of his eye. "Dad... I don't want to... I can't go back to..."

"Being a boy?" Bob asked, hoping that Hunter would calm down. Instead, Hunter's face dissolved into sadness and he buried it in his father's strong chest.

"I'm sorry, dad," he cried. "I'm so, so sorry."

Bob had dreaded this moment so much and for so long. The moment when his son might say what he most feared. That he would want to give up his birthright - his sex - being a boy, becoming a man. Every fiber of his being told him this was wrong - that is... until his child looked at him with a broken heart and told him, not in just words, but in every breath he took, as his sad eyes looked up into his own, that he could only live one way - as a female. Then Bob knew that none of it mattered. None of the foolish things he'd worried about, lashed out because of, and none of the sleepless nights mattered. What mattered was that Hunter was in pain and that he, Bob, had the power to ease that pain, just by holding his child and telling him - or her - what the hell difference did it make? - that he was loved, that he was normal and that everything would be ok.

"Sorry?" Bob held him tighter. "Hunter... there is no need for you to be sorry. Hey... come on... I understand. It's what your body is telling you. I understand. Don't worry, sweetheart. Please, baby, take a breath. Come on, honey. Daddy's here. Everything will be ok."

Not only did he understand, Bob was very relieved to hear Hunter say these things. It meant that he wouldn't have to have the conversation he was dreading. He knew that his son was gone. Now, he could concentrate on raising another daughter. Right now, though... he just needed to calm Hunter down.

"Hey... hey... come on, Hunny. Take a deep breath. Come on. A deep breath and try to relax a little. Everything is going to be fine. I promise. Everything is ok."

Hunter took a deep breath and then another and he began to gain control of himself.

"There you go," Bob smiled and kissed the child's forehead. "Feel better?"

Hunter nodded, his face wet with tears and blurred with running makeup.

"Short Stuff?" Sarah said, concerned, coming up beside her friend. "What's going on? Are you ok?"

Hunter nodded and a wet smile broke out on his face. "I'm ok, now. I just..." he sniffled. "I'm ok."

"Oh, my," Veronica said as she arrived. She squatted down and looked into Hunter's face. "Are you ok, sweetheart?"

He let out a big breath and nodded.

She leaned in and whispered, "Did you and your dad just have a talk?"

He nodded again.

"And was he upset?" she whispered again.

Hunter shook his head from side to side.

Veronica smiled sweetly, relieved. "Let's go to the ladies' room for a minute and get you cleaned up. Ok?"

Hunter took her hand and she led him to the 'family' restroom and she sat on the padded bench on the side. She smiled sweetly at Hunter, as he stood in front of her. "Are you and your dad ok?"

He nodded and smiled.

"So?" she asked gently as she used a makeup wipe from her purse to clear away some mascara that had run down Hunter's cheek. "What happens next? After this week, when we come to visit, will we be seeing Hunter the baseball player or Hunter the softball player?"

"Softball," he answered in a quiet voice.

She nodded. "That's kind of what I expected. And you made that decision all by yourself?"

He nodded as much as he could with Veronica holding his chin.

"I'm glad, Hunter. You've always been a good boy, but... I think you'll be a happier girl."

He smiled just a little bit.

Veronica did an admirable job of fixing his face and when they opened the door to leave the restroom, they found Sarah and Wanda waiting in the hall.

"Is everything ok?" Sarah asked, very concerned.

"I kept telling her you were fine," Wanda said. "I figured you and your dad just had, like, an emotional moment or something like that. Right?"

"She's fine," Veronica said, with a smile that told Wanda that she'd done the right thing.

"I'm ok," Hunter said. "Thanks for waiting for me."

Sarah shook her head and leaned in close to whisper into Hunter's ear. "Hormones, right? Man, periods are such a bitch sometimes."

Hunter couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "Definitely a hormone thing," he giggled.

They made their way back to the main room where Bob was waiting, looking a little concerned. "Are we ok?" he asked both Hunter and Veronica.

"She's wonderful," Veronica smiled.

Just then, through the speakers came the aggressive sounds of Rihanna's song 'S&M' causing all of the camp girls to let out a cheer and head to the dance floor.

"Come on, Short Stuff," Addy said, running up to where Hunter and the rest were gathered by the door. "Time to shake that booty of yours."

Just then, Ruthie appeared out of nowhere, too, and took Sarah and Wanda by the hands and pulled them towards the dance area. "Dad said that Short Stuff was crying. Is everything ok?" The older girl asked her younger sister and her friend.

"I guess," Sarah replied.

"Everything is good, now," Wanda said.
 

~^~
 

"So... he just TOLD YOU he wanted to be a girl!?" Joyce asked after Bob had assured he that everything had gone well that evening.

"Well, you make it sound simpler that it was. Poor Hunter was really upset when he told me..."

Joyce held up her hand. "I think the days of us calling Hunter 'he' are over. I think, in order to make things easier for her, we just need to stop thinking of her that way."

Bob nodded, but he didn't look at all dejected as he had during every previous recent conversation about his child's sexual identity. "Agreed. So... She was very upset when she told me, but after a good cry and Ronnie's makeup repair session, everything was great."

"I'm so glad," Joyce smiled. For a moment, she thought about telling Bob about her conversation with Mary Ellen earlier, but there didn't seem to be any point in that, so she just gave him a hug.

"Oh... sorry," Mary Ellen said from the doorway. "Am I interrupting a romantic interlude?"

"Yeah, very funny," Bob chuckled. "What's up?"

"Well, Hunny's already asleep. She conked out on my bed while I was hanging up her dress. I'm not going to wake her, though. I'll just sleep on my side of my bed. Ok?"

"Ok," Joyce smiled. "Thank you for helping her get ready for bed."

Mary Ellen nodded. "So... she told me that she told you about her decision to continue to be a girl."

Bob nodded.

"And that's ok with you?" His stepdaughter asked, cautiously.

"It's fine with me," Bob smiled. "Look, I know I've been a bit of a jackass lately, but after seeing Hunter all dressed up and looking so pretty tonight... he... sorry... she really didn't need to tell me anything. I already knew that my son was gone and I had a new daughter. But when she actually told me... well... what could I do? I guess I love my kids more than I realized. I only hope that she's half as wonderful as my oldest daughter is."

A smile crossed Mary Ellen's face then. "Thanks, dad."

He opened one arm and pulled her in to join him and Joyce in a group hug. "I'm a pretty lucky guy."
 

~^~
 

"It's so fucking green!" Izzy said as they entered the Triple A ball park where that day's games would take place.

"Hey! Language!" The Group D coach scolded, but even she felt that same sensation of awe whenever she entered a professional ballpark.

"Sorry, coach," Izzy said, embarrassed by the reprimand. "It's just... amazing. You know what I mean?"

"Of course I know what you mean, but we're here to show them our best selves. Not to be crass little brats. Right?"

"Right, coach."

All the girls looked very smart in their new, clean uniforms, each with their own team color. Standing there on that field, Hunter felt even more amazed by the hugeness of the place than he expected. He'd been there a dozen times or more to see the local 'AAA' team play, but he'd never stood on that field before.

"Alright, girls, listen up!" Coach Skylar said in her loud voice. "I've just spoken to the head coach from the other camp and I have the play order. It's Group B first, Group C second, Group A third and finally, Group D. We're following the same rules as always: Six innings per game. No ties - we'll add an inning or two in the case of a tie score at the end of normal play - everything else is as it always has been. Our dugout is on the third base line, so we're the visitors. Let's stow our gear and
get ready. Group B you're on the field for warmups. Everyone else, once your gear is stowed, you'll all be sitting in the first two rows behind the dugout. Now, let's go!"

The girls all followed instructions and within two minutes, and Group B was on the field warming up. They knew they only had twenty minutes before the other camp took over the field, so they made the most of their time.

When the other camp showed up, Hunter was surprised to see all of the girls wearing the same uniform. The tops and bottoms were the same color, all in a garish safety greenish-yellow tone that was nearly blinding in the bright summer sunshine. The name 'The Cougars' was written in a kind of futuristic script across their chests.

"Hey! Pitcher!" One of the other campers yelled at the Group B pitcher. "Is that all you've got. Did they really teach you to throw like a girl at that camp!? Come on, Barbie Doll - show us what you've got!"

"Ignore her, Mandy," the Group B coach said. "She's just trying to throw you off."

"Geez, our coaches would kill us if we yelled something like that," Sarah said to her friends in the stands.

"Yeah, but their coach is laughing," Wanda pointed out.

"They look really tough," one of the Group D girls said.

"Not as tough as we are," Hunter said, and she meant it.

The girls in the stands saw a very ticked off Coach Skylar headed across the field though. She spoke to the head coach of the other camp and pointed to the girl who'd mouthed off. After a moment or so, the other head coach just shrugged and looked away as if Coach Skylar wasn't there.

Coach Skylar turned and stormed back towards the third base line. The other camp's head coach said something to her campers that caused them all to laugh. That seemed to entitle the loud mouthed girl to get even louder.

"'The Bashers' huh?" she laughed, reading the Group B team name off of their orange jerseys. "More like the lame ass bitches if you ask me."

The other camp all laughed at that.

"TIME'S UP! EVERYONE OVER HERE!" the Group B coach yelled and the girls all cleared the field. "You ok, Mandy?" she asked the pitcher on the way past.

"I'm good, coach," Mandy nodded.

"So, what are you going to do when the game starts?"

"Play my own game, Coach. Do what my team and I practiced and throw my pitches."

The Coach smiled and winked at her. "That's my girl!"

When they opened the doors to the ball park, the seats filled up pretty quickly. It wasn't a sell out by a long shot, but Hunter was shocked that so many people were there.

And they were noisy.

Really noisy.

It was almost scary.

As the visitors, the Group B Bashers were batting first. They were a good team, but they had been beaten by Group A recently, so Hunter didn't quite know what to expect. It was a long at-bat, though. When The Bashers had scored three runs, the Cougars pulled their pitcher and replaced her with a girl with a wicked fastball. The thing was, though, that's about all she had - a fast ball. She struck out the first batter she faced, but the Group B coach told her girls what to look for and the rest of the the
inning turned into a fly-fest, with batter after batter hitting into the outfield.

When, at last, they'd managed to strike out a third batter, the Score was six to zero going into the bottom of the first inning.

The game, which should have lasted forty five minutes to an hour was called at an forty-eight minutes with the score of Bashers 12, Cougars 2.

"Why'd they call the game off?" Hunter asked.

"When one team gets a ten run lead they call the game to save the other team the embarrassment of losing by more than that."

You could see that the other camp's coaches were all as angry as hornets when then next group took the field. After a brief warm up for both sides, the game started. The Group C 'Crushers' looked very striking in their solid white uniforms with the bright orange lettering.

The first Crusher at the plate had to jump back and fell to the ground to avoid getting hit by the first fastball pitch that passed over the batters box, rather than the plate.

Coach Skylar called 'time' and went to the umpire to hold a conversation with both the ump and the coach from the other camp. It was a very heated discussion, and finally it ended with Coach Skylar storming back to the dugout, the umpire taking her place back behind home plate and the other team's head coach talking to her pitcher before leaving the field.

When the batter was in the batter's box again and the pitch was thrown, the batter from The Crushers once again found herself on the ground to avoid being hit by another fast ball thrown at her head.

"That's it!" The umpire shouted. "You're out of the game!" she pointed to the pitcher and then to the exit.

At that pronouncement, every greenish-yellow player started running onto the field, screaming and yelling about the unfairness of the umpire's decision.

"Clear the field!" Coach Skylar screamed in a voice louder than anyone thought possible and all of the Crushers on the field followed her instruction. Then Coach Skylar turned to the bench and the rest of the camp beyond and shouted, "If ONE OF YOU tries to engage in this kind of stupidity, I swear to God, I will make damned sure that you never play softball again! Am I making myself perfectly clear!?"

"Yes, Coach!" Every girl from her camp responded in a clear, unison bark.
 

~^~
 

"What the hell is all of this?" Bob said to Joyce from the stands. "I thought this was just a nice, friendly game between two camps of girls who liked softball."

"It seems like a battle between a bunch of well trained athletes and an angry mob," Veronica said. "I don't know where this other camp is from, but those girls are vicious."

"And they're all bigger than Hunter," Mary Ellen muttered, concerned about her little sister. Some parents of girls in Hunter's camp were already headed to the field to grab their daughters and take them home. One girl, a Group D girl in a black shirt with the team name 'Dragon' written on it, was arguing with her father about leaving, but he won the argument and stormed off with the girl. "Mom, we should just get her and go before she gets hurt."

"That might be a good idea," Joyce nodded. "What do you think, Bob?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. I really don't. I mean - I don't want Hunter hurt, but I would really like to see her work with her team to teach those other girls a lesson in humility. I think we should hold off on pulling her. Let's see what happens next."

Bob hoped that he'd made the right decision.
 
 
To Be Continued...