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Chapter 10
Jessie sat up and found himself in his pajamas. Pressure thudded in his head, but it was nothing like the pain earlier that he thought would rip his brain into shreds. He felt his face to see if it was still sweaty and clammy, but it was dry. His pajamas also didn't stick to him. How long had he been asleep?
He thought about going across the hall to find Ryder when his stomach grumbled. He hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast, and though he didn't know exactly how long, he guessed it was awhile ago.
The dining area wasn't that hard to find. He could probably make it there with no problem. He glanced at the doorway and saw what looked like an intercom system. Maybe he could use that to get the colored lights to direct him. He didn't want anyone to get mad at him for wandering alone, but if the light showed him the way, they couldn't get upset, could they?
He waved his hand in front of the door, like he'd seen the aliens do. It hissed open. Ryder's door was closed. Before he tried anything on his own, he'd get Ryder to help. But what if it was the middle of the night? He'd hate to wake him just to go eat. Especially since Ryder probably wasn't even hungry.
"I'm being stupid," he whispered. He walked over to Ryder's door and tapped. When he got no answer, he knocked a bit harder. He didn't even know if you could hear a knock through these doors. He glanced around for a doorbell or something, but didn't see one. It was possible it wasn't as late as he thought and Ryder was somewhere else. Maybe even back at the simulator.
Chills ran up and down his spine at just the thought. He was glad he wasn't expected to actually play. He'd leave that to Ryder, thank you very much.
A growl from his stomach reminded him that he wanted to eat. He wondered if he could get that magic food machine to produce a bacon cheeseburger and fries. He hoped so, as his mouth was watering at the thought. He gave up on waiting for Ryder and wandered back to his door and the intercom system.
There were a few buttons under the thing that looked like they'd operate the speaker, but he didn't know which to push. He didn't want to mess anything up. Maybe if he talked into it. "Uh, can you put a line for me to follow?"
He looked out to the hallway for the same trail he'd followed to breakfast, whenever that had been, but no luck. Wait, he hadn't said where he wanted it to go. Why couldn't Ryder be here? He was so much better at this kind of stuff.
"Sorry, could you put a line to the dining room?" Still nothing. Maybe it didn't know dining room. Hadn't Coach called it something different? Something simple? Yes.
This time, without thinking, Jessie pushed the button on the far left under the speaker. "Can you lead me to the eating center?" The illuminated blue band under the floor greeted him. Had it been because of the button or because he'd called it by its proper name? Maybe later he could play with it to figure that out, but for now he wanted to eat.
He kept his footfalls light, as he wasn't sure what Coach or any of the others would say if they knew he was out here on his own. He hadn't thought of putting on shoes, so he didn't have to worry about those echoing through the metal corridors. Luckily the floor was warm, pleasant under his feet.
As he passed a half-dozen doors, he wondered if there was anything behind any of them, or if they were all fake. Had Ryder gotten the tour today? Maybe he was out exploring right now.
In the next corridor, the lighted guide led him past an open door. He couldn't be positive, but he thought it was the living room-type area with the holographic television. The eating center wasn't too far past, but he didn't want to be seen sneaking around. He crept over to the side of the doorway and listened for anyone inside. Almost at once he heard a conversation, so he stayed back out of sight. He'd have to pick the perfect opportunity to cross.
"What's it going to be like when he faces live pitching?" That was Mickey Martell.
Jessie thought the next voice came from Rake, though he couldn't be positive without a visual. He didn't know who else was in the room. "We can't have him falling unconscious in the middle of a game, that's for sure."
Jessie's face burned red. It wasn't surprising that they were talking about him, but that didn't mean he wanted to hear. At least this hadn't happened at school. What would his classmates say? It wouldn't be pretty. He'd be a laughing stock, no doubt about it. As it was, he wanted to slink back to his room, but his legs wouldn't let him.
"Do we really need him?" Mickey Martell asked. No one answered, which Jessie took to mean that Rake and anyone else in the room agreed. Coach had already told him he was just a spectator, but it hurt to know they didn't even want that. He wiped away a few tears that ran down his cheeks and hurried back to his room, his hunger forgotten.
Click here to read Ch. 11
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