I was eager to maintain my new studious attitude all the way through the marking period. I was still thinking about whether or not to talk to my mother. Dad assured me there was no rush and to call him if and when I felt up to it. I wanted to do it. I just wasn’t sure of exactly when. Dad kept reminding me that at the end of the marking period, we would have to start applying to colleges. I also realized that in a month, baseball tryouts would start. Everything was happening at once—and too quickly. That Monday, I did not see Sam Barrett anywhere. He was not in the halls, not in the café, and not in the gym. His brother, Ben, was there, but not Sam. Guessing he must be sick, I figured I would see him around the next day. But Tuesday came and went, as did Wednesday and Thursday, and still there was no sign of Sam Barrett. I desperately wished I could ask someone where he was, but nobody spoke to me other than the teachers and coaches. In the bubble that Friday afternoon, we had another round of batting practice.
