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Pamela wound up for another pitch, and Charlie gripped the bat tightly. Really, how hard could it be to hit the stupid ball? She kept watching it, like Dean and Pamela had told her, and when it was close, she swung.
The ball smacked into Dean’s glove. “Charlie, c’mon, that swing was way too low. You’re hitting a baseball, not golfing, if the pitch is that low you just let it go. That one was right at your waist.”
“It’s so much easier in video games,” Charlie grumbled. “I can put the ball wherever I want it in those. Whose genius idea was it to make me try the real thing? I’m not an athlete!”
“Your idea, Pamela told me. You wanted to learn to play softball because Dick Roman announced a bonus for anyone who joined the teams his companies are forming.” Dean shrugged. “Not sure why you’re so eager to get that bonus, but this was all you. Pamela just agreed to go along with your crazy idea.”
“And now she’s a natural at pitching so she might get to join the team, but I’m completely useless.” It hardly seemed fair to Charlie. Now here she was out in the hot sun sweating and sucking it up while her girlfriend got to be Miss Perfect. Charlie could barely throw, couldn’t hit… okay, she could catch the ball, but what good was that if she couldn’t do anything with it?
Dean threw the ball back to Pamela. “You’re not useless. You’ve got a lot of potential as a catcher. You’re great with the pop flies and you never drop a pitch, and catchers don’t often have to make long throws. Get the ball back to the pitcher and occasionally make a throw to first or third, but more often, you’re the one being thrown to for a play.”
Charlie let the praise sink in for a moment before settling back down to reality. “But if I can’t hit…”
“Then we keep practicing. Come on. Get back in the box, let’s try this again.” Dean crouched back down behind the plate, whistling to signal Pamela that they were ready.
Once again, Charlie watched the pitch carefully. This time, she aimed higher than she thought she might have to. It wasn’t much of a hit, as the ball dribbled a little way back toward the mound, but she did actually make contact!
Dean jumped up to hug her. “See? You just need practice! And with Pamela being able to pitch to you, you can get as much practice as you want.”
“See, that’s another problem with me being a catcher, it sets you up for five million sex jokes about us,” Charlie teased. From the look on Dean’s face, he’d been just about to make one. “Now, as a catcher, it would be my job to run up and grab that and throw it to Who?”
“Naturally.” Dean jogged out to scoop up the ball and throw it to first. Sam, wearing a jersey with the word “Who” on the back, caught it and tagged the base. “Just like that. You’re out, by the way.”
“Oh no. I guess that means it’s someone else’s turn to bat?”
“Yep! Let’s see who’s up next.” Dean pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and glanced at it. “Charlie Bradbury! It’s your lucky day!”
“But I was just up!” Charlie protested. “I’m out! I can’t be at bat again!”
“You heard the man,” a familiar voice said. “Now get out of my way so I can bat.”
“Huh?” Charlie turned around to see… herself. In a fancy uniform, even. “Who are you?”
“Charlie Bradbury. One minute I was warming up for my game, next minute, I was here. After watching your last at-bat, I think I’m here to teach you how not to ruin our good name across the multiverse by sucking so bad. Now step aside and watch carefully.”
Charlie and Dean exchanged confused glances. “You’re… me? How…?”
The other Charlie shrugged. “Who knows, who cares, just watch and learn how to hit so you don’t embarrass me.” She took her stance in the batter’s box, and Dean whistled to Pamela.
Ellen had been picking wildflowers out in right field, but the crack of bat on ball got her to look up. The ball sailed past her to the fence, and Ellen just barely caught it before it was gone. Everyone stared at the plate. The other Charlie turned and crossed her arms. “See that? You can do that too. Now get in the batter’s box.”
“Okay…” Charlie picked up her bat and stepped back up. Dean signalled Pamela, and this time, when Charlie swung, she dropped the bat in shock. “Ow!”
Anna jumped in left field, knocking the ball down but not catching it. Charlie stood at the plate, shaking her hands out. Dean got to his feet and gave her a gentle shove. “You need to get to first base!”
“Did that in middle school, thanks.” But Charlie took off running, easily beating the throw from second baseman Jo relaying for Anna. Sam hugged her and sent her back to the plate.
Dean hugged her too. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just forgot the laws of physics, I was surprised I could feel the shock in my hands.” Charlie picked up the bat she’d dropped. “Let’s do that again!”