The Distance to Home Read Online Free PDF Page A

done deal. He doesn’t change his mind. If the restaurant is out of what he wants, he’ll whine to his mom and dad until they go somewhere else for it.
    “You’re nuts. We’re getting pizza. Pepperoni pizza. Two slices for five dollars. It’s a deal.”
    He tugs at my arm. “No, seriously. I don’t want pizza anymore. I swear. The hot dogs look so good—like the best hot dogs ever.”
    “It’s almost our turn. I’m not going to wait in another line for food. We want to watch batting practice, remember?”
    Casey looks like maybe he’s having a flashback to the barf catastrophe and remembering that pizza was the trigger.
    “Fine,” I say. “You go get hot dogs. I’ll get my pizza. We can meet over by the picnic tables behind the outfield.”
    “Quinnen…,” he starts to say, but he can’t get it out.
    The tall couple in front of us grab their food and move aside. I look up to place my order and open my mouth to talk to the person working the booth.
    “I…I…”
    My eyes meet Zack’s.
    Now I understand why Casey wanted us to buy hot dogs.
    Zack’s hair isn’t spiky anymore. It’s cut short. But he still has the lip ring. And he still paints his pinky nails. They’re jade. Haley’s favorite color.
    I can’t do it. I can’t say anything to him.
    I turn and run, leaving behind Casey, leaving behind the line, leaving behind Zack with his mouth open. I bet he doesn’t know what to say to me, either.
    I don’t want pizza. I don’t want to eat anything. I run along the chain-link fence that separates the stands from the field, following the first-base line. I don’t know if I can ever stop.
    What is Zack doing here? How could he get a job at my favorite place on earth? He doesn’t even live in town! Didn’t he ruin my life enough already?
    I don’t want to ever see him again. And from the funeral till now, I haven’t had to. He lives in the next town over, Hindley. Easy. Don’t go to Hindley. Check. Done.
    I sit down against the wooden wall behind center field. It’s as far away as I can get from Zack, from everyone, from everything, without leaving the ballpark. I pull out fistfuls of grass until underneath my nails is tinged green and full of dirt.
    This is mine. My place. The only place that’s not ruined. Nothing bad is supposed to happen here. Doesn’t he know that?
    Hot tears spill down my cheeks.
    I consider calling
After Midnight
tonight with a request for a song telling Zack to get lost. But I can’t think of any mean songs, and they probably wouldn’t play the request. But maybe the guy who hosts the show would just listen to me.
    I pull out a few more chunks of grass.
That’s a stupid idea.
    “Quinnen!”
    Whoever is calling my name doesn’t sound like Casey. The voice is too deep, and it has an accent.
    I stand on my tiptoes to look into center field. It’s someone in a baseball uniform, running toward me.
    Hector.
    I wipe the tears off my face. I’m probably all dirty and grass-stained by now. I rub under my eyes with my T-shirt. A tiny door in the middle of the center- field wall opens up, and Hector comes through.
    “I didn’t know they had a door there.”
    He closes it softly behind him. “Why were you running?”
    “I saw someone. Someone I wasn’t expecting to see. This guy who ruined my life.”
    “Oh,” Hector says. “Your life, it’s ruined? Already? Who is this person; what’d he do?”
    “It’s a long story. You probably don’t have time for it.”
    They’re testing the microphone for the national anthem. Hector opens the door for a peek and sits down on the grass next to me. “I have one minute. Maybe two. Brandon’s pretty nervous about his first game, you know?”
    I look up at Hector. “Brandon? Nervous?”
    “Un poco.”
Hector holds his thumb and index finger an inch apart.
    “I didn’t think anything could make Brandon nervous.” I stop playing with the grass in front of me and look through the open door at the field.
    “Maybe