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She stopped, and for a long--I ht that was it, that I’d pushed her away, too, like hed "Okay, well, just because you say we’re not best friends anymore doesn’t make it true"

I looked up, and I saw the person she was now The person Austin went away to school withand was probably living with That he was definitely-positively-for-sure in love with, because how could he not love Cat She was everything I wasn’t, and just because I had no idea as cool anys cool, right down to her knee-high, lace-up boots and her knotted batik scarf

I loved her even while I hated her "You ht not want to be my friend," she declared vehemently "But you will always, forever, beto come here and see you"

Cat blurred out of focus I wanted to ask her about how she could have ever hooked up with Austin in the first place and why she hadn’t come the other day when he had, but pride made those questions is had changed, and how pissed I was at her, and that I wished, o back

Back

To five years ago

And then, as if she’d read ood best friend, Cat had always been able to do that, she reached into her bag "I brought you sonificance of what she held, and then she toldball" She stepped the rest of the way down froned it," she said, her words getting all watery "Hoping we’d give it to you as a tealed sob, until she was full-on crying

I took the ball fro on it so I didn’t have to face the fact thatdown her pink cheeks The feel of the ball was so achingly fan, that I almost dropped it as soon as it was in my hand

I had always believed that, like any good pitcher, the ball was an extension of me That I understood it in ways other people didn’t I’d spent hourseach tiny stipple in the surface of the leather, and the pattern of the stitches and seaone bad or the difference between a ers around it

This, thoughthis felt strange Right, but not right

Like Cat and ain because I didn’t want to cry I’d always been stubborn like that I didn’t wearwe’re not friends, Cat I’ht now," I told her And I took my ball and went up the steps

As I opened the door to leave her behind, I faltered Stuck between the door and the jaent Truman

Goose bumps peppered my skin as I drew it out I would’ve looked for hi Cat again, so I pocketed it instead