“Morning,” said Hana to Logan, who walked cautiously downstairs with Lucas. She was in the kitchen, preparing food. “He’s awake?”

“Heard him talking to himself in your room when I was getting dressed.” He put Lucas in the nursery center and walked back to his friend. He saw a tower of food storage containers on the counter. “Why are you packing so much?”

“For the practice playoff.”

The practice playoff was a practice baseball game where Coach Tang split the team into two groups and made them play as if it was an actual game. The members were actually more hyped than usual because it would get competitive. Because the game lasted longer than practice, the members usually brought their own packed food, but it had become a thing for Hana to take on the role of preparing snacks despite not being the baseball team’s manager.

“I’ll help you carry it.” He rummaged through them. “Where’s mine?” His was usually set aside from the team.

“You thought I’d give you special treatment? You have a girlfriend now, so she’s making yours.”

“You told her?” He frowned.

“I mentioned it ‘cause I thought you’d tell her, but she knew nothing about it. I didn’t want it to be awkward between us, so I suggested her to make yours.” She turned to look at him. “Girls are insecure, you know, and you should’ve done your job correctly.”

“What job?”

“To never make your girlfriend feel insecure.” She shook her head, a bit disappointed at her friend’s ignorance. “Hurry up, and go to your morning practice. I’ll see you at school later.”

He dragged his feet to the door. “Don’t be late to my afterschool training. I want you to see something.”

Hana followed him out the door. She watched him leave and laughed because he kept looking back like a sad kid that was rejected. She closed the door once his silhouette disappeared.

*

As Logan paced his walk, he felt loved. And it wasn’t the love of a pretense husband and wife, but love between a family, a very bonded family. He thought back to his biological family. His parents were never lovey-dovey in front of him. It wasn’t that he’d like to see any PDA, but they were always doing their own thing. The only conversations they had were at the dinner table, and it was always something related to passing the salad bowl, the next convention meeting, or the next time they’d be seeing each other again. Not once had he seen his mother wake up to make breakfast for his father. Not once had he seen his mother fix his father’s tie before he went to work or to the conferences. Not once…had his parents ever cared for each other as much as his own virtual family.

While he compared, he was happy. It was a new feeling and a new experience. It was something he had always wanted and had finally received. He stopped at an intersection to let the cars go first. He watched the cars drive by. On the opposite street, he saw a mother with a child, laughing with one another as they also waited for the light to switch.

His smile ceased. He recalled that his virtual family would never be real. He looked at the happy mother and son in front of him and imagined him, Hana, and Lucas together. He formed a weak smile.

“We’ll never be a real family.”

*

Hana got to school on time after dropping off Lucas at the daycare center by herself. She had been dropping off and picking up Lucas by herself for almost two weeks because Logan had morning and after school practice, and after practice, he’d go on a double date with his girlfriend, Jake, and Sylvia. Upon reaching her class, she saw Jake standing outside the door.

“What’s wrong?” she asked him. “Who are you waiting for?”

“It’s my punishment.”

“Who’s punishing you? And for what?”

“Hailey. She knows about—”

Hailey showed up at the door and glared at her friends. “Ignore him.” She pulled Hana inside the room and dragged her to her seat and made Hana sit at her desk.

Seth was seated at the seat behind them.

Hailey demanded to Hana, “Tell me everything, or you’ll be punished too.”

“What did we do?” asked an innocent and worried Hana.

Seth said, “Jake told us you guys ate out last night.”

“Why were you with Ken?” asked Hailey. “You and that guy are more than just friends, huh? You said you have nothing with his buddy, Bruce, so that means you had something with Ken, right?”

Hana sighed. “Hailey. I have nothing with either one. I’ve known them since middle school from the previous daycare, and we’ve been good friends since.”

“Then why did that Bruce dude move to stay with his grandparents like what Ken said? And he said it was ‘cause of something you said.”

“About growing up,” added Seth.

“Hailey—” Hana tried to appease her friends.

“I wanna know because I’m worried,” confessed Hailey. She took a deep breath and sat at the seat in front of Hana. “Jake said that Crystal and Ken had dated before.”

“And?”

“There’s more to that, Hana,” said Hailey. “He followed the girls out and overheard them talking about something. Sylvia wanted Crystal to stop whatever she planned to do to you.”

Hana pointed to herself. “Me? Crystal’s gonna do something to me?”

Hailey nodded. “That’s why I’m worried. Who knows what the girl has on her mind.”

“He must’ve heard wrong.”

“Nope, he heard it clearly. He also heard that she’s pretending to date Logan. It’s like what we told you, remember?”

Hana thought to herself. She didn’t want to believe it. She was already hesitant when her friends had told her. She knew her friends wouldn’t make lies like this, but she also didn’t want to prejudge Crystal.

The trio was quiet.

Logan’s voice was heard in the hallway, and they looked at the door. They saw him talking with Jake.

Hana eyed a happy-go-lucky Logan. She quietly uttered, “He’s…being played?”

*

Hana hadn't gotten a chance to speak with Logan at all today. He was in class but during every class break, he would be pacing down the hall as practice for the baseball game after school. Even at lunch, he was only there for a short time to eat and then went back to pacing around the school. It was one of those days where she didn't bother him, and he didn’t bother her. That was one way she showed support for him.

Now, it was after school.

Hana was getting her stuff, ready to go to the teachers' lounge for the food, which was permitted by Coach Tang, before leaving to the baseball field.

Hailey picked up her bag. “Heading there?”

Hana nodded. “Yeah. You guys coming too?”

“Yeah, Seth’s already there anyway. Let me help you carry.”

Hana gave some of the packed lunches for her friends to help carry. They exited out the building and headed toward the field. To their surprise, they bumped into Crystal and Sylvia.

“Hey, you guys made it,” said Hana.

The girls volunteered to take the packages too, and the group continued their walk. When they got to the field, they went up the stands to set up and saw Jake. Jake waved and ran to them. Well, to Sylvia.

“Hey, Logan’s girl,” said Coach Tang, chuckling. He came from behind the group.

The gang looked at him.

Hana made a face. “I’m not his girl.” She put the packed food down and sprinted to him. She whispered, “He’s got a girlfriend now, and she’s over there. So, don’t call me that anymore.”

“Girlfriend?” Coach Tang whispered back. “He didn’t tell me anything! I’m glad for him, but it kinda hurts that you two aren’t together.”

“We’ll never be.”

Coach laughed out loud again. He patted Hana’s head and looked at the group. “So, I heard that my boy, Logan, has got a girl now. Who is it?”

Crystal stepped forward. “I-it’s me.”

“He may come off stupid and mean at times, but he’ll never cross the line, so I hope you’ll stick long with him.”

“He’s been nothing but a good guy. He’s thoughtful and always makes sure I’m comfortable. He hardly teases me too.” She shifted her eyes to Hana and whispered, “But he does to her.”

“Coach!” It was Logan. He came from where Coach Tang showed up. He stopped when he saw his friends. “Hey, guys.”

Hailey looked off to the field. “Which team you on?”

“Team B.” He scurried to Hana and whispered in her ear. In a sing-song voice, he said, “I’m with Victor. He asked if you were coming to see us play.”

Victor Hall was a senior and was what Hana’s friends considered as her crush, but Hana wasn’t sure if that was the correct word to describe her feelings for him. She liked him for his athletic professionalism and teamwork ethics. She had never seen anyone so passionate about anything they did. She first saw him when she was a freshman and was forced to see Logan in his baseball match. Unfortunately, Victor was a year older than her, so they hardly had classes together. Baseball practices were where she mainly got her chance.

Hana jumped up with delight. “He-he asked about me?”

Logan scoffed and laughed. “As if!”

She realized he had lied to her. “You big brat!” She started to chase him around.

“Game’s in ten, so get ready by then, Logan,” said Coach Tang. “And Logan’s girlfriend, Crystal, was it?”

Logan froze. He hadn’t seen his girlfriend, nor did he thought she’d make it.

“If he ever makes you cry, Hana can handle him for you.” Coach Tang walked away.

Logan and Hana stopped their fight and grouped with their friends.

Logan gave Crystal a shy smile. “Hey, glad you’re here.”

“Hana invited me. I also made you something for later.”

“Thanks.”

Jake smirked. “Logan, usually when Hana makes you food, you make fun of it. Guess you like Crystal a lot, huh?”

Logan stayed quiet.

“Hana,” said someone. It was Wallace. He was also a senior and the best friend of Victor. “Someone’s waiting for you at the front gate. “Said his name was Ken.”

Hana thanked Wallace and immediately left her friends.

Logan watched Hana run with haste. He puckered up his lips. “I’m gonna go stretch.”

*

Hailey and Seth were in charge of setting the table since Hana had left. Helping them were Jake, Crystal, and Sylvia.

“Is Hana the team’s manager or the Coach’s assistant?” asked Sylvia.

“She’s not,” answered Hailey. “And trust me, you don’t wanna meet the team manager. She helps ‘cause Coach Tang’s close with us, so he likes to boss us around.” She realized that they were by themselves, so she took this chance to touch on another subject. “Hey, Crystal.”

Crystal, who was setting the table on the opposite side, looked up. “Yeah?”

“Logan and Hana will never have a romantic relationship, but I don’t know if you and Ken have had one or not.”

Seth coughed out loud, shocked at his girlfriend’s sudden attack.

Jake rushed to Seth’s side and silently prayed for the girls’ spat to be a peaceful one.

Sylvia became stiff frozen.

Crystal stuttered and accidentally toppled a packed lunch on the floor.

Hailey ignored the reactions around her. “Logan’s a flirt, well, at least he used to be. But if you’re playing with him, you should stop. Or if you’re planning to get revenge on your ex-boyfriend Ken for whatever stupid reason, don’t involve Hana. Logan and Hana are my friends, and I don’t want to see them being messed around with.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Only I can do that.” She sent Crystal a fake smile. “I hope you’re not doing anything to them, right?”

*

Hana ran to the front gate of the school and saw Ken waiting there. “Hey, Ken.”

“Hey, Hana. Hope you don’t mind this drop-in. Just wanted to check up on you after what happened.”

Hana smiled, thankful.

“He didn’t do anything to you, right?”

She shook her head. “He’s a good guy, Ken. And we’re fine. It-it was a little misunderstanding between us, but we cleared it. Sorry ‘bout that. Since you’re here, wanna watch the baseball game with us?”

“You playing?”

She shook her head and clarified that it was Logan who was playing. “He doesn’t look like it, but he’s good.”

“You sure I can?”

“Of course! We got food too, so I can treat you this time around.”

“But mine was a fail.”

“What counts is that you asked.” She motioned for him to follow her. “Let’s go.”

They walked to the field and talked about other stuff until someone made Hana freeze.

It was Victor. He saw Hana and Ken together, ran to them, and greeted them. “Your brother?”

“A friend,” answered Hana.

“That’s what I like about you.”

“L-like?”

“You’re friendly to everyone. Oh, I heard that you’re in charge of our food today.”

She nodded. “I also came to support too.”

Victor scratched the back of his head in a shy manner. ‘Is there…a specific reason…or-or person you…come for?”

“Yeah. I’m here to watch—”

“Hey! Victor! Game’s starting!” It was Wallace, shouting from a distance.

Victor smiled. “See you at the field.” He ran without them.

Hana waved to him. Her heart beat like crazy.

*

The baseball game was starting, and Logan hadn’t gone to his place yet. He stood in front of his duffle bag, looking at something. He took out something. “She’s not back yet? I want her to watch me.”

Hailey, sitting at the stands with the rest of the group and snacking on a candy bar, said, “She’s seen you play every game already. Just go, dude.”

“But today’s special.”

“What’s special?”

Logan walked away to his spot. “I’ll wait for her.”

*

“You like him?” teased Ken.

Hana and Ken were taking their time back to the field.

“No.”

“You couldn’t look at him in the eyes, Hana.” He laughed out loud. “And he too.”

“Really?” She didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

He continued to tease her until they reached the field.

Hana led them to the stands but was stopped by Ken. She saw his eyes on a particular someone.

Crystal.

“How…” began Ken, voice low and soft. “How are they? Your friend and his girl.”

Hana took a deep breath. Since he was acting like this, it confirmed to her that he and Crystal did have some sort of history. But more than history, she was worried that Crystal would be messing around with Logan’s feelings. She feared that the younger girl would hurt her friend. She needed confirmation. She needed clarification. 

Her only answer was Ken.

She led Ken away from the stand to talk to him privately. When they were far from the stand, she took a deep breath and carefully asked, “Did you and Crystal…Did you guys date?”