Chapter 1

"Tessa!" she heard the high pitched voice from the other end of the dugout. Tezuka looked up from her cleats to see her blond haired blue eyed softball coach and her freshman Algebra teacher Mrs. Gentry. "You're up,"

"Yeah, go get em Tess!" Halle Reed, her best friend since third grade called as well as a few other girls on the team.

"Listen," Mrs. Gentry said as Tezuka approached. "This is gonna be difficult but I have full faith in you." Mrs. Gentry was a tall curvy woman who was somewhat intimidating if you didn't know her. The only time she didn't wear her big black sunglasses that covered half of her face was during Algebra class. She was naturally tan, her skin a dark olive but Tezuka couldn't tell if it was from sun exposure or the millions of tiny freckles that covered her skin. She wore a tank top polo in dark green and had her name embroidered on the left breast in a light brown. On the back was a large softball with an elk head, "Elk Valley Girls Softball" was embroidered underneath. The students jerseys looked the same, dark green jerseys with brown outlining, their last names and numbers on the back in brown. "We are one point down, Parker's on 2 and McKinley on three. You have to get Parker home for a tie and we can go into overtime or hit a home run and we win the game out right. This is the reason you're the ace."

Tezuka smirked. She was the ace. She had worked hard to get where she was at, one of the first freshman to make the varsity team by tryouts alone. She had played since she was a child and had worked her ass off to get where she was at. Every night for hours and hours she practiced, mornings and weekends too. She loved the feeling of being under the lights, cheers and other noises coming from the bleachers behind her. Here under the lights Tezuka felt closer to her mom than anywhere else.

"Go get 'em Tess!" Mrs. Gentry said.

Tezuka shook off the nerves as she slid her helmet on and knocked the bat against her cleats. This was the game that decided if they went to nationals, if they didn't win this game, all the hard work her team had put in over the summer would go to a waste. Elk Valley had gone to nationals every year since 2010 and she was not about to be the reason they broke that streak. Another reason was she knew her mom was watching her from the heavens and wanted to make her proud. Tezuka stared down the field right at the large brunette pitcher. She had a mean angry look on her face that was meant to intimidate Tezuka but instead did the opposite. Tezuka let a smile form on her lips smacking the gum in her teeth. She raised the bat telling the pitcher she was ready. She shifted her weight to her right foot which was planted at the back of home base. She focused her energy and tension into her biceps so that when the pitcher snapped the ball, Tezuka's bat would fly. Tezuka watched the round up and heard the slap against the pitchers thigh as the large yellow ball hurtled towards Tezuka. On instinct she reacted stiffening her arms and tightening all of the muscles in her upper body. She felt the connection before she heard the whack of the bat against the ball. Waiting a moment to see where the ball went, she flung the bat behind her and heard the chain link fence catch it. The ball kept going... and going... and going. A smile formed on her lips as she started to jog towards first base. The other teams outfielders ran to the ball as fast as they could but it was too late, the ball was flung out of the park. The crowd jumped to their feet as all three ran the bases. When Tezuka reached home her entire team was waiting to scoop her up into their arms chanting her name.

"I knew you could do it!" Halle exclaimed throwing her arms around Tezuka. "Our savior Tess!"

"Tessa! Tessa! Tessa!" the team chanted and she laughed. She glanced at the bleachers and her eyes met that of her boyfriends, Sebastian. He was laughing to himself as they carried her around home base and then into the dugout.

"Alright alright ladies calm down lets meet the other team." Mrs. Gentry said to quiet the girls down. They did as told and set Tezuka down then met the other team out on the field. They went down the lines shaking hands and exchanging the traditional "good game." Then they all ran back to the dugout where they continued to praise Tezuka.

"Good job first year!" Parker, a short blonde junior called.

"Thanks Parker," Tezuka responded grabbing her softball bag.

"Good job ace," she heard Halle's voice as a hand smacked her ass.

"Ow!" Tezuka exclaimed grabbing her rear and standing up to face her best friend. Halle stood slightly shorter than Tezuka, which was pretty normal for most girls. Tezuka herself was taller than average for her age at 5'6". Halle was as sun kissed as sun kissed could get. Her light wavy brown hair normally lay around her face but was currently bulled back in two braids that Tezuka had done before the game. She was one of the most muscular girls Tezuka had ever met and was as beach babe as you could get here in San Diego.

"That hurt you whore," Tezuka said laughing.

"Oh shut up you know Sebastian got a look at that." Halle said laughing.

Tezuka just rolled her eyes taking off her helmet and putting it into her bag.

"Are you going to go to the party tonight?" Halle asked.

"Party?" Tezuka asked as she stood up slinging her softball bag over her shoulder.

"Yeah, Blaine's parents are out of town so she is throwing a party." Halle answered. Blaine was a rich snobby freshman that the two had gone to school with since the third grade.

"Nah I'm gonna take a hard pass on that one." Tezuka responded.

"Come on, why not?" Halle said. "Please?" the two made their way out of the dugout and to the bleachers.

"I can't Hal, my brother is home, I have to take care of him." she responded.

"You're brother is a grown man Tess, autistic or not he did live on his own for three years remember?" Halle said.

"Hey babe," Sebastian's voice rang out just in time. Tezuka turned and wrapped her arms around him. Sebastian was slightly taller than she was and quite muscular. A junior on the boys varsity wrestling team, there wasn't a guy bigger than him. He had brown hair which he grew out during the off season then buzzed it short during wrestling season. He had pale skin and deep brown eyes.

"I thought you weren't going to make it," Tezuka said pulling away from a kiss.

"Coach cut practice early since we have the meet tomorrow." he responded holding his arms around her waist.

"oh how nice," she smiled and he did too. He leaned in pressing his lips against hers.

"Get a room," Halle groaned. Tezuka had almost forgotten she had been standing there.

"Don't be jealous," Sebastian laughed.

"Me? Jealous? Yeah right," Halle said annoyed. "Are you going to Blaine's party Sebastian?"

"Yeah," he answered.

"You are?" Tezuka asked pulling away.

"Yeah, a bunch of the guys are going." Sebastian answered.

"Oh," Tezuka responded. She was confused. Sebastian knew how she felt about Blaine Michaels.

"Come on babe be my hot date," he smirked sliding his hands down to her rear.

"Baby I can't," she laughed. "My brother is home remember?"

"Come on, he's a grown man. Plus it's not like he's cared what you've done for the past three years." Sebastian said.

"That's not the point," Tezuka said annoyed, pulling away from Sebastian. "You know how I feel about it. I'm not going." She turned on her heal and walked away.

"Tess!" she heard both Sebastian and Halle call after her.

"At least let me take you home." Sebastian said wrapping his arm around her. She nodded in agreement.

"I don't mean to be a third wheel but I need a ride too." Halle said.

"No worries," answered Sebastian.

The three made their way to the parking lot where Sebastian's 1970 Chevy Chevelle sat. He and his dad had fixed it up last summer. He popped the trunk and the girls stuffed their softball bags in. Then they got in the car, Halle crammed into the back seat. Sebastian revved the engine then peeled out of the parking lot. Tezuka's house wasn't far from the high school, it had been the same house she had grown up in. When her parents passed they had left the house to both Zakai and Tezuka. It wasn't big but it wasn't small either. A simple two story home with a nice porch and a porch swing that her parents used to sit and drink their coffee every Saturday morning. Sebastian pulled into the driveway next to the green jeep wrangler that Tezuka's parents had left her. Tezuka said her good byes to Halle then got out of the car, grabbing her softball bag from the trunk.

"Let me walk you to the door." Sebastian said and she nodded. The two walked up the stone path to the wooden porch and stood by the door.

"There's no way I can change your mind last minute is there?" Sebastian asked tilting his head to the side giving her a smirk as he grabbed her hands.

Tezuka shook her head. "I'm sorry,"

"It's fine," he sighed. He dropped her hands and pulled her in close. "I just miss you Tess."

"I know, I miss you too." she responded. "It'll be different once things around here calm down." she pulled away from his embrace and looked into his eyes.

"You said that months ago." he said disappointed. "You're my girlfriend Tess I want to actually spend time with my girlfriend."

Tezuka sighed. "I'm sorry Sebastian but it's been rough having Zak home. I just need some more time."

Sebastian sighed again looking at the yard then back at her. "I know, I know this isn't easy for you. Just call me if you change your mind okay?"

"Okay," she smiled then pulled him in for a kiss. Before their lips could meet the front door swung open. Tezuka looked to her right to see her older brother. He looked at the two then back at Tezuka but didn't look into her eyes.

"I tried waiting, but it only takes half a second to say goodbye and the porch light has been on for four minutes and twenty three seconds." he said in a deep monotone voice.

"It's okay Zak I'll be there in a second." Tezuka responded. He turned and closed the door.

She turned back to Sebastian.

"Be safe okay?" she asked.

"I will," he responded. "I'll be thinking about you all night."

She smiled. The door opened again.

"It's been one second." Zakai said.

Tezuka sighed trying not to get frustrated with her brother. She turned to Sebastian and kissed his cheek. She could see the frustration on his face as he clenched his jaw and looked down at the floor.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said.

"Yeah," he sighed. "See you tomorrow."

She walked into the house and Zakai shut the door behind her.

"I don't like him." Zakai said as Tezuka set her softball bag against the wall in the hallway. "He looks mean, and I know he doesn't like me either and you shouldn't date someone who doesn't like your family."

"You can't judge him by the way he looks Zakai it doesn't work that way. Plus you've never said more than three words to the guy." she said walking through the arched opening from the living room to the kitchen.

"That's not true when we met I said 'Hello nice to meet you' that's five words." he said.

"Okay five words, but those are the only words you said to him." she responded looking through the fridge.

"There's nothing in there I haven't gone grocery shopping." he said.

"That's fine, I'll go tomorrow." she said walking over to the pantry. "Have you eaten?"

"No," he said. "I've been in the basement working on my next project." She could sense a slight tone of excitement. She grabbed two bowls of Kraft microwavable mak-n-cheese.

"Oh really and what's that?" she asked.

"Transportation," he said.

"What kind of transportation?" she asked filling the bowls with water then putting them in the microwave.

"Molecular transportation," he answered watching her every move. "I think I have figured out how to transport one object from one base structure to the next by breaking it down to the molecular level then simultaneously rebuilding it in the second location."

"I have no idea what any of that means," she said as the microwave beeped. She took out the mak-n-cheese and pored one out into a ceramic bowl.

"I'll show you once it's completed." he said grabbing the ceramic bowl of mac-n-cheese then walking out of the kitchen. She shook her head and laughed. She didn't understand her brother half the time no matter what he was talking about. He was the smartest man she'd ever known. And he looked just like their father. They had the same jet black hair that was always neatly slicked to the side no matter the occasion. They had the same high cheekbones, small dark eyes, and angular jaw. Her brother was always in a crisply ironed button up and slacks just like their father. He was tall too, just like their father. She on the other hand looked like their mother. Tall, thin yet very curvy, long black hair. They also had the same small eyes and high cheek bones. Sometimes when she looked in the mirror she could still see her mom, and older version of herself, staring back at her.

She ate the mak-n-cheese then went upstairs. She took her time in the shower letting the hot water soothe her aching muscles. When she was done she went to her room where she noticed a message on her phone from Sebastian. She smiled and looked around her room. Maybe she should just suck it up and go. She walked to her closet and picked out a black tube top and a red plaid school girl skirt. She grabbed black knee high socks, her converse, and Sebastain's Leatherman jacket that she had worn home from his last meet. She put it all on then applied light mascara and lip gloss. She then ran downstairs and opened the door to the basement.

"Zak, would you mind if I went to a party for a bit?" she asked.

"Text me when you get there," he responded.

"Okay," she called then turned to the hallway. She grabbed the keys to her wrangler off the key rack and walked outside. She didn't have her license, just a permit but no one needed to know that. She dialed Sebastian's phone number but he didn't answer. She tried a few more times while driving but still no answer. The music was probably too loud for him to hear his phone. It was a ten minute drive to Blaine's house. It was on the nicer side of San Diego near the beach. The large mansion was decorated with palm trees and delicate flowers. Drunk teens were sprawled all across the lawn and moving in and out of the house. The music so loud she could hear it as soon as she pulled up.

Tezuka walked through the large iron double doors into a designer foyer with a large crystal chandelier. Spiral stairs sat on both sides of the room. In front of her was a large archway leading further into the house. Drunk teens form all over the city talked and danced and drank.

"Tess! I thought you weren't coming," McKinley, a brunette senior on the softball team called out as she walked over to Tezuka.

"I changed my mind last minute." Tezuka answered. "Have you seen Sebastian?"

"Last I saw him he was drinking with the wrestling guys." she answered pointing to the openeing.

"Okay, thanks," Tezuka said and walked through the opening. It took her awhile but she finally found the kitchen. In it were a bunch of guys on the wrestling team playing drinking games. She glanced around not seeing Sebastian. She took out her phone and continued to walk through the house. She dialed his number again but the music was so loud she couldn't hear the dial tone. Maybe if she went somewhere quieter she would be able to hear it. She walked back to the entrance and up the left side of the stairs. The further down the labyrinth of hallways she went the quieter the music got. Finally she called again. This time however she could hear the dial tone and Sebastian's ring tone. She followed the sound to a room further down the hall. The bathroom maybe. She reached the door and turned the knob. The room was dark, but not dark enough to hide the betrayal she saw before her. She could see Sebastian's phone on the floor next to his pants, his boxers not far away next to a pair of panties that definitely didn't belong to her. She followed the trail of clothes to see Sebastian laying on a king-sized bed with none other than Halle sitting on top of him, both completely naked.

As soon as the door opened the two locked eyes on Tezuka, horror spread across their face.

"Tess," Sebastian said throwing Halle off of him grabbing his pants. Tezuka couldn't stop the hot tears that were streaming down her face. Her best friend and her boyfriend, were sleeping together behind her back. "It's not what it looks like Tess," Sebastian tripped over his pants as he tried to put them on quickly. Tezuka took off the letterman jacket and dropped it onto the floor.

"We're done," she choked holding back screams of anger. She then turned and ran down the hallway. Sebastian chased after her and everyone looked at them as she ran out of the mansion to her car. She turned it on and threw the car in reverse. She sped home as quickly as she could, her phone blowing up with calls and messages. She didn't answer any of them. She didn't want to hear it. The tears were now waterfalls. First she lost her parents, then Zakai, now her boyfriend and best friend. How long had they been doing this? Why? How could they? When she got home, she sat in the car and cried. How much more would she have to go through? How many more lies and deceit and loss? It felt as if someone had punched through her chest and ripped out her heart then stomped on it and tried to put it back together. An emptiness filled her stomach as she wiped away her tears. If Zakai saw he would hammer her with questions.

She walked into the house throwing the keys on the counter. Then she walked down to the basement.

"Why are you home so soon?" he asked looking into a microscope.

"It was boring," she lied.

"Parties usually are, there's nothing fun about watching underage kids drink their brain cells away." he said.

"Yeah," she responded. "Sure."

"What's wrong?" he said looking up from the microscope.

"Nothing," she responded. "Are you going to show me your little science project or what?"

"Oh yes," he said standing up. He walked over to a desk that had two containers, one with a mouse and the other without. "Watch this," He took a small black band with some kind of screen that resembled an apple watch and put it on the mouse. He then pressed something on the screen and with a black flash, the mouse was gone.

"What the hell?" she asked.

Zakai looked at her smiling then stepped aside so she could see the other container where the mouse now stood going to town on a block of cheese.

"Did you just make that mouse teleport?" she exclaimed.

"Essentially yes," he smirked.

"What? How?" she exclaimed amazed.

"Well, I designed this watch here to interact with sensory points in the skin to send electronic signals to the brain which sends the signals to the rest of the body. With each signal, the molecules break down and reform in the place next door." he said.

"Wow, that's amazing," she awed. "Have you tried it yourself yet?"

"No, no, I have not," he answered.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because if something went wrong and I was away from my lab I wouldn't be able to fix it." he said.

"So I'll try it then," she said.

"No, its not safe, I haven't tested it yet." he said shaking his head and walking back to the computer.

"I'll test it," she grabbed the band off the rat and slipped it on her wrist.

"This is not a good idea," he said tapping his foot on the ground.

"Come on, I'll just be in the next room." she said. He looked over at her. "Don't you want to make a big scientific discovery?"

She could see temptation in his eyes. "It'll be fine I trust you."

"Fine," he said. He walked over to her. "All you have to do is press the green button here and you'll be transported into any room adjacent to your own.

"Sounds easy enough," she said and he took a step back. "Wish me luck," She smiled at her brother and noticed behind him that the screen on his computer was of the anime Jujutsu Kaisen. She smiled to herself wishing life could be more like an anime. Then she hit the green button.