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Beautifully Different

By Kevin Travis

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CHAPTER 1


SCREAMS OF CHILDREN CLIMBED aboard gentle breezes drifting through the warm March air. Those screams, shrieks of happiness, delight, and discovery, carried well beyond the baseball field in which they originated. Those screams brought smiles to parents, participants, and passersby.
The laughter and giddiness captured Skyler’s attention. She decided to get a closer look on this beautiful, sun-splashed, happy-birds-singing Saturday morning.
It should have taken three minutes from where she was watching her little brother, Cole, play football. Friends, acquaintances, and would-be boyfriends – if only they had the courage to ask her out – stopped Skyler to talk, turning her short jaunt more into a marathon.
Skyler has glimmering eyes as blue as the ocean and long hair as golden as the morning sun. Her tan – earned from multiple beach trips – make her eyes and hair stand out.
The outward model-like beauty Skyler was graced with is rivaled only by her sincere inner beauty. The 15-year-old doesn’t see herself as special. The humbleness makes her extraordinary.
Despite being a freshman at Washington High School in a sleepy, little North Carolina town, Skyler is immensely popular. It doesn’t matter whether it’s with other freshman or even seniors.
Her athletic ability has something to do with that. Skyler is the varsity softball team’s starting catcher and the varsity volleyball team’s starting setter. Thought athletically gifted, Skyler is the hardest working athlete on any team.
Skyler’s appearance draws attention from the boys, but her personality attracts attention from everybody. Besides being pretty and popular, Skyler is a straight A student.
As Skyler finally got to the field, she noticed it was not a typical baseball game. Special needs players, ranging in age from eight to eighteen, were having the time of their lives.
High school students and adults were assisting the players. A couple players were in wheelchairs. Others needed walkers or crutches. And still others had special needs Skyler couldn’t identify.
If the players felt sorry for themselves, they didn’t show it. They were having a blast, laughing, giggling, yelling, and smiling. Skyler found herself smiling as well.
Wanting to get a better look, Skyler brushed past a few parents and settled behind the fence behind home plate. She knelt into a catcher’s stance, more out of habit than anything, and watched as an adult led a young girl to the batter’s box. The girl needed assistance walking, but she smiled the entire way from the dugout to the plate.
“Now stepping up to the plate is Cameron!” the announcer bellowed.
Cameron’s smile grew wider as those in attendance cheered. Her teeth were somewhat crooked and spacious, but that did not diminish from her beauty. It actually seemed to add to it.
Cameron had the biggest, best, most genuine, most heartfelt smile Skyler had ever seen.
“You’ve got this, baby,” said a beautiful lady standing near Skyler. She looked quite a bit like the girl standing at the plate. “Get a hit for your mama.”
The lady had shiny, long blond hair and piercing green eyes. She was dressed in white shorts, a black tank top, and sandals.
Cameron turned and waved. Her smile was even bigger.
The lady smiled and waved back. “I love you, baby,” she said. “I’m so proud of you. Just get in there, have fun, swing away, and… Hey!”
A nurse, dressed in a light blue outfit, poked the lady in the side. She had long, flowing brown hair and bright blue eyes. Skyler thought she was beautiful. And funny.
“I’m sorry, but I had to stop you, Crystal,” the nurse said. “If you’re going to jabber on like that, Cammy is never going to be able to concentrate on hitting the ball.”
The lady – Crystal – couldn’t help but laugh. She nodded and patted the nurse on the shoulder.
“You’re a good friend besides being a darned good nurse, Myriah,” Crystal said. “But you know I just can’t help myself sometimes. I’m proud to be that sweet girl’s mama.”
“Sometimes? You can’t help yourself sometimes?” Myriah gave Crystal a funny look.
“Okay, so maybe it’s a little more than sometimes,” Crystal said. “Can you blame me? Look at how cute she is. She has just overcome so much to get to this point.”
“I know. I’m just as proud of Cammy as you are,” Myriah said. “I absolutely love working with her. I absolutely love her, period. And, you’re right, she is pretty doggone cute.”
Cameron was now in the batter’s box. Her long, curly blond hair spilled out of the batter’s helmet she was wearing. The pretty girl’s sparkling blue eyes seemed to dance. Her navy blue shirt with the number “1” and emblazoned with the team name, Jacob’s Crew, hung to her knees.
A man holding a baseball in front of the pitcher’s mound looked at Cameron. “Are you ready, sweetheart?” Cameron nodded.
A high school student helped Cameron hold the bat. The man said, “Here we go.” He tossed the ball underhand toward home plate.
With assistance from the volunteer, Cameron swung the bat. There was a light ping sound after the bat connected with the ball. It popped over the man’s head and slowly rolled toward second base.
Crystal and Myriah jumped up and down. Skyler found herself doing the same while clapping her hands.
“Great hit, Cammy,” Skyler shouted. “Great job!”
The ladies looked at Skyler and smiled. “Do you know my daughter?” Crystal asked.
“No, ma’am. I’m just a fan,” Skyler answered. Skyler was wearing her blue Washington softball practice shirt, a pair of white shorts, and white tennis shoes.
The girl assisted Cameron to first base. A boy in a wheelchair who was at third base was pushed home for a run. A boy in the field picked up the ball, seemed to study it, smiled, and then started running toward the bag.
Skyler squeezed past a few adults and started running. “Go, Cammy,” she shouted. “You can do it.”
Cameron looked at Skyler and smiled. Skyler thought Cameron was going to say something, but no words came out. Cameron’s feet touched the base and the umpire – another adult volunteer – signaled safe. Skyler jumped up and down and clapped her hands. Nobody could have pried the smile off Cameron’s lips if they tried.
Three more batters came to the plate, each getting a hit. With each hit, Cameron advanced one base. On the third hit, with assistance from her volunteer, Cameron went from third to home. It was a special run for Jacob’s Crew.
As soon as Cameron touched home plate, the announcer said, “How about Cameron? She just scored for Jacob’s Crew! Better yet, it’s Cameron’s birthday! Happy Birthday, Cameron!”
Her teammates, volunteers, parents, and everybody else around the field began to cheer. Many went up to congratulate Cameron, giving her gentle hugs or pats on the back. Cameron opened her mouth to say something, but only an “ENENENEN” sound came out.
“She’s telling you all ‘thank you’ for the birthday cheers,” Crystal interpreted. She hugged her daughter and the two shared a sweet kiss.
“How old is your little angel?” a volunteer asked.
“Cam turned nine today,” Crystal answered.
“Hey, nine years old! That’s great,” another volunteer said. “You are getting to be a big girl, Miss Cameron.”
The smile did not leave Cameron’s face. Skyler was beginning to think it never did.
“You are all welcome to ice cream and cupcakes,” Crystal said. “We brought extras for everybody.”
Cameron’s teammates cheered again. Skyler noticed everybody inside and outside the baseball field were smiling, with one exception. A boy she recognized from school was standing near the bleachers. He was with two friends. The boy pointed in Cameron’s direction, said something, and the other two laughed.
After the director of the league, Coach Jay, gave a congratulatory talk, the players began to leave the field. Those in wheelchairs were first to leave, followed by those who needed assistance walking.
“Who wants some ice cream and cupcakes now?” Crystal asked.
Those who were able raised their arms. Many nodded or screamed. Cameron uttered, “EMEMEMEMEM.”
“I know you want the frosting,” Myriah said as she bent down to kiss Cameron. “You are a frosting monster.”
Cameron clapped her hands. Myriah kissed her again and then helped her walk toward the treats. They passed the three boys along the way.
“DUDUDU dumb,” the boy said right after Cameron and Myriah passed them. His friends laughed. Myriah shot them a look. Cameron either didn’t notice or didn’t let it bother her.
As the players gathered together, Crystal, Myriah, and the volunteer who assisted Cameron on the field passed out paper plates with ice cream and cupcakes. The volunteer took a cupcake and dabbed some frosting on Cameron’s nose. Cameron smiled and tried to lick it off.
“She really loves you, Claire,” Crystal said to the volunteer. “Thanks for being so gentle and caring with her.”
“Are you kidding me? It’s my pleasure,” Claire said. “I love this girl.” She bent down and gave Cameron a kiss.
Claire has long sand-colored hair, dimples that pop when she smiles, and dazzling blue eyes. Skyler thought she could be a model. Maybe she was.
“Thank you everybody for showing up today,” Coach Jay said. “I know these wonderful players really appreciate you. I know I do. Like always, everybody gets to go home a winner. Hopefully, we’ll see you tomorrow.”
The parents and volunteers clapped. They hugged the players before gathering their belonginFaithgs to head home.
As Crystal was walking with Cameron, the boy looked at Cameron and then at his friends. “How can that dude say they are going home as winners? I mean look at that girl. You call her a winner?” The boys laughed again.
Cameron heard them. This time, for the first time, she was not smiling. In fact, as she walked away, a tear streaked down her face.

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