Final Chances Of Love Chp2 StrikeOut!

Previously, Jaden had just witnessed the girl he loves Alexis Rhodes got married with another guy. He never actually told her his real feelings for her even though they've been friends since teenagers. Now as he watch the slideshow photos he couldn't help but wonder what would've happened if he told her in the first place how he felt, would he be the one marrying Alexis today? Jaden wished deeply in his heart that if given the chance, he'd re-live the awful memories and tell her how he truly felt. That was a wish thought to be impossible by the young brunette, until Banner's ghost appear to him and offer him his help.

 

"So how about it Jaden? Will you accept my help and enter the photograph, into the past and fix your mistakes?"

He thought about it for a moment. His hand raised to his face in a thinking position. He looked swiftly around the reception room, glancing at the various guests starting to get up and dance; others were mostly drinking wine or champagne. He looked across the grand hall, decorated in a wonderful, rich gold colour with its glazed floor tiles which perfectly reflected the layered ceiling in its shine, the white pillars reaching upwards finely adorned with china detail with thin blue swirls and to the powdered table covered in confetti and bunches of white flowers, the only face Jaden had noticed that didn’t have a smile was the bride. He watched as Alexis slowly took apart the petals of a flower.

 As if her frown wasn’t enough to make them wilt…

"Um, so you're saying that you can take me back to the past into this photograph?" asked Jaden again.

"Well that was what I said, yes." Answered Banner.

"Well I got nothing to lose right?" He looked back to the floating spirit.

"Not really… only your soul for exchange."

"WHAT?" yelled Jaden in shock, "I never agreed to this?" Jaden watched as the spirit stared, then paused for a few seconds until bursting into laughter.

"Just kidding!" Joked Banner. “The only bad part of this offer really is the fact that should you not succeed, you'll just get your heart broken again."

He shut his eyes trying to hold back bad memories. He let out a deep breath and looked back up from the floor. "Well it's already broken… so what do I have to lose? I'll do it!" Jaden finally decided.

"Great! But keep this in mind, there will a certain time limit so don't waste your time too much. Now just close your eyes… and imagine the image of the photograph in your mind."

Jaden shut his eyes; he placed the image in his mind. That awful memory he's willing to re-live just for one girl.

"Now shout out the magic word - 'Professor Banner is the Coolest!'’ Directed Banner

Jaden opened his eyes and sweat dropped "That's the magic word?"

"I know huh? So simple yet no one ever says it!" Sulked Banner

"Okay then… here goes…" Jaden shut his eyes and regained his concentration again. "Professor Banner is the Coolest!"

A strong flash of white light shone. It was so bright that one could be blinded by it if they didn't have their eyes closed. After about 3 seconds, the light faded and Jaden slowly opened his eyes. He was welcomed by a flying object which landed right in his face knocking him backwards. He fell on his butt.

"Ouch!"

"First Base! Safe!" called out a loud voice.

"Dammit Slacker! Pay attention to what you're doing!" Scolded Chazz standing the nearest to him on the field.

Jaden rubbed his eyes again. He was wearing a baseball uniform! He was sitting on first base with the ball in front of him.

Jaden's jaw dropped as he remembers this even in his past. "Oh my gosh! I actually travelled back in time!" at first he thought that he may have just been dreaming or imagining things when he saw Banner and now he's actually back in the past. He slapped his face in an attempt to wake himself up.

"Hey First base! Are you going just sit there and look pretty or what?" yelled one of the students in the field "Give us the ball!"

"Oh yeah." Said Jaden finally snapping back to reality. He threw the ball back to the pitcher.

Jaden was shocked again at the familiar sight. Jesse was the pitcher, and it was Bastion's turn at batting.

"I can't believe it! It's just like how I remembered it! Bastion's batting now and he's going to knock the ball out of the field and get a home run! Then after that we'll switch over and my team will be batting!"

He was right. Bastion hit the ball with all his might and it went out of the field. He ran to the all the bases getting a home run.

The referee blew his whistle. "Fantastic! Now switch over! Slifers are batting!"

"I can't believe I was right…" he said to himself looking down at his feet whilst heading to the seat where the batters are. The dirty dust clouds caused his clothes to get a layer of dirt on them.

"Don't be sad Jaden! You can beat them with your team now batting!" yelled out a very familiar feminine voice. It was Alexis standing in the spectator's place next to Jasmine and Mindy. Alexis was actually the manager for the Slifer team. She was the one who selected the players for the team.

Jaden smiled back at her. He remembered why she was sad in the photograph. Alexis was really hoping that her team would at least win one match. She knew they weren't the best team, but she did have faith in them.

"I'll get that homerun for you Alexis…" Jaden promised to himself. He made it to his seat.

Jaden was the second last person in line to bat with the last person to bat being Chazz. Jaden watched as Chumley had his turn in batting. He was a great batter, but the only down part was the fact that he was a slow runner. Jaden smiled as he remembered this.

Soon came his turn. His team was in a good position against the other team. Jaden's team only needed a couple of more points to beat them. And now it was Jaden's turn. Just one homerun would make it a win.

Jaden walked up and took the bat he got in position to hit the ball.

"Crap! Bastion is bowler!" he thought to himself. Bastion was getting ready to throw the ball.

"Here goes Jaden, I won't go easy on you!" said Bastion he threw the ball hard. It was so fast that Jaden didn't get a chance to even hit it.

"Strike one!"

'Dang it!' said Jaden in frustration 'I have to hit it!'

The next ball Bastion threw was incredibly hard also and Jaden misses it again.

"Strike Two!"

'Crap!' thought Jaden 'It's my final chance! If I could just hit this one! So much is at stake!' he looked back at Alexis who had a sad look on her face. He then remembered her sad expression in the photograph and also the moment she said 'I do' in her wedding with Zane.

"That's it! I have to hit this ball!" The next ball was thrown and Jaden just swing his bat as hard as he could. It hit the ball high up to the very back of the huge field. Jaden dropped his bat and took off running.

He ran as fast as he could with everyone cheering for his name. He went past first base. He saw Alexis' face filled with joy as she cheered on his name. Then Jaden went past second base.

With that he saw Chazz getting ready to bat, then he remembered, in the past Jaden never hit that ball Bastion threw at all. Then leaving the rest all up to Chazz, Chazz also struck out and they lost the game. But now that Jaden concentrated so much and finally hit the ball, if he continued running and get a home run, their team will definitely win for sure!

Then he suddenly noticed that one of the fielders got the ball already. But it was too late as Jaden was already pass the third base and was halfway to the final base. The fielder threw the ball to the final base. Jaden dived to the final base too trying to beat the speed of the ball. But it was too late.

"THIRD OUT!" yelled the referee. The sound of a blown whistle was heard. "Victory goes to Ra!"

Jaden was the third person to strike out. They lost the game.

"I can't believe I still lost when there's so much at stake…" said Jaden filled with disappointment. The team made it back to the locker room.

Jaden sat with a towel on his head and a depressing look on his face. Chazz stomped over to him angrily.

"You idiot slacker! Why didn't you stay in third base and leave the rest up to the Chazz? I would've won the game for all of us!" he yelled

"Now, Chazz calm down it's just a game." Said Jesse

"Chazz you don't understand, you would've struck out anyway." Said Jaden

"What are you Psychic?" yelled Chazz getting angrier.

"No! I came from the future!" Jaden finally yelled out. Everyone in the locker room stared at him as if he was a freak.

"Oh wow… whoa. Jaden, I'm sorry I never knew that me getting all angry at you would make mess your head up this much…" said Chazz actually showing sympathy to the poor boy.

"What do you mean the future?" asked Jesse in a soft tone so that no one else would hear.

"I mean…. Um… well… It's hard to explain!" said Jaden in frustration.

"Uh just forget what I said okay slacker?" said Chazz, "I'll forgive you." He walked out of the room.

Jesse came over to Jaden. "You sure you're all right?"

"Yeah don't worry; maybe I just need some time alone." Said Jaden still in the depressed tone.

The two boys exit. Jaden went and sat at the spectator's seat at the field. It was now all empty. Alexis came up to him.

"Jaden, why didn't you leave it up to Chazz? You don't have to be so hard on yourself, we are a team." She said to comfort him a little. "I mean I know I'm not great at selecting players for the team, but its okay as long as you all tried your best."

"I did it for you…" he said in a soft tone.

"Huh?"

"When you were selecting the teams. Do you remember? My promise to you?"

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Flashback:

Alexis was gathering up names for the Slifer team in her notebook. Chazz, Jaden and Jesse was with her too as they sat at a round table. Jaden was next to Alexis.

"We don't have the best players, but hopefully we can still win one match." Said Alexis.

"If you ask me you're too nice at selecting the players. You just accept anyone who wants to play. I heard with the other team, you have to be really good if you want to be in it."

"Don't worry Alexis! I'll take this red hot team up to the top! I promise!" said Jaden in his happy usual self.

Alexis just smiled.

End Flashback

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alexis remembered that moment. When Jaden promised her then, she thought he was just joking, but he really kept his promise. This made her smile. Then Jasmine and Mindy came up to them.

"Hey you two! It's picture time! We're taking a group photo with the other team too!" exclaimed Jasmine happily.

They all ran to meet the others all getting into position for the camera.

"Everybody say cheese!"

"Cheese!" they all smiled.

As the photo was taken, a flash of white light shone on Jaden's eyes again causing him to shut his eyes again. As he opened it he was back in the wedding ceremony.

"Oh no! I'm back already?" he exclaimed to himself. "But I hadn't even confessed my feelings to her!"

He looked at the slideshow as it displayed the previous picture of Alexis sitting next to Jaden. Then it displayed one of them in the baseball uniform. Jaden looked at Alexis in the photograph. It was different!

She had no longer a sad expression on her face, but instead a huge smile.

"I remember that game." Sighed Jesse.

"Yeah the one where Jaden didn't stop at third base. I could've won that game for us!" said Chazz in disappointment.

"Now, now Chazz even Alexis isn't as disappointed." Chirped Mindy. Jaden glanced over at the main table, Zane still watching the slideshow, his arm rested out on the table with Alexis’s hand still on it. This time however she was just holding the stem of a flower instead of breaking it. She seemed to be addressing something to her bridesmaid Blair, her little tiara crystals glistening from afar.

Jaden's jaw dropped open. The photograph actually changed! And it was all because of him.

And he was terrified.

Then the lights turned off again and everyone froze. A soft purring sound was heard as Pharaoh came up and rubbed itself against Jaden's leg. Banner appeared.

"Jaden! Why didn't you tell her?" asked Banner is disappointment.

"I'm sorry failed but you gotta help me again professor Banner! Please let me go back into this photo again!" pleaded Jaden

"I'm afraid I can't do that…" said Banner softly. “No entering a photo twice. “

“What? Damn!”

“-You may however go to the other photos to come in this slideshow."

"REALLY? I can do that?" exclaimed Jaden excitedly. He was so happy that there was still hope.

Banner smiled then disappeared as everyone went back to normal. The next photograph was shown. It was of Jesse, Bastion, Tyranno, Chumley, Syrus, Jasmine, Mindy, Chazz, Blair, Jim, Axel, Aster, Alexis and Jaden. They were all sitting in a round table in a small 'dine-in' restaurant. Alexis was next to Jaden. She looked so sad and frustrated. She looked like she was trying to hold back tears.

Jaden stared at the photograph. He remembered this photograph was taken from his birthday, but he didn't even notice that she was so sad that time until he saw this photograph now.

"What could have made her so sad and angry?" he wondered to himself. Seeing her this sad made him sad too.

“I have to fix this!”