The narrator, who goes by the name "6" or "'Aces,'" tells the story of her life, starting with her birth and her unique physical characteristic of being born without an index finger on her right hand. She shares her childhood experiences, including learning to play baseball, which becomes her passion.
In high school, she meets a boy named Oliver, and they become close friends, bonding over their love of baseball and magic tricks. However, their friendship is put to the test when Oliver starts dating a girl named Bree, who had previously bullied the narrator.
The narrator and Oliver eventually drift apart after he receives a sports scholarship to a prestigious university, which she discovers was arranged by her father, who works in the university's recruiting department. Feeling betrayed, the narrator confronts Oliver, and they stop speaking.
Years later, the narrator has become a successful baseball player, and she runs into Oliver, who has had a career setback due to an injury. He apologizes for his past behavior, and they start to rebuild their friendship. The narrator eventually gets married, and Oliver is by her side as her godfather.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The narrator's name is Aces, and she was born without an index finger on her right hand.
2. Aces' mother passed away when she was a baby.
3. Aces' father raised her alone and was very supportive.
4. Aces is skilled at playing baseball and can throw a perfect curveball due to her missing index finger.
5. Aces moved to Cincinnati with her father when she was in grade 11.
6. Aces met Oliver, a boy with flaming red hair, on her first day at a new school in Cincinnati.
7. Oliver and Aces became best friends and shared an interest in baseball and magic tricks.
8. Oliver's father was in and out of jail, and his mother raised him alone.
9. Aces and Oliver played on the school baseball team together.
10. Oliver started dating a girl named Bree, who was mean to Aces in the past.
11. Aces discovered that Oliver had cheated to get a prestigious sports scholarship by having her father, who was a recruiter, give it to him.
12. Aces was furious and confronted Oliver about the cheating.
13. Aces and Oliver stopped talking to each other after the incident.
14. Oliver became a famous baseball player and moved to Japan.
15. Aces went to a prestigious university on a sports scholarship and played for the women's national team.
16. Aces met a guy, fell in love, and got engaged.
17. Aces bumped into Oliver at a coffee shop years after their falling out.
18. Oliver had moved back from Japan and was no longer with Bree.
19. Oliver had suffered a serious injury that left him paralyzed for a year but had recovered and was playing baseball again.
20. Aces and Oliver eventually made amends and remained friends.