The Sandlot // Benny Rodriguez

7.

Today was one of the hottest days I've seen in a while, but we met the guys at the sandlot anyway. They were all sitting in the dugout, drinking cold pop. Scotty and I took a seat, Benny tossing us each a pop.

"This pop isn't working, Benny." Ham whined. "I'm baking like a toasted cheeser! It's so hot here!"

"It's 150 degrees outside, you can't play baseball!" Squints yelled. "You have to call it for the day."

"You gotta listen to him, Benny." Bertram added.

"Vote then!" Benny yelled. "Anybody who wants to be..."a can't hack it", panty waist who wears their momma's bra, raise your hand." All the boys raised their hands. "Fine, fine, fine! Be like that," Benny yelled in frustration. "So, what are we gonna do?"

Yeah Yeah started laughing, looking at the guys. "Scam pool honeys!" They all shouted at the same time.

I rolled my eyes. "You guys are gross."

• • •

We ran to get our swimsuits. I hopped the stairs two at a time and grabbed my red bikini from my room, I slipped my swimsuit on, then some shorts and a tank top. I grabbed a towel along with sunscreen and set it into a beach bag. I met Scotty downstairs and we went back to the sandlot. All the boys were already there, so we ran together to the pool.

Right when we stepped foot into the pool area, all the boys jumped into the pool, except Ham who went around to talk to the girls who were sitting out, tanning. I rolled my eyes and took my shorts and tank top off, covering myself in sunscreen. I turned to the boys and they were all staring at me with their mouths open, except Scotty of course who looked at each boy with disgust. I sat down at the edge of the pool and jumped in, swimming towards the boys. "I don't appreciate you guys staring at me," I said as they all continued to watch me swim towards them. They all turned their heads, pretending they weren't looking and I rolled my eyes. Boys were so stupid.

Their gaze turned towards the lifeguard tower where a blonde was rubbing lotion on her long, tan legs and I couldn't help, but feel slightly insecure.

"Aw, man. Wendy Peffercorn." Benny whispered in awe. I felt my stomach drop and a twinge of jealousy came over me.

"Yeah, yeah. Too cool."

"She don't know what she's doing," Timmy said.

"She don't know what she's doing," Tommy repeated.

"Yeah she does," Benny said. "She knows exactly what she's doing." I crossed my arms over my chest. Why was I getting all worked up over Benny swooning over the lifeguard? It's not like we were dating or anything. But, I couldn't stop myself from feeling disappointed and upset. I quietly swam to the edge of the pool and pulled myself out, going to grab my towel. I wrapped myself in my towel and sat in an empty chair near me. I watched Squints get out of the pool.

"What's wrong with him?" I heard Scotty say.

"What's he doing?" Ham asked while we all watched Squints get up onto the diving board.

"I don't know, but that's the deep end and Squints can't swim!" Yeah Yeah yelled. Then, he jumped in. He jumped into the deep end and I've never seen anyone move as fast in water as the boys did getting out of the pool. They were yelling and screaming, the lifeguard noticed and dived into the water to save Squints. I dropped my towel and ran towards the boys, as panic took over me. She resurfaced with Squints' limp body tucked neatly under her arms. Another lifeguard grabbed him, so Wendy could get out and he set Squints on the ground, his body not moving at all.

"Everyone move back, move back!" the male lifeguard shouted. "Roll him over!"

"Never mind, never mind!" Wendy yelled, going down to give him CPR.

"Come on!"

"Come on, Squints!"

"Wake up, come on!"

"Breathe, would you?"

"Come on, Squints! You can do it, pull through, bud!"

"Yeah, yeah, he looks pretty crappy."

"Oh, god. He looks like a dead fish!"

On the seventh breath Wendy gave him, Squints opened his eyes and grinned at us. "What?" we all said in confusion. Then, when Wendy went to give him another breath, he closed his eyes. What he did next was the most ballsy thing I had ever witnessed in my life. He grabbed the back of her head as she was giving him another breath and kissed her long and hard.

"Little pervert!" She screamed, pulling away from him.

"Oh man, he's in deep shit!" Timmy yelled. She grabbed Squints by the arm and began dragging him to the exit, all the boys trailing behind them. I ran to grab my stuff, then followed them out.

"And stay out!" She yelled, throwing him into the grass. We ran as fast as we could, the lifeguards throwing the boys' things out of the locker room and onto the sidewalk. They picked them up and ran into the shortcut to the sandlot. The boys stopped and put their clothes on.

"Oh, hey." Ham said. "Here's your glasses. Did you plan that?"

"Been planning it for years," Squints answered, grinning from ear to ear. I rolled my eyes in disgust. These boys were pigs.

"You guys! He planned that! He knew what he was doing!" Ham yelled, joining the rest of the guys. They all started walking back to the sandlot, but I stood there, beyond upset.

"You coming, duchess?" Benny called, making all the boys turn to look at me.

"No." I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Well," Bertram said. "Why not?"

"Because you guys are pigs!" I yelled. "And Benny, I thought you were different." I said, my throat closing up. And I knew I was going to start crying any second. I turned the opposite way and started running home.

• • •

Uh oh Benny messed up :/

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