Benny Rodriguez; 1962

Watch out!

"Did you see THAT throw?"

"Hell yeah I did. Are you even a girl?"

"Not at all, I'm totally a guy. Do I look like a boy?" say with a little amusement in my voice.

"It's definitely a girl."

I turn around to see Scotty running out of the field and I follow him. I end up grabbing him and throwing him over my back considering he's only about ninety-five pounds.

"Put me down."

"No." I deadpan and he groans

"Why are we even going back?"

"We're gonna sit there and watch them."

"Whatever."

We get back and sit down in the dugout and the boys don't seem to notice us. For the next couple of minutes Benny hits and then a little boy with glasses goes to bat. He winks at me and I feel like throwing up the cereal I had.

"I'm ready to leave. Let's go."

"Finally."

We walk out of the Sandlot and go back home. Mom and Bill are still unpacking everything in the kitchen so me and Scotty decide to decorate his room. It doesn't take very long because he said he doesn't want 'too much' decorations other than a few things.

By dinner time we are headed to the diner that is only five minutes down the road and we walk. We pass Benny and the rest of the boys while on our way and they end up coming into the diner too. Benny is like the leader of them, he's much taller and he's obviously older than all of them other than maybe the one who was pitching.

"What would y'all like?"

"I want a sweet tea with french fries and a cheese burger with everything."

"Okay and for you?" She continues to ask the rest of us and we all basically got the same thing other than Bill who got a hot dog.

The boys are very noisy and loud, especially the red headed one who just keeps screaming things about 'the babe.' Everyone in the diner keep sending looks their way but they obviously don't care because they continue to be loud.

Eventually our food is brought out and we start eating. We finish our food within ten minutes and then leave.

We get home and everyone exchanges good nights other than me and Scotty who have decided we're gonna hangout after we both take showers. I get into the shower and start singing to a random song that's been stuck in my head all day.

Scotty takes a shower and afterwards we're sitting in his room talking about random stuff until mom walks in and gets hit with a marble that Scotty was playing with in some kind of contraption he made.

"Night, hon." It hits her right in the forehead. I scoot away to the edge of his bed not trying to laugh and hit Scotty.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mom. It was an accident."

"Scotty, have you made any friends yet?"

"No."

"Why not, honey?"

"'Cause I'm still new."

"I don't want you sitting around in here all summer fiddling with this stuff... like you did last summer and the one before. I know you're smart, and I'm proud of you. I want you to get out into the fresh air and make some friends. Run around, scrape your knees, get dirty, climb trees, hop fences, get into trouble for crying out loud. Not too much, but some. You have my permission. How many mothers do you know who say something like that to their sons?"

"Well, no mothers I guess."

"You never told me that I could get into trouble."

"You're different." Wow, thanks a lot

"Honey, I want you to make some friends this summer. Lots of them."

"Yeah, I know. But I'm not good at anything, Mom. Face it, I'm just an egghead."

"True that." I silently laugh while mom just ignores what I said.

"Honey, you'll always be just an egghead with an attitude like that."

"Okay, I'll try."

"Goodnight guys."

"Goodnight."

Me and Scotty stay up for a while until we both decide that we're tired and go to bed. Tonight I actually put on pajamas. I climb out of one of my windows carefully, grab onto my roof and climb up.

I see Benny on his roof throwing a baseball in the air and he's actually smiling tonight. The way he looks with the moonlight shining on his face just makes him look like an Angel, wait what? I literally just met the boy and I've barely even talked to him.

"If you keep looking at me your eyes might get glued to my face."

"Oh god." I roll back laughing and covering my face even though he might not be able to see my whole face.

"You and your brother should come to the sandlot tomorrow. I mean, the boys will be asses about a girl but they'll get over it."

"Really?"

"Yeah, totally."

"Okay, I'll tell Scotty tomorrow."

"Alright. G'night."

"Night Benny."

I get up and go back to my room and go to sleep but tonight, I actually have a dream. I'm playing baseball with the boys from the sandlot and I hit a home run. As I'm running to home plate I fall down and then everyone starts laughing at me. I stand up and then I'm running out of the sandlot.