head over heels | benny rodriguez

| chapter twenty six |

After a long day of swimming and eating absolute crap, Ham, Squints, and Yeah Yeah all proceeded to vomit in my bathroom.

I guess the combination of Tobacco, Doritos, and water doesn't mix well. Thought they learned their lesson from the carnival, but I stand corrected.

So after they had all recovered, I made sure we swore off the hard stuff forever and just stuck to Bazooka.

-

We all made our way to the sandlot that day, as per usual. But today felt different.

The air was somehow stiller and heavier than ever before. The bushes weren't swaying in the wind, dust wasn't flying up from under our feet, and a melancholy feeling filled the space around each of us.

Disregarding the feeling, however, I made my way toward the right side of the field, glove in hand as Benny stepped up to the batting plate.

The game quickly commenced, in which DeNunez threw his heater right towards the boy on home base.

He hit the ball with a loud crack, sending it flying into the clouds.

It was weird though, as when the ball glided right into my glove, it feel right. It was almost - squishy?

Benny groaned, flinging his head back as he swung the bat over his shoulder.

Bring my glove to my chest, I glanced down at the object in my hand.

There a saw the ball split in half, with its inner strings spilling out the seams.

My eyes widened in shock as I stood in awe at my hand, gently gripping the broken item.

"ELLE, THE FUCK ARE YOU DOIN'? TOSS ME THE BALL!"

I began waving my arms and shouting, gathering the group together.

"What is it man, you're ruining the game."

"Yeah yeah! Stoppin' us for nothing."

I chuckled under my breath as I held the ball behind my back. "You guys are gonna wanna see this."

Pulling my arms forward, I softly dropped the wad of leather and string into the sand.

"Oh, man."

"I don't believe it."

"Bitchin."

Though this was the most breathtaking thing any of us had ever witnessed, Benny shook his head. "Nah, it ain't."

"Come on. Maybe two or three guys in history ever busted the guts out of a ball." Bertram exclaimed as he placed a hand on Bennys shoulder.

"Must be an omen." DeNunez chimed in. Yet the boy seemed pissed off, almost angry about the ball.

"All's it means is that we can't play no more." He sighed. "It's only nine thirty and I just ruined the whole day for us."

"No, you didn't. That's the most amazing thing I ever saw."

"I agree, takes some real skill to pull that off." I let out as I elbowed Benny, and we continued to stare at the object.

"Uh, anybody got any money?" Benny asked crassly. But to nobody's surprise, everyone responded with a quiet "no" or by shaking their heads. "Then it ain't okay, 'cause now we can't play no more."

There was a very long lull in the crowd, yet Smalls broke the silence. "Yeah, we can."

"What, you got extra cents lying around, Smalls?"

"No, but I got a ball."

*

hi guys, sorry for the short chapter, i needed to split it up for the next scene where they lose the ball!

in the process of writing the next chapter, lots of love!

- alex