STRETCH.

two » blockhead

Riley Smalls:

"Riley, why don't you go help Bill teach Scotty how to play catch?" My mom asked as I sat my empty bowl into the sink.

"Mom, he's playing with a plastic mitt. Sides, I don't play anymore." I shrugged.

"Riley Anne, I know how much you love baseball. Your father would've wanted you to continue playing." She sighed.

I felt my chest get tight at the mention of my dad. The game just wasn't right without him here.

"I won't play with Bill." I told her before walking back to my room.

I let out a shaky breath as I closed my door behind me. My eyes scanned around the room as I calmed down. The wall above my dresser held a poster of Babe Ruth and other classic players. My hat hung from the hook under the pictures of my dad, Scotty, and I. My prized possessions sat on the dresser. The Bob Feller signed ball, the ball me and my dad caught at an Indians game, and the ball I hit my first home run with. I smiled looking over the items.

"Mom, its fine, really! I just took my eye off of the ball!" I heard Scotty yell.

My face twisted in confusion, I exited my room quickly to see Bill slap a steak on Scotty face.

"Keep this on. It'll still be black, but it won't swell. Hey, at least you caught the ball." Bill shrugged.

I glared up at the man before focusing on my younger brother. "You okay?" I asked him.

"Yeah, no big deal. I caught the ball, Riley!" Scotty's face let up and I let out a small laugh.

After an hour, Scotty and I sat down on the front porch.

"Scotty, do you realize our house is the color of Pepto-Bismol?" I asked my younger brother.

He laughed lightly, "Yeah, it's bad."

In the midst of laughing at the color of the house and the remains of Scotty's plastic mitt a boy walked up the cement path to the house. Once I looked at him I was intrigued; from his good looks to his obvious interest in baseball.

"Hey I'm goin' to play some ball, you wanna join?" He asked my younger brother, which instantly made me smile.

"No thanks." Scotty replied politely.

"Why not, don't you like baseball?" The tan boy furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Yeah, but my mitt. It's busted, and I'm hanging out with my sister." Scotty told him.

"Here I got an extra," the boy tossed a mitt to Scotty, "and for your sister.. well I guess she can come. You know anything about baseball?" He asked as he turned to me.

I raised an eyebrow at him, "I'll go tell mom we're leaving. I'll be right back." I told Scotty, ignoring the new boy.

"Mom, Scotty and I are going out. We'll be back later!" I called out as I slid the Cleveland Indians cap over my hair.

I looked down at my high top black converse, making sure they were tied before walking back out of the nasty pink house. The tan boy's eyes widened when he saw my hat.

"Just 'cause I'm a girl doesn't mean I'm incompetent of knowing about sports." I stated before turning to Scotty.

He looked so dorky, his ugly fisherman's hat to his attire. The kid was a little dork.

"Well I'm Benny Rodriguez." The tan boy introduced himself as we walked down the sidewalk.

"I'm Riley Smalls, the dork is Scotty. He's my little brother." I replied, nodding towards my younger sibling.

"Cool, cool. So you like baseball?" Benny asked.

"Our dad loved baseball, so it ran down to Riley." Scotty boasted, a small smile grew on my lips.

"That's how it is with my dad, he put a bat in my hands when I was four and I've been playing ever since." Benny told us.

"Our dad had me watching since before I could remember, then I asked to play and he was ecstatic. He would've taught Scotty if he was still alive." I shrugged as I tossed my arm around Scotty's shoulders.

Benny gave me a nod as we walked up by a store. A group of boys sat and stood around. One chubbier red head was talking gibberish with something sticking out of his mouth.

"What?" The other boys asked.

He took the - what it looked like was licorice - out of his mouth, "I'm the great bambino."

A chorus of oh's were heard from the gang of kids, then my dork of a brother spoke up.

"Who's that?" Scotty asked, both Benny and I cringed.

"You blockhead," I mumbled before sighing.

"What?" The red head asked as he turned to face us and back away, "What did he say?" He continued.

"What were you born in a barn, man?" A taller kid asked.

"Yeah, yeah what planet are you from?" A tan kid joined in.

"You never heard of the Sultan of Swat?" A short, glasses wearing boy questioned.

"The Titan of Terror?" A dark boy asked.

"The Colossus of Clout?" One asked, then a smaller one repeated.

"The King of Crash, Scotty." I added, cutting off Benny when he turned to look at Scotty.

All of the guys were stunned when I spoke.

"See kid, even a girl knows who The Great Bambino is!" The red head exaggerated.

"Oh, yeah! The Great Bambino, of course. I thought you said the great Bambi." Scotty lied through his teeth, but I wasn't gonna call him out for it.

"That wimpy deer?" The red head asked.

"Yeah, I guess. Sorry." Scotty played off the lie.

"Benny, c'mon man who is this kid?" One asked.

"Guys, this is Scotty Smalls. Oh, and his older sister, Riley. Don't worry she knows baseball." Benny introduced us.

"Scotty, Riley, that's Timmy and Tommy Timmons." Benny pointed to the boy and the younger one that repeated him.

They both spit and I simply nodded.

"Michael Palledorous." The small boy spit like the first two.

"Alan McClennan, we call him Yeah-Yeah."

After every introduction the boy would spit, which didn't surprise me.

"Well let's go play some ball!" Benny exclaimed.

As the group of guys walked off Scotty and I followed.

"I'll teach you about The Great Bambino later," I whispered to Scotty, "you blockhead."

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