STRETCH.

eleven » i get it

Riley Smalls:

I laid on the living room floor, the plush carpet was comfortable. I didn't feel like being cooped up in my room, memorabilia of my father was in there. One of the most important things that were left to me.

"C'mon Riley, get out there. Why aren't you playing ball?" Mom asked.

"Scotty fed my prized baseball to the beast." I said in a monotoned voice.

"Oh," her voice trailed off, "okay then. I guess, just continue what you're doing."

I barely nodded, watching the fan blades spinning on the ceiling. My attention span decreased and I zoned out to the whirring fan above me.

That was, until a clanking noise pulled me out of thought. Scotty carried his nerdy connector stuff in his hands, struggling to hold all of the junk. I watched, not emitting a single noise.

"Smalls?" A voice called, my head turned to look at the screen door.

"Come in!" He called out desperately, trying to hold all of the metal pieces.

Benny cautiously walked in, his eyes darting straight to me.

"How's it going down there?" He asks.

"It's going." I reply, laying my head back onto the ground.

"Benny, help." Scotty pleaded, Benny's eyes shifted quickly.

"We'll be back later, hopefully with a baseball." Benny grinned, making my ears heat up.

Once the tanned boy walked out of the living room with my brother, I was left to stare at the fan once again.

I ended up falling asleep from watching the fan for so long. I didn't realize how long I had been on the floor, alone again.

"Riley!" My father called from the back yard.

For once, the sun was shining over our small suburban neighborhood. Fluffy white clouds contrasted with the pastel blue. A smile never left my face as I ran out the back sliding door, a baseball mitt on my hand and a large hat falling off of my head.

The hat belong to my father, when he saw me running out he notice it on my head.

"That's where it went." He noted, flipping the cap onto to his own head.

Crows feet like wrinkles laid against the outer sides of his eyes. He also sported a mitt, just on the opposite hand of mine.

"Okay Riles, what are we working on today?" He asked.

Not even a second later, I spoke up.

"I wanna be the best outfielder ever!" I grinned up at my father.

"That can be worked on." My dad laughed.

So there we were, my dad throwing pop flies, ground balls, fast balls, conditioning me to be what I wanted to be.

"You're doing great!" He exclaimed, boosting my confidence.

I wanted to be a big leaguer. The title that appealed to me was being the first girl to play on an MLB team. Of course, I wanted to make my dad proud. Be an Indians player was a dream not only in my young mind, but my young heart beat for the chance to play. My father made sure to keep my dream alive, but it became hard to do so when you yourself is barely living.

The image of my father picking me up and throwing over his shoulder to go into the house for dinner dissolved into a bittersweet end.

I was now older, paler, I looked tired. My body was moving slowly down the sterile hospital hallway. The white walls depressed me.

'ROOM 438: SMALLS'

Once I walked in, tears glazed my eyes over. The white room was just as sterile as the hallways I had travelled through, but bouquets and small gifts littered a table. The flowers were dying.

"Riles." A voice creaked.

My attention turned to my dad. He lay still, a constant beeping notified that the man was still alive. When looking at him, he was paler than I. His smile weak, his eyes dull. The happiness and liveliness that use to radiate from him was dimmed. I knew what was coming.

"Come here." He croaked out, I obliged.

I sat down in the chair nearest his bed.

"You see that ball?" He asked, which I nodded to.

"You see that hat?" He asked once again, I nodded.

"Their yours, Riley. I need someone to take care of them. I need a big leaguer to make some history."

That's where I had lost it. Hot tears trailed down my face as my heart felt like someone had restrained it. My whole world was about to fall apart.

"Riley, it's time to go." My mom stated quietly.

"I love you so much, dad." I told him, ignoring my mother.

"I love you so much too, Riley. More than you will ever know."

The door slammed, waking me from the terrible dream that haunted me. Scotty huffed as he walked to his room, defeated.

I exited quickly to the backyard, my mom had went to one of her friend's house considering Bill wasn't here. I sat cross-legged on the swing. I stared up at the sky, fluffy white clouds contrasted with the pastel blue. The sun shined down as if it was happy, I couldn't relate.

My eyes began to water up once more, the aching in my chest wouldn't stop. I can't believe I'm this choked up over a dumb baseball. The tears flowed, but I was silent. A least I thought I was.

Benny walked up behind the house, spotting me in my saddened state once again. When he sat down I still felt alone.

"Riley..." Benny called my name out in a hushed tone.

"I'm sorry." My voice wavered.

"Don't be, I would be the exact same way." He assured me.

My body felt like just extra weight, I leaned onto Benny and continued with my sobs.

"I get it, it'll be okay." Benny repeated softly as I laid down, he rocked the swing slightly and combed my hair out of my face.

"Thank you." My voice broke as my eyes began to close.

»»»
my poor bby :(
IF THERES TYPOS DONT BE SURPRISED I WROTE THIS WHILE BEING SICK