curveball || benny rodriguez

s i x

Thursday, July 6th 1962

After the 4th of July night game, we went back to our normal schedule of playing baseball during the day.

Loud echoes of us shouting could be heard throughout the sandlot as Benny made it home when we couldn't get the ball back in time.

"Come on, that's not fair! You're too fast" I groaned throwing my glove on the ground with a slight pout on my face, Benny goes to say something but his suddenly stopped.

"Oh, no!" Squints exclaimed throwing his hands in the air, we all turn and look in his direction when we spot Phillips and the rest of the Little Leagues trailing behind him on their bikes.

We watched as Ham stomped over to them in an angry manner, lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed. Throwing his glove to the floor, the rest of us following behind, also throwing their gloves and hats to the floor. I look at them in confusion not understanding the reasoning behind the sudden rejection towards their gloves and hats.

Benny ends up picking up his bat before joining the other boys, I let out an irritated sigh but join them anyway. I peak over at Ham and see that he is shooting daggers towards Phillips.

"Yeah, it's easy when you play with a bunch of rejects and fat kid-" Phillips pauses for a moment looking at me before smirking.

"And a girl, Rodriguez" he snickered, I raise my eyebrow in his direction while folding my arms.

"Got a problem with that?" I retorted.

"Just didn't think a girl would be playing a mans game" I scoff at his remark.

"If this is such a mans game, then why are you playing it?" I asked him which received a few chuckles from my friends, he looked a bit taken back but pretended like it didn't offend him.

"You guys really are an insult to the game" Phillips chuckled, this kid really has some nerve.

"Shut your mouth Phillips!" Benny hissed as he pointed at him with his bat.

"What'd you say crap face!" Ham yelled, clearly getting angrier by Phillips presence.

"I said, you shouldn't even be allowed to touch a baseball!" Phillips started before looking back over at Benny, "Except for Rodriguez".

That really set off Ham

"Come on! We will take you right here! Right now!" Ham challenged nudging Squints which set him off and then the other idiots also shouted in agreement.

"We play on a real diamond, Porter! You ain't good enough to lick the dirt off our cleats." Phillips scowled, giving Ham a dirty look.

"Watch it, jerk!" Ham taunted

"Shut up, idiot!" Phillips taunted back

"Moron!"

"Scab eater!

"Butt sniffer!"

"Pus licker"

"Fart smeller!" Bertram pretended to sniff something, which he then followed with a content ah.

"You eat dog crap for breakfast geek!"

"You mix your wheaties with your mamas toe jams!" A chorus of yeahs followed this insult, I rolled my eyes but continued to watch on anyway.

"You bob for apples in the toilet!" Phillips paused for a moment, "and you like it!"

Ham looked at Phillips with a sour scowl before opening his mouth and saying the one thing I didn't want to hear.

"You play ball like a girl!"

I stopped glaring towards Phillips and turned to look at Ham with an angry expression on my face. At first some of the guys laughed but soon shut up.

"Excuse me" I snarled

Everybody had gone silent

My heart rate begins to pick up as I snatch the bat out of Benny's hand, ready to walk over to Ham and give him a piece of my mind. As I begin to walk I feel Benny grab my wrist and grip it tightly but not enough to hurt me.

"Let go of me Benjamin" I growled lowly, swinging the bat over my shoulder. I notice Ham tense up at the tone of my voice. Phillips even looked offended at what just came out of Ham's mouth.

"Tomorrow" Phillips started

"Noon, at our field! Be there, buffalo butt breath"

"Count on it, pee drinking crap face!" Ham snarled as the little league boys began to ride away, the rest of the guys on the other hand moved out of the way since i was about to beat the crap out of Ham.

"Okay look LJ, let's talk about this!" Ham stuttered once he had turned around and notice my expression.

"I will beat the shit out of you!" I fumed trying to escape Benny's grip while i thrusted the bat in Ham's face. I eventually got out of the tight grip in which lead me to charge at Ham, I clearly didn't go fast enough considering Benny had quickly wrapped his arm around my waist holding me so I wouldn't beat the living shit out of Ham.

"Benjamin! I swear if you don't let me go right now, I will beat the fuck out of you too!" I growled but that didn't stop Benny.

"That's enough, he didn't mean it Luce" Benny tried to reassure me but I was having none of it.

"Really it was! I was in the moment and it kind of just slipped out" Ham defended, followed by the rest of the boys agreeing.

"I don't care! This isn't the first time you have said some shit like this! You have slipped up one too many times Hamilton!" I shouted

Let me tell you, this was just one of the many where he had said something sexist.

"Let me at him!" I continued to carry on, my anger getting the best of me. Trust me...I'm not usually like this, it takes a lot to get me angry.

"LJ! That's enough,he didn't mean it" Benny said, still holding onto me.

"Why you gotta be so sensitive?" He cluelessly asked, I eventually pulled myself out of his grip.I stood their staring at all the guys who have fear written over their faces, my eyes continue to shoot daggers in their directions.

"Sensitive?" I muttered

"I'm being sensitive!?" I shouted angrily, throwing the bat and glove on the ground.

"So it's okay for him to make a sexist remark? But as soon as I get offended by him being a pig, I get called out for it!" I growled, my nostrils were flaring and my face was red at this point.

They just looked at me, at a loss for words.

"Fine, be like that then" I muttered throwing the bat into the dirt and yanking the glove off my hand.

"See if I give a shit"

And with that I walked away,

I made it home after a solid five minute walk, I swung the door open then left it to slam behind me. I stomp my way up the stairs and enter my bedroom flopping onto my bed and let out a groan.

What a shitty day