The Jet (A Sandlot Story) Benny Rodriguez

Part 28

"Y'all can't mess with me no more. I ain't the same girl you knew last year. Try anything stupid and the same will happen to you. I have spoken." You let go of the kids arm, before letting him bend over in pain from the stomach snap. He'd be fine, but it would hurt for a good few minutes.

Benny had been watching you from close by. You were so different in so many ways from the way you were last year, but through all the hard, built up layers, even under the tough looks and greasy hair, you were still his girl. The one he used to love.

He wanted to talk to you and make sure you were okay, so he quickly picked up his steps until he was alongside you.

"Hey, you alright?"

You noticed he'd fallen into step next to you, but honestly you wished he didn't. It didn't matter that he was the one you loved most in your life; you didn't want him here right now. You wanted to stay tough after what just happened. You didn't want to start crying in the middle of school because he said something you couldn't handle. Everything you'd been through over the last year made you have tough, thick skin. It wasn't just the part of when you were in Phoenix. Being there just helped you to let yourself show how tough you really already were. It helped you to form the image of a greaser. The only greaser in this school, anyways.

"Yeah, I'm good. What're you doing here, thought Susie didn't want us hanging out?" You asked him. You hadn't quite calmed down from the fight, and the angry tone was still in your voice. Benny shuddered a bit. He'd always been fairly sensitive, and if someone raised their voice to him, he couldn't help but retract into himself. Unless someone he loved was being threatened, then he was a raging hell monster ready to take down anyone.

"She doesn't. I just wanted to make sure you were okay..." He confessed. He put his hand on your shoulder and squeezed it a bit, trying to get you to look at him. As of now, you didn't even look up at him once. You'd become weak if you did.

"Yeah well, I'm fine... You should probably get back to your girl." You replied. He thought that maybe he was making you uncomfortable and he didn't want to anymore, so he nodded and headed for the other direction. He didn't even tell you a 'goodbye' or a 'see you later at the sandlot' he just left.

It was better that way anyways. You would probably start getting emotional if he stayed any longer.

You marched off to your first class, clearing your mind of anything having to do with Benny.

Meanwhile, Benny didn't go back to Susie like you said, but instead went to talk to Ham. If someone knew what was up with you, it would be him.

"Hey, man..... do you know if there's something wrong with Mack? She didn't seem like she wanted me within ten feet of her." He walked alongside his friend, who had been on his way to class.

"I wonder why Benny." Ham replied. He said it kind of under his breath, in hopes that Benny didn't fully hear him, but he did.

"Ham, what's going on?" He stepped in front of Ham, to keep him from walking into his class and away from the conversation. Benny needed to know what happened and how he could fix it.

"Benny. I don't really know any other way to tell you this nicely, so I'll give it to you straight.... You screwed up man, big time." Ham told him, giving him an emphasis on the words 'big time'.

"What do you mean, what did I do?" Now that he heard it was something he had done, Benny looked terrified. He never wanted to hurt you in any way, shape or form, and now he had. Little did he know that he was one 0of the only people in your life that had never hurt you in any way, but now that was done.

"You hurt her man, real bad too."

"How?"

"How do you think, stupid? Telling your best friend in the world that you shouldn't hang out anymore because of what your girlfriend of one month said was probably not the best way to go, man." Ham wasn't going to beat around the bush, he needed this conversation to end quickly before he got in trouble for being late to class.