Innocence|Benny Rodriguez

The Great Bambino

"At least you tried to catch it this time." Jackie shrugged, handing him the ball.  He nodded with a gloomy look on his face, upset that he didn't catch it. 

"Okay, you just need a bigger glove.  Throw it back to me this time." Scotty's dad said, even though Jackie was assuming he was just making up excuses for his son.  In reality, Scotty was just afraid of catching the ball.  "Throw it back." He repeated, holding his glove up.  Scotty awkwardly tossed the ball low, the ball rolling back to his dad.  His dad awkwardly looked down at the grass, giving his son a disappointed look.

"Scotty, you're supposed to throw it.  Why'd you roll it like it was a bowling ball?" Jackie wondered, shaking her head at Scotty.  He rubbed the back of his neck as his dad sent him a glare.  His dad glanced at his watch, before picking the ball up.

"Okay, Scotty, keep your eye on the ball." His dad repeated for the fourth or so time.  When he threw the ball, Scotty caught it.  Unfortunately, though, no one was able to celebrate because when Scotty caught the ball, the glove was in front of his face, causing the ball to technically hit him in the eye.

"Ow!" Scotty yelled, falling back but Jackie caught him before he could fall to the ground.  He dropped the ball, holding the side of his face with his glove still on his left hand. 

"Oh, God." Jackie whimpered, afraid that Scotty had injured himself or maybe he was just exaggerating.  Jackie and Scotty's dad took Scotty into the house, Scotty complaining the whole way there.

"My eye!  Ow!" Scotty groaned as his dad sat him down on the chair in the kitchen.  A woman in a red dress was washing the dishes quickly grabbed a towel and headed over to Scotty.  Jackie assumed it was his mom.

"What happened?" She asked Scotty, approaching her son.  Jackie awkwardly stood at the entrance of the kitchen, feeling like she shouldn't have been there, but she felt rude to just leave.

"My eye." Scotty groaned.  His mom removed the gloved from his hand to get a look at his eye.  In a way, Jackie thought it was her fault.  He wouldn't have wanted to learn how to play if it wasn't for her offering it.

"Honey, get some ice.  Ice." Scotty's mom told her husband, tossing the glove on the floor.  Jackie walked up to the glove and picked it up, holding it for Scotty.

"No, I got it." Scotty's dad said, unraveling the towel to reveal a steak.  Jackie was grossed out that he was gonna use meat instead of some ice.  "Here you go." He held the meat up to Scotty's eye.

"Those were for dinner." Scotty's mom complained, scoffing at her husband.

"Just hold it up there." Scotty's dad let Scotty hold on to the steak.  "Nice and hard.  Press it against-yeah."  Jackie watched from a distance as Scotty groaned in pain, not knowing he'd suck that much at baseball.

"I just took my eye off the ball, Mom." Scotty explained to his mom, not wanting her to be mad at him.  She looked angrier at her husband though, glaring at him the entire time.

"Yeah, but at least you caught it.  Alright, just keep that on for, like, an hour.  It'll still be black, but it won't swell.  Sorry.  Gotta watch out for that curve." Scotty's dad said, placing his hands on his hips.  Jackie thought he was being kind of rude, not even caring too much about Scotty's injury that he caused. 

"I'll wait outside for you, Scotty." Jackie placed his glove on the kitchen table.  Scotty's mom jumped at the new voice, not noticing that the girl was even there.  Jackie waited outside on Scotty's steps for him to come out when he was ready.  He was probably very embarrassed and Jackie understood.  After around fifteen minutes, he finally came outside and sat beside Jackie.