After we watched Wall - E yesterday, the boys went home and I didn't see them til this morning at the sandlot. I had gone to bed early just for the fun of it and didn't even need an alarm.
We've been at the sandlot for an hour now. Smalls, however, hasn't shown yet.
Again... I don't think he's a bad kid, he's just a little entitled. If he comes to realize the error of his ways I will happily let him back in the group.
I notice him enter the sandlot and we all stop what we were doing. After these past few days of stressing about the ball, it felt good to actually play baseball.
He walks toward us and we all form a group near the pitcher's mound.
"I wanted to apologize." he says walking up to us. "Lily was right. I was out of line yesterday. I shouldn't have blamed Yeah-Yeah for not getting the ball. It's not any your problems and I shouldn't have treated it like it was. I just want to have all of you as friends again."
The boys all look at me, saying it's my decision.
"Alright, fine." I tell him. "But don't test me again."
"I'll do my best."
"And... I'll help you get the ball back." I say.
"Really?!" he asks excitedly.
"Really?" the rest of the boys ask me, not believing I'm willing to help him after yesterday.
"Yeah. This'll probably be my only chance to ever see Babe Ruth's actual signature in person ever." I respond.
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The boys all agreed to help him after I said I would and in return for our forgiveness, he came up with the plan this time.
This was the last chance and he pulled out all the stops.
His idea was to use this erector set he had and use a remote-controled catapult to get the ball back.
We would put this rail down and the catapult would roll down into Mr. Mertle's backyard. Then Smalls would control it and shoot the ball back into the sandlot and rest of us would try to catch it.
Positions:
Ham and Timmy are responsible for rolling the catapult down the rail and pulling it back up.
Smalls obviously controlling the catapult.
I don't even have to say what and where Squints is. Same as last time.
The rest of us are standing farther away from the fence with our mitts on, ready to catch the ball when it comes into the backyard. Even little Tommy.
Anyway...
I saw the rail go down into the backyard and the plan had officially started. They're only gonna have so much time to get to the ball that there's a good chance Smalls' erector set won't make it out alive.
They slowly start lowering the catapult down the rail until I can't see it anymore. I know Ham, Timmy, and Smalls talked to each other but I was far enough away that I couldn't hear the whispers.
"Okay, you're on the ground." Squints whispers to Smalls.
"Moving forward." he whispers back.
I start to hear machine noises and now we're really short on time. No way The Beast hasn't noticed it by now.
"You went to far, go back." Squints says towards the tree house.
"Reverse. It's too far." Timmy repeats the message to Smalls.
"Stop." Squints says.
I have no idea if this is actually gonna work, it's definately the most thought through plan we've had.
"Drop catapult." Squints tells them.
We all start to brace ourselves for a ball coming towards us at any minute.
"We're gonna get it. I know it. We're gonna get it." Bertram says, thinking out loud.
"Close catapult." Smalls says.
They said stuff in between but they're still talking too quitely for me to hear a lot of it.
"We're gonna get it. Come on." now Benny says.
I don't know if these are words of encouragement or if he's just trying to convice himself.
I start to hear growling before Squints yells, "Fire, fire, fire!" and starts running away from the fence.
I see the ball come flying from the other side of the fence and am visibly shocked.
"I got it! I got it! I got it!" Benny yells.
Just before it makes it to this side of the fence, The Beast jumps and catches it in it's mouth.
That's a big ass dog.
The boys in the tree house start screaming before the rail starts moving violently.
The catapult is somehow thrown in the air and I hear the crash from the other side of the fence.
The screaming children all stop after that and I look over to Smalls to make out a sad expression on his face.
He gets down from the tree house and wordlessly exits the sandlot with all of us following him.
I really am dissapointed we couldn't get it.
"Hey." Benny says quietly, walking beside me.
"Hey." I respond.
"You hungry?"
"Most of the time."
"Right now?"
"I could eat."
He grabs my hand and starts walking away from the group. I'm pretty sure they we're all just going home anyway.
"Where are we going?" I ask him.
"Rino's." He responds.
Rino's is essentially the average town's dinner flipped, which I love. Meaning instead of 1950s/60s theme it's an almost haunted version of that. It has food in just about every culture and plays music from the 70s and 80s. WE FUCKING STAN.
It's been around as long as I have and the mexican guy who owns it is practically my godfather.
We walk through the door and sit down at one of the booths on the opposite wall. Usually people have to be seated but again, I'm tight with the owner.
"Hello, kiddies!" Tony, the owner, greet us as he comes to the table. "I heard you guys came in. You just want the usual?" he asks. We've eaten here at least once a week for about a year and came in fairly often before that.
"Yes, please." I tell him and Benny nods. "Even though it's an odd time to be eating."
"It's only... 4:30. Good point." Benny says after looking at a clock on the wall.
Tony catches a waiters attention tells him to put in our "usuals".
"Hows it been going? Any luck getting the ball?" he asks us, sitting down next to me. Of course he knows, I tell him almost everything I tell Jen.
"Nah. We almost had it today but The Beast ate it." Benny responds for the both of us.
"Ate it? Intense."
"You have no idea." I say.
"Well I'll go get your drinks. Be right back."
He leaves the table and I turn to Benny.
"So." I start.
"So." he says.
"We aren't coming here for the date, are we?" I question him.
"No, no. It's not special enough. I love this place, believe me. But no."
"Then where are we going?" I ask making a low-key flirty face at him.
"Uh... what?" he clearly caught it.
"Where are we going?" I ask slower with a slight smirk.
I know it's kinda rude to flirt with him and make him wait but I need to make it even for how much he knowingly makes me blush infront of other people.
"We're- uh- going- wait, no, NO!" Dammit. He caught on. "You're not getting it out of me."
I groan at that. "Why can't I know?"
"Because only one of us needs to know and one of us already knows."
"How am I gonna know what to wear?"
"What you're wearing now's fine."
"But I don't want to look fine, I wanna look good."
"Woah, woah, woah. Slow down. I said what you're wearing is fine. I never said you didn't look good in it." he clarifies, winking at me.
Welcome back, rosy cheeks. Haven't seen you in like an hour. I don't even remember why I was blushing then but I know it was because Mr. Winky did or said something. Or both.