You awoke in the middle of the night, shooting up from your bed in a thick layer of cold sweat. Was that all just a nightmare? Were your mom and Mikey really getting married? You hoped and prayed that it was all just a very bad dream.
You dropped your body back into the warmth of your bed, making Benny pop up beside you. Shoot, you forgot he was here. Unfortunately, it wasn't just a nightmare, and it was really happening. You sighed in defeat, while also feeling remorse for waking up Benny at three in the morning.
"I'm sorry I woke you up, I thought I had a bad dream." You whispered, voice still weak and hoarse from crying the night away. Benny wiped the sleep from his eyes, rising up on his elbow.
"It's okay." He shook it off, knowing you wouldn't do it intentionally. You were mentally breaking down, and probably felt like going out of your mind right now. "Do you wanna talk about it?"
You thought for a moment. You knew his intentions were pure, and he only wanted to help you in any way he could. You, however, didn't feel like sharing. It wasn't that you didn't trust him, heck, you trusted him more than your mother at this point. You simply just didn't want the topic brought up.
You glanced over at him with a furrowed brow, softly shaking your head. He didn't force you, or do anything to make you feel worse. He nodded, moving the pillow he was holding out of the way for you to snuggle close to him. You almost felt like crying again, but knew that Benny was probably tired and wanted to go back to sleep. You just tucked your head into his chest, knowing you were protected in your safe place. Nothing could hurt you as long as you were being held by Benny. He wouldn't let anything happen to you as long as he was around to stop it.
"I'm going to cancel the game tomorrow, okay?" He said softly, trying to help console you by making sure you didn't have to do anything the next day.
"Why? Benny we should play, it'll get me out of the house, and it'll take my mind off of things." You were quick to reply, seeing as how you clearly didn't want to be sitting around at home all day and thinking about your current situation. You'd rather forget about it completely, maybe it would just cease to exist.
"Are you sure you're okay enough to play?" He asked, raising his eyebrows in seriousness.
"Benny I'll be okay. As long as your there, I'll always be okay." Your hand found its natural spot at the side of his cheek, stroking it softly with your thumb.
Your response melted Benny's heart, along with just about everything else you ever did. Boy was this kid was so gone for you. He couldn't say no, especially if it could make you happy instead of depressed over your mom and her new fiancé.
"Okay." He nodded and gave you a soft smile while doing so.
"I love you." Your voice was soft again, as was your facial expression.
"I love you too, my love." He replied, not even catching the pet name he slipped in there.
Your head tilted in a sweet way, looking up at him with tired eyes.
"What'd you call me?" You couldn't help but feel a lazy smile come across your face. He's never really given you a nickname before.
He knew what he'd said, but somehow, he didn't expect it to be that big of a deal.
"My Love?" He posed it as a question, but you didn't say anything back to him. "Do you not want me to call you that?"
"No, I do. It's sweet."
He laughed lightly. He was happy that you liked his new nickname for you, because as far as you were concerned, he was now going to call you by that name only. Except when you were around the boys, and even then, he might try and sneak it in when they're not listening.
"So.... Do I get a nickname too?" he teased, making you blush bright pink.
"Yeah, I just haven't thought of one yet." You giggled. As of right this minute, you'd almost forgotten about why you were so upset a few minutes ago, completely engrossed in the sweet moment between the both of you.
"Well, until you think of one, I think I'll go back to sleep. You should too, if you wanna still play that game tomorrow."
You gave a heavy sigh, knowing he was right, and you probably did need to go back to sleep. He had already laid back down, patting the space next to him. You snuggled close to him, letting his scent overtake your senses. You were able to calm your mind and drift off slowly, and when you did you had a dream.
You were sitting on a couch in what looked like Benny's living room. You had a sketch pad in your hands, with a beautiful drawn picture of a rose. You also held a pencil, but you doubted you were talented enough to make something so exquisite.
You looked past the sketch pad, seeing a beautiful little girl laying on the ground, about the age of six or seven. She was absolutely stunning. She had dark hazel brown eyes, with matching color hair, which was scooped up into a ponytail at the back of her head. A few ringlet curls fell out of place here and there, framing her face.
You couldn't take your eyes off of her. She looked like a mini carbon copy of Benny, and yet you couldn't put the pieces together.
That wasn't until Benny came into the room, scooping her up in his arms and throwing her over his shoulder. She laughed playfully as he spun her around in a circle a few times before putting her down on the seat next to you. You couldn't help but smile at the two, feeling a sense of joy from them.
"Daddy, again, again!" She cried out, still giggling like the sweet girl she was.
"I don't think I can princess, I got too dizzy." He joked around, acting like his head was falling in circles, just making the little girl laugh more.
"Well what about Mommy, doesn't she want a turn?" Mommy? Wait.... This is yours and Benny's daughter.
He smiled at her, then glancing at you, smiling devilishly. This was the first time you'd really gotten a good look at him. He looked a good ten years older, but he looked good. Really good. He was a lot taller, and his figure filled out a lot more, making him look more muscular and strong. His hair was a bit shorter, and his face didn't have his slightly full cheeks anymore. He wasn't completely different however, because when you looked into his eyes, they were still the same.
Your attention was pulled back into focus when Benny started inching closer to you.
"What do ya say Mommy, do you want a turn?" He cocked his eyebrow up, almost as if he was scheming.
"I wouldn't wanna make you more dizzy, daddy." You mocked him for his earlier words, waiting for a response.
"I didn't hear a no." He replied, sweeping you off the couch and twirling you around in a circle.
You yelled out playfully, not even really caring if he put you down or not.
After a few more spins, he carefully lowered your feet to the ground, but not completely letting you down. He still held you by your waist, with your arms wrapped tightly around his neck. He looked down at your face, keeping direct eyeline with you. He smirked confidently, which was kind of unusual for Benny. Of course, a second later, you were sure it was him, because he pressed the lightest kiss to your lips, and you felt the fireworks you always did when he kissed you. He was still your Benny, just older. He was always going to be your Benny, and that would never change.
You woke up to the feeling of weight being put on you, like a human body weight. You opened your eyes slowly, seeing that Benny had laid on you, hugging his arms around your middle.
You couldn't help the smile that came across your face, and relaxed at the pleasant feeling. You were sad to not continue your sweet dream about Benny's and your future daughter, but you knew you would have the rest of your life for all of that.
You got caught up in your thinking, and as you did, you began to thread your fingers through Benny's hair, feeling the soft wavy curls that were growing longer by the day.
You both laid there for several minutes, seeing as though it was still quite early in the morning, and you didn't need to be at the school field until later. It was peaceful and serene, just laying there with him. He made you forget everything that was wrong with your life.
-
"Stop him at second!" Squints yelled at you after throwing you the ball, which you relayed to Bertram. He tagged out Yeah yeah, making the rest of you cheer in victory.
You all had showed up at the field a little early so you could practice, figuring it would be easier to win if you all got a bit more familiar with the field.
You all made your way to the dugout on the side of the field, noticing that the other players were showing up. They dropped their bikes by the gate and strolled up to where you all were sitting. They crossed their arms and gave you all annoyed stares. You didn't seem bothered by them, but then of course you made eye contact with Philips, which bothered you immensely.
"Look what the cat dragged in. You all ready to lose?" He shouted at your team, but he kept looking back at you. You dropped your gaze to your lap to disconnect the weird stare off going on.
"The only team capable of losing today, is your group of washed up, idiot faced, buttheads!" Ham started on with his classic insults. This had to be one of his favorite things to do.
"We'll see about that, Porter. Let's just play, you all bat first."
And with that, the game was started. The group nominated Ham to step up to the plate first, seeing as how he was so confident and unbothered by the arrogant group of douchebags.
You were up after him, and Squints was after you, leaving Benny with the coveted cleanup spot of fourth batter.
You went into the practice batting area for a minute, starting to warm up your swings. You felt an unwelcoming presence behind you, and when you turned around you were met face to face with Philips.
"Hey new kid, I got a bone to pick with you." He said with a harsh tone, yet his voice was quiet, as to not alert any other players he was there with you.
"Can't it wait till after we win?" You shot back, trying to act tough and not look like you were letting your guard down.
"Nah," He came closer to you, making you take a step back. "It can't. You see, I know something. Something you probably don't want me to know, or anyone else for that matter."
"And what would that be?" You kept your fierce façade, even though on the inside, you were about to start shaking in fear.
He came closer and closer, backing you into the gate of the batting area. No one was paying attention to you or him, because at the moment, Ham was having another insult contest with another one of the players.
He finally pressed you against the cage, holding you there by your arms. He leaned his face down to reach your ear.
"You're a girl, aren't you?" He whispered maliciously.
You started to visibly shake under his grasp, realizing how crappy this was going to end up.
"What? That's crazy.... I- "
"You are. I know it. I saw you earlier this summer at my dad's restaurant."
Crap. That day would haunt you for the rest of your life, and for many reasons.
You kept quiet for a few seconds, wondering why he even would bring this up to you, but then you realized his intentions.
"What do you want, Philips?" You didn't stop shaking, but you knew you had to try to reason with him.
He laughed, seeing that you understood him.
"I want you to back out of the game. Girls don't play baseball, and they never will." He spoke harshly, and even though he backed away from you, it still felt as though he was pressing you against the gate.
"I'm not backing out. Maybe not all girls play baseball, but I do, and I'm good at it." You shot back, there was no way this punk was going to get you out of this game.
He shrugged his shoulders as if not phased by your comment at all.
"Well then I guess I'll have to tell everyone your secret. I'm assuming the reason you hide it is because you don't think they'll let you play, and rightfully so." He paused, relishing in the fearsome look on your face. "So, either back out of the game, or its out." He finished his threat, seeing your face contort into one of anger.
"I couldn't just back out, Philips. Even if I wanted to. There would have to be a reason."
"I thought you might say that... no worries, Me and my pitcher have a plan. When you go up to bat, he hits you in the shoulder with his pitch. Then you'll be benched." He said, as if it wasn't an entirely crazy plan in the first place.
"Are you out of your mind? You realize that could actually do me damage, right?" You scoffed.
"Well, I mean if your secret isn't that important to you, I guess it won't matter if I tell everyone." You didn't think this kid was psycho enough to suggest something like this, but here we are.
You breathed out heavy, knowing that a lot was at stake here. You had to make a fast decision, but you weren't sure if it was the right one.
"Fine. I'll do it." You spurted out, desperate not to let him tell anyone.
"Alright then, let's play ball." He smirked in victory over you. He left the batting cage and stepped onto the field, ready to play. You were terrified, and rightfully so. This was ridiculous, having to get hit with a pitch so he could bench you. Just because you were a girl.
Ham was standing at the plate, ready to start swinging. The others were crowding the dugout, completely oblivious as to what just went on in the batting cage.
You watched the first pitch. Strike one.
Ham wasn't nervous though.
Second pitch, its coming in fast, but Ham swings, and sends it soaring down center field. He started running, and made it to first base before stopping. Short stop had the ball, and he was too smart to charge it.
That meant it was your turn. You stepped up to the plate anxiously, seeing the grim smile on the pitcher's face. He knew what was about to happen, same as you.
You were completely in a daze, and not in the normal focus that you would be for any other game.
Benny noticed there was something off. He saw that you were scared to bat, and that never happened. Something was seriously wrong, and he knew it.
You stepped up to the plate, raising your bat up. You closed your eyes for a moment, silently hoping he wouldn't go through with it.
He wound up. First pitch. You saw the ball, but it didn't come at you, instead it hit the catcher's glove.
You were slightly confused and felt a sense of safety, but you were not entirely relieved.
The catcher threw it back, and the pitcher wound up a second time. He sent the ball flying at a high speed, and just as you anticipated, it hit you square in the shoulder. It hit you so hard, you fell over on your butt. You tried using your arm to stand back up, but it sent a sharp pain into where you just got hit with the ball. You winced, grabbing your shoulder with your free hand.
All the boys immediately stormed the field, calling out to the pitcher for hitting one of their players.
Benny came straight to you, helping you up and examining your injury.
"Are you okay?" He asked, still scanning over your shoulder to see if it was dislocated or something. It wasn't, but it definitely took some damage.
"Not really." You tried to act brave, even though you knew not only would you be missing out on this game, but every other game after that for a long time. Say goodbye to try outs for school season, because that was now out of the question.
Benny helped you over to the bench, sitting right next to you until all the boys came back.
Ham came off of first base, following the rest of them to see if you were alright.
"I think I just tore something." You spoke as if it wasn't a big deal, even though you were in tremendous pain.
"You can't play, can you?" Kenny asked. Of course, they already knew the answer, but you were a pretty tough kid, so there was no harm in asking.
"I don't think so."
You were very disappointed that it had come to this, but you didn't really have a choice, and now what's been done is done.
"We gotta Forfeit. We can't play without nine." Benny said, dropping his head down. You felt horrible, even though you weren't the actual cause of this, you still agreed to be hit with that pitch.
"I'll go call it." Ham said, his voice dripping with disappointment.
You were all upset, but most of all, Benny. Something happened with you, and when he found out what it was, he would probably try and kill Philips. Of course, all that could wait till later. Right now, he was just worried about getting you home and getting your shoulder checked out.
It was a long walk of pain and suffering, and you knew that ultimately, you'd have to tell Benny what really went on when you got home.
The second you walked into the door of your house, Benny started asking questions, just like you guessed he would.
"That pitch wasn't an accident, was it?" He wanted to know exactly how everything went down, that way he could beat the living crap out of Philips the next time he saw him.
"No... It wasn't."
You couldn't bear to look Benny in the eye as you told him this. He might get angry when you started telling him more.
"I was in the batting cage warming up, and Philips came in. He knows about me, Benny. He knows I'm girl. He told me if I didn't back out of the game, he would tell everyone." You continued, leading up to the main part of the story.
"You didn't back out." He assumed. He knew you well enough by now to know you wouldn't just give in.
"I told him I couldn't, so he said he'd have his pitcher hit me so I could be benched. I took the deal."
Benny was furious, and his anger was about to be taken out on someone who didn't deserve it.
"Why the hell would you do that?!" He asked aggressively. He didn't even think about how he was yelling at the wrong person. "Why would you purposely let someone hurt you like that? Do you realize how much worse that could've been? What if he'd hit you in the head?"
"Benny, I know It was a bad decision. I know that now. And I'm not going to get to do a lot of things that I planned on doing, but what's done is done. I can't exactly go back and fix it." Your eyes were holding back tears that wanted to pour out.
"Mack, I get that your secret is important to you, but it wasn't worth that! It was really stupid of you!" His voice was still raised at you, and you couldn't help but feel like it was all your fault. You let out a small whimper as a few tears escaped your eyes.
Benny knew he screwed up, and his face softened. He never meant to upset you, especially after what just happened to you. His anger towards Philips came out on you, and it made you feel like you were the one responsible for all of this.
"I'm sorry, Love. I didn't mean it that way. It wasn't your fault, really it wasn't." He came up beside you, snaking his arms around where he usually held you.
You laid your head on his shoulder, sniffling the other tears that were trying to escape.
"Can I see your shoulder?" He whispered quietly, pulling back from you a hairs length.
You nodded, pulling back further, bringing the neckline of your shirt over your left arm so Benny could get a good look at your bruised, swollen shoulder.
He raised his finger up to it to see how sensitive it was, and as soon as he touched it you winced.
"Sorry."
He was more gentle this time, barely letting his thumb graze over the skin. You didn't show any discomfort as he did this, so he put a bit more pressure on it. You still didn't respond badly, so he pressed a small kiss on the injured area, then in the crook of your neck.
You sighed contently, feeling some of the pain ease away at his actions.
"I'm gonna get you some ice for it." He walked into the kitchen, and out of sight.
When he came back, he had an ice pack and a small dish towel in hand. He wrapped the towel around the ice before laying it up against your shoulder gently.
"I think I should probably get this shirt off, it's in the way." You gestured to how you were having to hold back the shirt for the ice pack. He nodded, and followed you down the hall and into your room.
You got into you room, taking a tank top out of your dresser drawer and throwing it out onto your bed. You reached behind your head to try and take your shirt off, but stopped mid-way, feeling a sharp pain shooting through you.
Benny noticed you struggling and came to help.
"Here, let me." He pulled the shirt over your head, carefully maneuvering it around your shoulder as he did. He tossed the shirt into the corner of the room, taking the tank top from your bed and helping you put it on. When he was done, he sat down on your bed and patted the space next to him for you to join.
You lowered yourself down and curled your legs into your chest. You felt the ice pack come back into contact with your shoulder. It was very cold, and sent goosebumps down your spine, but it made some of the pain fade away, so you weren't complaining.
After about fifteen, maybe twenty minutes, the pain had almost ceased. Of course, your arm was numb because of the ice, but it still helped.
Benny went and put the ice away before coming back to get you situated.
"You should get that checked out; what time does your mom get home?" He asked, sitting down next to you and rubbing his hand up and down your arm.
"Around five. I'll just have her take me tomorrow." You replied, leaning into his side.
"Do you want me to stay with you till she gets home?" He offered. You were no way gonna say no, you didn't want to be alone when she got here just in case Mikey was with her.
You nodded your head, to which he laid back on the bed, bringing you with him.
"You know you're an angel, Benny?" You asked him, tucking your head in the crook of his neck.
"An angel? I don't know about that." He replied, a small smile on his face at your sweet words.
"You are, really. You've done so much for me. You've stuck up for me, you've taken care of me, you've protected me, and you've made me feel like I finally have a place where I belong. You are definitely my angel." You paused, closing your eyes when you spoke. "I think I'll call you that, it can be your nickname."
He smiled down at you, kissing the top of your head.
"Okay, my love." He replied. Your heart practically soared every time those words left his mouth. It made butterflies erupt in you, and made you feel like everything was just fine, although at the moment your life was everything but fine.
You both laid there the remainder of the evening, waiting for your mom to get back, but you drifted off into a sweet slumber before she did. Benny stayed awake, thinking about all the possible ways he could murder Philips without anyone finding out it was him.
After a while, your mom did eventually come home, and when she came in your room, Benny smiled at her, ready to tell her what happened to you. He tried to untangle himself without waking you up, but you kept clinging to him even while asleep.
"What happened, I thought you guys were supposed to be playing a game today?" Your mom asked, sitting down on the chair in the corner of your room, which was covered in laundry
"We were, but.... One of the pitchers hit her in the shoulder with a fast pitch. We couldn't play without her, so I brought her home. We iced her shoulder for a while, but it still looks pretty bad." He explained, still trying to get untangled from your embrace.
"I'll take her to get it looked at tomorrow morning. Thank you for taking care of her, it really means a lot." She admitted. There weren't a lot of boys out there who would be so good to their girl like Benny was to you. Then again, there also weren't a lot of guys out there that were so in love with their girl that they would do anything for them.
"I should probably get home; my mom will be wondering where I am." He tried one more time to get out of your arms without waking you up, but you stirred awake.
"Where you goin'?" You asked, sleep still heavy in your voice.
"I gotta get home, but I'll come by tomorrow to see how you're doing, okay?" He swept a strand of hair out of your face, and kissed the top of your head.
He gave your mom one more wave before leaving the way he came.
You were still a little drowsy, and didn't even notice your mom was in the room till just now.
"Oh, hey mom."
"Hey. Benny told me you got hit by a pitch today."
You didn't exactly want to bring it back up but okay.
"Yeah, got my shoulder." You raised up out of bed so she could see the bruising marks where the ball hit you.
"Looks pretty rough. I'm gonna take you to the doctor in the morning. Also, if you want dinner, I should have it done in about an hour." She stood up, coming over to where you were sitting and patted your back, careful of your injured shoulder.
"Is Mikey coming?"
"No, he has meetings until late tonight." She knew you weren't a fan of Mikey, and also that you weren't very excited about them getting married, so she just let it there.
You silently thanked God for that.
After you mom left the room, you laid back down, still needing more rest after all the terrible events of today.
(A/N): And it only gets worse from here guys