June 29th 2019
preparing to go to the sandlot, i throw on my usual. jeans, a t-shirt, converse, and my LA baseball cap. while fixing my hair, i see Evelyn pop her head in my doorway through my mirror.
"yes?" i didn't turn around, just looked at her through the mirror.
"Um..." she walks closer, "no one else is awake right now. and i don't feel so good."
i do turn around now, only to notice how pale she really was. it was like looking at a ghost stand there in my room. "oh my gosh, are you okay?" i walk closer now, "what's wrong? can you tell me how you don't feel good?"
"it's my stomach." she stumbles over to sit on my bed, "it hurts."
"hey it's okay." i say to soothe her, but haven't had any experiences like this before so it was difficult and definitely felt a little awkward. "maybe you just ate something that didn't agree with you. just go back to sleep and if you have to puke or something, do, because then it would be out of your system."
"okay, thanks Brynn." she clutches her stomach and slowly makes her way back to her room.
when i closed my front door to leave, a chill ran down my spine and i stood there completely still for a few minutes. my gut feeling was telling me to stay for Evelyn, but she was fine and back asleep now, so i really don't need to.
Benny broke me out of my trance. "you ready to hit the lot?" he grins, walking up my driveway.
"i was born ready." i toss my glove up in the air to embarrassingly not catch it. We laugh. i always love hearing his amazingly pure laugh. i could pick it out of a million.
-
we were only a few runs into the game, and suddenly i see long blonde hair wave in the wind out of the corner of my eye. i turned my focus away from the game and towards the gorgeous blonde girl, who walked at a steady pace towards us.
she wore black, high waisted lululemon leggings, paired with a tight coral-colored shirt and white adidas tennis shoes.
when enough people had noticed, and diverted their attention to her, the game stopped. i looked around at their faces searching for clues on who this was, trying to read their facial expressions. but then i realized they all looked just as confused as i was. no one really knew what to do.
she eventually made her way to Benny, who was standing in the batter's box with bat in hand.
"can i try?" she spoke softly, holding out her hand for the bat. Benny scratches the back of his neck with confusion, but then places the wooden bat in her hand.
she missed the first two balls, and the younger boys had gone into laughter. i know she'd noticed them laughing at her, but it didn't stop her from trying a third time.
DeNunez pitches, and she hits it. While it looked like she swung with all the strength she could muster, the ball only flew a few feet in front of her. giving her only a sliver of time to run to first, but she made it.
The game went on, as weird as it was having another girl there other than me or Jordyn. she didn't seem to be showing any early signs of pettiness or anything like that, so i decided not to jump to conclusions before i talked to her.
we didn't head to the dugout for a break for a long time after she got there. but when Benny signaled with his head and started walking towards the dugout, all the boys followed his lead. i'm sure they were just as curious as i was.
this had been our lot for basically, ever. no one but Phillips ever dared to show up and challenge us, or even simply ask to play with us. By the way this girl played, i could tell she'd never actually played baseball before.
while everyone entered the shade of the dugout, she stayed in the clearing of the lot, clearly unsure if she was welcome or not. i felt bad, so i decided to be kind.
"you can come in the dugout." i laughed.
she managed a quiet "thanks." and started making her way in, but didn't sit down.
i looked at Benny with a questioning expression, but he shrugged confused as well.
"are you new?" Squints finally spoke, breaking the awkward silence that had us consumed for a few minutes.
"yeah. my family just moved here. i'm sorry to disrupt your game, i saw you guys here yesterday and was just looking for friends." she sighed, "i've never actually played baseball before, but i was hoping to make some friends before freshman year starts."
i could understand that. i probably would've done the same thing if i was her, but i didn't have to considering i had already lived here before and moving back meant i was fortunate enough to already have friends. also, a part of me felt like i wouldn't have done the same thing. my introverted self could probably never just go make friends. i internally applauded her for being brave enough to just walk up to us and start playing. like i mentioned before, i never actually bothered to make any friends after we moved away from the Valley.
i stand up and walk over to her holding out my hand, "I'm Brinley, welcome to the valley." i send her a bright smile.
she returns the smile with, "thank you, i'm Harper."
after i did that, all the boys began to introduce themselves. and then i remembered what we were doing the next day and though it would be a good idea to invite her. she seemed nice enough. not anything like the back-stabbing "friends" in TV shows and movies.
so when i get the okay from Benny, i asked her if she wanted to come to his house the next day and help all the boys and me with our project. Hey eyes lit up with joy when i asked. and she decided yes very fast.
B E N N Y
point of view
when Brynn asked me if we could invite Harper to my house tomorrow with the sandlot boys, i hesitantly said yes. i realized that it was unreasonable for me to think that Brynn would always be the only girl to hang out with us.
Harper is pretty, but she doesn't come even close to Brinley. i know that i needed to tell Brynn how i feel soon. the heart wrenching pain everytime i look at her breaks me down knowing that all i am to her is a best friend. i was looking for subtle signals, but could never pick up on any.
i decided a few days into when she got back that i caught feelings, and started to send hints. she would blush once and a while, but i didn't think of that as any sort of sign.
my heart nearly throbs out of my chest everytime i look at her. i wanted so badly to meet my lips to hers, even though neither of us have ever had that experience. the fear of losing my best friend, is what stopped me. i told her sister that she was just my best friend, i told Kenny that baseball was my life, but i couldn't help wondering what it would be like to be with her.
the last thing i wanted to do was ruin the strong friendship we've built up over all these years, but a voice inside of me told me that if our friendship was really that strong, telling her my feelings and her not feeling the same shouldn't affect it.
i started to plan out how i would do it. i couldn't live another waking moment without telling her. it hurt too badly. spending every waking minute with her had drawn me closer and closer and even though she'd just gotten back a few weeks ago, i felt a strong connection.
not a friendship sort of connection. it was different. from the very first time i laid my eyes on her when she moved back, i knew nothing would ever feel the same to me.
B R I N L E Y
point of view
i fall back onto Benny's bed, resting my head on his lap. i had a question. a question that had been circling in my mind since the day i returned to the Valley.
"have you ever had a girlfriend?" i look up at the ceiling, avoiding his eyes.
"no. it's never been on my mind." he sighed, "but lately i- no, i've never really cared to."
although it was subtle, i picked up on the "but lately" he started to say but caught himself. what if he was going to talk about me?
"me neither." i realized what i had said quickly and corrected myself, "i mean i've never had a boyfriend!" we both laughed.
"why?" Benny asked sincerely.
i just shrugged, "moving around a lot doesn't make for good relationships. sure, i've had small crushes here and there, but i've never acted on it."
i looked around his room at the massive amount of baseball stuff he had. his room may as well be a shrine to baseball itself. not only his room shows how much he loves it, though.
what also shows is the the way he gets lost in the game. baseball was no longer just his pastime, it was his entire life. anyone who knows him would know that. and one day he hopes a lot of people will know that. and i hope that for him.
"do you want to keep watching more stranger things episodes?" Benny clicked on his TV, "you better say yes because i'm pretty into it now, and i'm not watching it without you."
i laugh, "yes we can watch stranger things."
when he started the show, i was forced to sit up from where my head rested on his legs so i could face the TV.
a few minutes into the episode Benny chose to speak his opinions, "i don't trust this el girl," he shook his head, "she's super sketch with these mind powers, the shaved head, and the fact that she comes from an insane asylum."
i laughed again, "Benny she doesn't come from an insane asylum she comes from a lab where they do tests on kids to make them have supernatural powers or something like that."
"or something like that?" he asks, "i thought you knew this show inside and out."
"i do, it's just some of the small details are not always included you know?" i say and he just nods.
after we had been silent for a few minutes he speaks again, "what did you think of Harper?"
i thought about it. Harper seems nice, but definitely an inexperienced baseball player. if she continues to come to the sandlot everyday the game would move at a slow pace and eventually get annoying. plus, when Jordyn decided to show up we already had one inexperienced player. another one, might be too much.
"i like her." i reply, "she seems super nice, but i don't think baseball is her forte."
"yea, i can see that." Benny says, and i let the short conversation die.
-
There was a knock at the door. i tried to ignore it, but when it happened again i realized no one else would be getting the door. so i forced myself to my feet to go get it. i was making my way down the stairs when they knocked a third time.
"i'm coming!" i stubble to the door and open it up to a very unexpected visitor. my eyes went wide. "Philips?!?"
"that would be my name." he winked causing me to cringe. "but actually i'd like it if you'd use my first name. do you even remember it?"
of course i remembered it. i was friends with him too. but i decided to go with acting like i forgot.
"nope." i shake my head with my lips pursed, "i hadn't cared to."
"well i'll remind you it's Noah. that's what most people call me. you know it's common courtesy to call someone by their first name." he runs his fingers through his hair.
"what do you want?" i lean against the door with my arms folded, keeping in mind what Benny had told me about them no longer being friends. i also know it would be against Benny and the other guys's wishes to even be speaking to him right now.
"no need to get all defensive babe!" he looked me up and down.
"uh, don't call me that." i snapped, feeling extremely uncomfortable.
"fine. look, i was wondering if you'd go out with me." he looks at me with an unreadable expression.
"what the hell." i shake my head, "why would you even ask that? i haven't seen you in six years, you're now apparently enemies with my best friends, and you're making me feel extremely uncomfortable. so back away from me before i do something i'll regret."
i try to look at him with as much danger in my eyes as i could muster. i'd never punched or hit anyone before, but i know i could if i ever needed to. although i'm not a really tough person, i'm actually pretty weak sometimes, i try to give him a look of warning hoping my fear didn't show through.
without a word, he slowly walks away. he never removed his eyes from mine until he made it down my driveway, though.
great, now i have another problem. i thought to myself, hoping Benny hadn't seen him at my door.
when i go back to my room i see a text had popped up on my phone from Benny. before revealing what it said, i got nervous that he had seen Noah on my front porch. but when i used my face ID to unlock my phone and saw it i relaxed.
Benny: Hey, i have a theory. just hear me out. what if Eleven is like controlling the Demogorgon or whatever the hell that thing is with her mind and is just tricking all the boys into thinking she's the innocent one? what do you think?
i roll my eyes but with a smile. clearly Benny wasn't too good with theories. could he not just trust that maybe Eleven is good? i realized quickly that he would probably never let the theory that Eleven is evil die.
another part of me was happy he was getting into the show. actually spending his free time thinking up theories.
i texted Benny back the eye roll emoji, and then remembered Evelyn and how she had been that morning. i decide to go check on her.
"hey Evs," i say softly entering her room, "how are you feeling?"
she looks at me through tired eyes being held up by bags. just by getting a look at her i could tell she wasn't much better.
"i don't have a fever..." she croaked putting a hand to her clearly sore throat, "i don't know what's wrong with me." when she spoke, i got a slight whiff of her breath and realized that her throat was probably sore from vomiting.
"maybe it's just a cold." i said trying not to scare her. i hope it's a cold at least.
"yeah," she says, "maybe."
-
okay so, i read this one through and think i like it a lot better than the other ones so i decided to post it.
i know that Phillips's name isn't actually Noah in the movie, but they never say it so i had to make it up lolz.
by the way i just went through and gave all the chapters names. sorry i didn't do that earlier hehe
thank you for reading:)
published: 4/11/20 ♡