The "Enemy"

Rivals?

I got up early that morning. The TV was off and I assumed it was of my mother's doing.
I went back up to my room and got dressed into something casual.
I decided to get ready before I finished my ceiling. All I had left was another coat of dark paint and then to make a bright white. Slumping downstairs to the garage, I wasn't fully awake yet. "Hey sleepy head! You look to tired to paint. Let's head to the sandlot for some real fun." It was Benny. I laughed and grabbed my glove. I had already had a hat on and walked over to the tall boy.
We walked for a good minute, until Benny started to talk. It was really a one way conversation. I wasn't in it today and was just responding when needed.
We arrived at the Sandlot and the boys were already there. They took there places and I stood in outfield today. Benny hit it directly towards me. I didn't have to move at all and put my glove up. My eyes were still halfway closed when I was hit in the eye with the ball. It was coming at lot faster then it looked. It hit me with so much force I swung my head around to face the ground. With my body twisted to the left and my knees bent down in order to stay off the ground, but not show the boys what had happened.
They quickly ran over to me. Smalls being the first. They all huddled around and were trying to look at it when a single tear left my now black and blue eye. They all gawked at me in awe. I had never cried in front of them. I haven't known them that long, but definitely not long enough to cry. Even Smalls my little brother hadn't seen me cry. That reason being I always hid in my room.
I was helped up and led to the dug out. I sat down and Ham handed me a cold pop bottle to put over the bruise. "Dude that bruise looks sick. You sure you're okay?" I looked up to see a concerned Squints. "Yes Squints I'm okay. If I wasn't awake before I am now." They all looked at me and shook their heads.
"Benny! You knew she wasn't awake why did you hit it to her anyways!?" Kenny had thrown out of no where. They started to fight back and forth when I heard a rattling of chains and spotted a group of boys in official baseball jerseys.
The kid in the front was kinda cute, but that just might be the bruised eye talking. I wasn't paying attention much to what was happening as the guys had noticed too and Ham was hollering back and forth with the cute boy.
"You play ball like a girl!" Was the only thing I had caught of there bickering. I was shocked at it, but it did make sense. I had a bad eye and couldn't catch the ball. "I'll make you deal! We play a game at my field tomorrow! Whoever wins gets the girl." The blonde boy looked directly at me. I raised my eyebrows and winced in the pain.
"Deal." I looked over at Benny in the back. I couldn't believe it. Benny had placed a bet on me.
I ran off back home. No one followed and I hid in my room.
"Honey someone's at the door for you!" It was my dad. He wouldn't be happy with the fact he had to leave his office for the door.
I slumped back down the stairs and was shocked when I saw the blonde boy staring back at me.
"Hey! Ummm...I know we literally just met, but I was wondering if you could meet me at the park at 9 tonight."
I nodded without thinking.
Just then it hit me. That was the cute boy who bought me the pop early this summer. I blushed and headed back upstairs to head to bed. I got ready and realized my dad had painted the second layer.
He must have had some spare time today. This meant I couldn't be in my room though. I went downstairs and just entered the kitchen when I saw the time. "12:00! It was only lunchtime and I was tired to the edge of fainting.
I grabbed some peas out of the freezer and sat on couch with it on my eye. I drifted off to sleep easily and woke up around 8 o'clock.
I better get ready to meet the cute blonde in an hour. I raced upstairs now full of energy and decided on wearing another casual outfit, but since it already past my curfew I slipped sweats on with a baseball shirt with red sleeves.
It was now time to leave and I decided to slip out of my window. I walked to the front of the house and grabbed my skateboard from the garage. I was about to leave when I decided to grab my glove just incase. With that in hand I headed to the park.
It was dark out, but I didn't care. I took the long way when I came upon the tall colorful poles that made up the playground. I rode a little longer to the other side where I saw the boy sitting on a bench. Around the bench was a fairly decent sized patch of grass. I waved and came to a stop when he had also got up to meet me.
Now that I was here all the thoughts of what I was doing came flooding into my mind.
What's his name?
Why did he make a deal on me?
Why am I here?
Why did I sneak out?
Why 9?
Why the park?
What if someone finds out?
The one thing I did know was that the boys that I hang out with talk about a team named Tigers and why they hate them all the time. I did catch when they were at the dugout that he, the blonde boy, was there team captain.
As Benny was ours.