The "Enemy"

No lies to be found

I kicked the dirt in front of the mound repeatably to make a slight hole, so my toe fits down at an angle for a stronger push and grip. I watched as Philips walked to home plate to bat. He faced me and swung his bat a little. Digging his back foot into the ground. I looked down at the catcher who gave me a nod. I always look down in front of the bag to keep myself from seeing distractions and to have a lower pitch. I brought my glove to my chest and back down to the side of my legs and back up, but instead of swinging back down I brought my right hand with the baseball back to my ear like I was going to shoot a arrow. I released and threw my body and arm forward letting the ball my hand when my leg swung midway off the ground placing back down when the ball crossed the plate right into the catchers hand.

"Strike!" 

Philips looked back at the ball in the catchers hand and seemed like he would faint. "Holy shit! I thought it was still in your hand." I laughed a little and held my glove back up for the catcher. "What's your name pretty lady?" It was the short stop from before. "Abby." Soon after the boys started to chant, "Abby! Abby! Abby!" They repeated it to where I was beat red. Philips came up behind from home plate and swung his arm around my shoulder and pumping his other joining the others, "Abby! Abby! Abby!" 

I was embarrassed and not used to this kind of attention. Don't get me wrong I liked it, but I didn't know how to react that I ran off. I left my skateboard and just ran. I still didn't know this town very well, but I didn't care I needed out of there. Taking random corners I had heard the boys running after me and telling me to come back. I didn't listen I kept running. I turned a few more corners and couldn't hear them anymore. I stopped and had my hands on my knees trying to catch my breath from all the running. 

I had just then took in the time to look around me. I had no idea where I was, but it wasn't on main street or in a neighborhood for that matter. I looked like an alley. There was trash everywhere and a building behind me. I kept walking, not wanting to go back in front of the building, in case the boys were there. I walked to my right and stopped at every shadow. Each one ending up to be a random piece of furniture or a cat. I walked in the alley until dark and decided that the boys would have given up and I walked to the front of a building. I didn't recognize it nor the other around it. I had seemed to get myself lost.

"Aye babe!" i turned to see a tall men that eyed me up and down. I knew something bad would happen if I stayed. I'm not that dumb. I turned an sprinted. I saw him right behind me in a glass reflection and came to a dead end with only a tall fence and a large dumpster. I used my shoes to my advantage and jumped using my arms as a lift up on top of the dumpster. I took another leap and pulled myself up from the fence flipped over it to the other side. 

I looked back and the guy gave up at that point. I sighed in relief to see that I was on the other side of my neighbor hood. This town seems to go in a circle. Separating that part of town from where my house is. I walked a little longer down the sidewalk with only the street lights. Once my house came in view I saw my mom's car wasn't there. She was either out drinking or looking for me. I doubted the second option though. 

I opened the door to a silent house. I crept up the stairs and past my dad's office hearing the regular clicking of him typing and the answering of his phone. Apparently neither of my parents knew I was gone. Way past my curfew. Turning into my bedroom I looked at my clock and it read 10:00 pm. There was then a knock on my door. "Come in!" I hollered softly for whoever to enter. It was Scotty of course. He seemed worried and I gave him a look of don't bother me, I'm fine. He nodded, knowing the look and walked out. My paint had dried by now, but I still wasn't quite done. I decided to sleep on the couch for one more night. This time I fell right asleep.

With effort I was shaken awake by Scotty. "Come on. We're going to the Sandlot." I shooed him away, "You might. I'm not. I'm going to finish my ceiling. He groaned and left the house. I sulked up to change from yesterday's clothes. It didn't take long for me to get outside and start mixing the paints when the one and only, James Philips came along. "Need help?" I looked up surprised he hadn't brought up yesterday. I took it as an advantage and said, "sure. I just need to splatter this on my ceiling for a starry effect. He looked at it and said, "Hold up. It's not ready." I was confused, but he grabbed some white glitter I had laying around and poured some into the paint and mixed. I grabbed it at the end and headed inside. 

This would be his first time in my house. I led him upstairs to my room and he looked around. I grabbed a pretty thick paint brush and plunged it into the container. Without warning I flicked the bristles back and slung them up at the darker ceiling. After a few shots Philips joined in and we had a whole galaxy splattered at the wall. I walked into the bathroom to wash my hands and came back out to Philips writing our initials in one of the corners. It was kinda cute if I'm being honest. He had done it so well too. In the other corner I wrote the date of when we finished. 

June 5th, 1962

We both high fived and had to wash our hands again. We left my room to get away from the fumes. I walked downstairs and saw a most dreadful sight. Benny Rodriguez in my kitchen. I quickly turned and shoved Philips upstairs, initially telling him to hide and stay quiet. I returned at the bottom of the stairs and Benny looked in my direction. "Where were you these last two days Duchess?" he seemed quite hurt, but was trying to cover it up with a meaningless look. "Just busy finishing my room." I wasn't lying, just hiding a few minor details. "The boys could of helped. It would of went faster, so you could come back out to play." I shook my head. "Oh no, that's fine. I just finished anyway.

Just the Scotty had to join in. "Why did you come home so late last night. It was past curfew and you seemed tired. Or scared." I rolled my eyes mainly in disgust that he brought it up in front of Benny. "Are you okay Abby? Smalls told us how worried he was and everything he knew." I rolled my eyes yet again. "It's nothing just a silly old guy trying to flirt with me. I ran away before anything could happen. I got a little lost that's all." I told the truth. It would of been worse if I didn't tell the truth. Plus they didn't need to know about the pitching and befriending the enemy part. 

I got them to leave and went to get James. "Come on out Blondie." He hid in a closet full of cleaning supplies when I found him. We walked outside together talking when he finally brought up last night. "I heard what you told Benny. Is it true?" I nodded. He wrapped me in a tight, yet warm embrace that I felt safe in. He hugged me. I might not of known him very well or very long, but it felt nice. I hugged him back and we stood there for a good while. It wasn't uncomfortable for a second. He left go and said, "I'm sorry that happened. It's all my fault, I shouldn't have made you pitch. I shouldn't have put you in that position." I hugged him again. "Oh no. It's not your fault. I loved that you made me pitch." I let go and looked at him. "I shouldn't have ran off or got lost in the first place. All that masters though is that I'm okay." He nodded and we said our goodbyes. 

I turned to go back inside when I saw Benny and Scotty looking threw Benny's moms' car window. Benny stood up with a hurt look in his face and I called after him, but he didn't turn around. I thought he was going to at his door, but he just paused and continued inside. Scotty was standing up at this point looking back and forth. We made eye contact and he shook his head. He walked inside Benny's house. I expect he'll be staying the night to escape me. I walked back into my house and read 5:00 pm. It was dinner time and I made a good dinner for me and my dad. 

He wouldn't come out of his office as usual so I brought of the chicken and mac and cheese up to his office. I knocked and let myself in to show him I had food. He was on the phone still and I set the plate down beside him. With that I went back to my room and pulled all the plastic coverings away. I was too tired to put them away tonight, so I placed them to the side of my room and took a shower. I need to detox from yesterday and today. So much happened. 

After the shower I put on my pj's and got ready for bed. Pulling back my covering for the first time in about a week I crawled in and snuggled up with myself and tried to get as much sleep as I could. Which seemed to be barely any by the time I heard my alarm sound go off. I unplugged the alarm not wanting to hear it ever again and shut my eyes once more.