indentations - benny rodriguez

ch. 6

~indentations~

"Now? As in right now?!" Parker exclaimed.

"Yeah, that seemed pretty obvious." Ham sat down giddily next to Squints and Kenny.

"Parker, don't kill me."

"Why would I-"

Benny's hands grabbed both sides of her face, and pressed their lips together. It was meant to be a peck, but he was taken aback by Parker kissing back. Meanwhile, Parkers stomach fluttered with foreign butterflies. It was gone as quick as it came, she pulled away.

"There." He said, turning back to the boys with a red face. "We kissed. No big deal."

Parker kept quiet as Benny talked down to the boys.

He kissed you... Parkers fingers subconsciously touched where he'd kissed her. She had never felt her stomach flip that much. But watching Benny go on as if it was nothing...

Because that's what it was.

Nothing.

The rest of the night, Parker stayed silent. The boys didn't seem to notice, all except one.

She remained awake long after they turned off the flashlights. Lying on her back, staring up at the ceiling.

"Hey," Benny's voice was soft and quiet. "You ok?"

Parker sighed silently. No, she wasn't ok. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Sorry about all that earlier...sometimes you just have to do it, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." Just have to do it?

Parker turned her head, looking at Benny's face in the dark. His face was ridden of any expression, his eyes were about to close.

"Goodnight Benny." Parker whispered quietly.

"Night Park."

~*~

The morning was awkward for Parker and Benny.

Parker awoke first via Kenny's shaking. Kenny just had to point out Benny's arm. His arm which was wrapped around her body.

Parker had quickly slithered out of his grip, burning bright red and forcing Kenny to get out of the treehouse with her.

Benny came out almost an hour later for breakfast, which was curtesy of Squints mom, who brought scones and donuts in grocery bags.

Benny tried to talk to Parker, not only that morning but the following days at the Sandlot. She would shrug him off, give him one-word answers. After the baseball games, Benny tried to talk to Parker, she pretended she was too busy with Kenny to notice. It wasn't technically a lie, because she was very busy with Kenny.

"How did it start?" Parker asked eagerly as she took a bite off her donut.

"We were friends in middle school, when he still went there." Kenny sighed. "Went out to his diamond first week outta school, we were alone..."

"And?"

"And it all kinda came tumbling out."

"Was it you or him?" Parker leaned back further against the tree.

"Him. Was pretty surprised, he almost cried."

"Aww!" Parker giggled. "Can you tell him to stop being mean to the other guys? Maybe you have some sway now?"

Kenny chuckled. "Very funny."

"What? It's not that funny."

"Well if I get him to stop doing that, they're gonna notice. It's better he keeps doing it, no one suspects unless they're as dumb as Squints."