Sandlot duo-Benny Rodriguez-the Sandlot

5

I heard faint voices when I was half awake.

“Am I seeing this right?”

“Yeah yeah, what’s going on?”

Then I saw a flash of a light and I was woken up. I groaned when I saw the boys huddled up, watching me, Kenny was holding a camera. “Be quiet guys.” I said and leaned back to my pillow. Except it wasn’t my pillow. It was Benny.

I realized his arm was around my waist and his head was next to mine. He looked adorable. Dammit. I looked back at the boys who were smirking and holding in their laughs.

“Shut up!” I whisper yelled. I waved them off and they sat back, but still watched me. I slightly shook Benny to wake him up.

“Wake up Benny.” He groaned and kept his eyes closed. “Benny, wake up.” I kept shaking him.

“What?” he opened his eyes and looked at me. I gave him a look. He looked at his arm around me, then at the boys, then his eyes widened.

He let go quickly and threw his pillow at the boys. “Sorry.” “it’s okay.” I replied, giving him a smile which he returned. God he was cute.

We were called down for breakfast and the boys ran downstairs. I took my time to put on my clothes and then went downstairs. There were pancakes, waffles and it looked delicious. I started to dig in my pancakes with maple syrup. It was delicious.

Ten minutes later, we sat in the living room, our stomachs full. “Your mom makes the best food.” Smalls said and the others agreed.

We went to the Sandlot again, and I realized we only had one and half week left before school. I wasn’t ready for this summer to end. It had been the best one yet. Sometimes the guys would joke about what happened at the sleepover, but we always played it off, I didn’t want to, but Benny always denied it.

I was falling for this boy, my best friend, and I couldn’t tell him, not just for risking the best friendship ever, but I didn’t want to , I don’t know…change things? He was my best friend, we fought each other, insulted each other, and we were together so much. If we became more… I didn’t want to lose that.

But I just wanted to kiss him so bad. It was torture. The next day, when Benny was buying a baseball to play with the boys got me in a serious conversation.

“Diana can we ask you a question?” Smalls carefully asked.

“Sure.” I was fidgeting with my glove.

“Diana, do you like Benny?” he asked. I tense up.

“Why?” was all I could get out.

“Oh, I dunno, maybe because you were cuddling with him two days ago?” Ham practically yelled.

“So? It happened. I don’t know how, but it happened.” Lie. I know exactly what happened.

“Oh come on.” Timmy said. “Oh come on.” Tommy repeated.

“You like him.” Timmy said, which Tommy repeated.

“Just tell him.” “Just tell-“ “Shut up Tommy.” Timmy interrupted.

“I can’t.” I simply said.

“Why not?” Kenny asked.

“Cause he probably doesn’t like me.”

“What?” Ham asked dumbstruck. “What?” I asked, not knowing why he said it like that.

“Of course he likes you!” Squints said.

“Yeah yeah, he’s like Squints looking at Wendy when he looks at you.”

I didn’t say anything, but luckily, Benny came with the ball and I changed the subject. They didn’t protest, but tried to talk to me about it during the game but I cut them off.

At the end, we decided to go to the fare. Last time we went the guys threw up, but luckily Bertram didn’t bring the chaw. Benny came to pick me up to go and I was wearing jeans a black shirt, a green short sleeved flannel, and my converse. He wore something of the same except for the colors.

We walked to the fare, picking up Smalls, Kenny and the Timmons on our way. At the fare, we saw the others eating cotton candy. We rode rides and had as much fun as possible. I won Benny a stuffed tiger and then together, we ripped it apart thinking it was the tigers, Phillips’ team and laughed about it for ages.

Some had to go back home earlier, but we all left so no one had to miss out on anything. Me and Benny were walking in the back, talking about random stuff. And slowly, one by one, the boys went to their own houses, leaving me and Benny as last.

“See ya tomorrow Benny.” I waved at him and got to my house. I wish I could’ve spent more time with him alone at the fare. Or just at any time. It was always with the boys, which I liked, but it would be fun, just me and him.

“Hey aunt Marisa.” I said when I saw her sitting on the couch, watching tv. I sat down next to her.

“How was it?” she asked. “Fun.” I replied.

“Have you and Benny made out yet.” I snapped my head to her, she was smirking at me.

“No.” I denied, “He’s my best friend.” I turned my attention to the tv.

“But you want to be more don’t you?” she kept pushing.

I sighed, irritated and left for my room. I could hear her calling my name but I ignored it. I fell on my bed, groaning into my pillow.

I couldn’t stop thinking about what she said. Do I want to be more than friends? I debated about it in my head for hours, and then realized, every time, since the day I met him, I was always in a good mood with him. I was happy around him. He was my best friend, my everything.

I decided to go to his house. It was midnight, but I don’t think he’d be asleep anyway. I went over and started climbing up his roof to his bedroom window an opened it quietly. It was dark, but I stepped inside without falling.

Suddenly the light was on and he was holding a bat, almost hitting it in my face.

“Aaahh!! Benny! Stop, it’s me” I screamed, putting my hands up.

“Diana?” he put down the bat. “What’re you doing? It’s the middle of the night.” I sighed.

“I couldn’t sleep. I had too much on my mind.”

“So you had a death wish by sneaking into my house like a thief.” I chuckled. “Yeah, sorry.”

It was silent for a moment. “You wanna talk about it?” he sat down on my bed. I nodded and sat down next to him.

“Benny, the boys and my aunt said something to me and I realize they’re right. That night at the sleepover I saw you cuddle me and I know it’s weird, but I just wanted to hold you there. God, this is really cheesy.” I shook my head, rethinking everything, but continued. “I like you Benny. And I never realized it so much before. The guys made me realize it more. And I didn’t want to tell you cause you’re my best friend. But I guess best friends tell each other everything, so… here I am, in the middle of the night, telling you.” I finished.

“Wow.” he let out. I looked down, my head in my hands, murmuring things to myself. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

“Hey, hey.” he said. Taking my hands and tilting my head up.

“I like you too, Diana.” I lightened up.

“Really?” he nodded.

I jumped up in victory. “yes yes yes!” I punched my fist in the air. I saw him laughing at me.

I coughed, playing it cool. “yeah, sure whatever you know.” But at this he laughed even harder. I punched him, but he just pulled me back and I landed in his bed.

We were both laughing our asses off. When we finally settled down, we lay on the bed next to each other, looking at the ceiling.

“How did your parents not wake up?” I asked. We were being really loud.

“I have no idea.”

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Yaasss