✓ | 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 ♡ Benny Rodriguez

𝙶𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝙾𝚏 𝙸𝚗𝚜𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚜

It was the Fourth of July and the fireworks were set to go off soon, Riley had gotten changed into some shorts and a shirt. She picked up the button-up shirt that Benny had left at their place and decided to wear it, she slipped on her PF Flyers as Scotty rushed into the room. "Come on, night game!" Scotty tells her before rushing to grab his glove. Riley smiled as she pulled on her hat and grabbed her glove before rushing out to the door where Benny was waiting. He turned to her and instantly noticed his shirt, the warmth returned to his chest as she smiled up at him.

Scotty rushed out the door, "Let's go!" The three of them ran straight to the Sandlot with the others following behind. They got straight into the game but once Benny hit a good shot, the others were all distracted by the fireworks. Benny finally reached the home base and stopped, he looked up at the fireworks before turning to look at Riley who was holding the bat and watching the different colours light up the sky. Benny made his way over to her and smiled as he confidently rested his arm around her shoulders, to anyone it may seem like a friendly gesture but to Benny, it was so much more.

"Come on guys!" Riley called out after a few minutes. She rushed up to the home base and held the bat tight in her hands as she watched DeNunez carefully. He pitched his heater, Riley swung the bat back and hit the ball hard making her smile as she ran towards the first base then the second base before Scotty yelled out, "HOMER!!" She smirked and ran the rest of the way to home base where Benny picked her up and spun her around making her laugh. The night game was fun for all of them and as they all walked home later that night, they couldn't wipe the smiles from their faces.

── ⚾️ ──

Scott Smalls

There was only one Night Game a year. On the fourth of July, the whole sky would brighten up with fireworks, giving us just enough light for a game. We played our best then because, I guess, we all felt like the big leaguers... under the lights of some great stadium. Benny felt like that all the time. We all knew he was gonna go on to bigger and better games because every time we stopped to watch the sky on those nights like regular kids, he was there to call us back. You see, for us, baseball was a game. But for Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez, Baseball was life.

── ⚾️ ──

The next day, the team was out on the field playing when Riley looked up to see Phillips and his team riding into the Sandlot. "Benny!" Riley called out to the boy, his head perked up after hearing his name. Riley motioned towards the newcomers causing Benny to stand up straight and make his way towards Riley. Ham rolled his eyes and walked ahead of the team as they approached Phillips and his team, Phillips' eyes landed on Riley making him smirk.

"It's easy when you play with a bunch of rejects, a girl and a fat kid, Rodriguez!" Phillips sassed at the team before winking at Riley. Benny noticed the interaction and instantly stepped up closer to Riley, his action didn't go unnoticed by Scotty and Phillips. "Shut your mouth, Phillips!" Benny snapped back at him. "What'd you say crap face?" Ham asked angrily. "I said you shouldn't even be allowed to touch a baseball. Except for Rodriguez, you're all an insult to the game," Phillips answered back with a smug smile.

Riley laughed, "Like you're any better?" Phillips looked over at her instantly, "What?" Riley stepped forward next to Ham with Benny standing right behind her. "I said... You have no say about who is an insult to the game, considering your team sucks ass anyway!" Riley sassed the boy with her arms crossed. Phillips faked a pout before laughing, the rest of his team laughed with him. "This coming from a girl... A GIRL!?" Phillips teased before laughing more. "Oh please, I can play ball better than you any day," Riley responded.

The Sandlot boys all agreed with Riley instantly making Phillips shut up and glare at them. "We play on a real diamond, girly," Phillips said like it was some magical fact. "These boys ain't good enough to lick the dirt off our cleats!" Phillips added. "Watch it, jerk!" Ham sassed back, he was really not liking the way Phillips was talking to Riley or the disrespectful comments he was making about his friends. "Shut up, idiot!" Phillips snapped at Ham who raised his brows.

"Moron!" Ham snapped back at Phillips, Riley rolled her eyes in preparation for a name-calling war. "Scab Eater!" Phillips said back before smirking slightly. "Butt sniffer!" Riley sighed at Ham's response. "Pus licker!" Phillips shouted with made Riley cringe slightly. "Fart smeller!" Ham called back, Bertram sniffed the air to mock the boy making the other boys laugh. "You eat dog crap for breakfast, geek!" Phillips said as he looked to his boys, they laughed in response.

"You mix your Wheaties with your mama's toe jam!" Ham said back to Phillips making the Sandlot team laugh including Riley. "You bob for apples in the toilet and you like it!" Phillips made an attempt to be harsh yet it only made Riley laugh at his attempt. While Ham didn't like the comment which only made him angrier, which seemed to darken on his mind as he didn't think his next words out thoroughly.

"YOU PLAY BALL LIKE A GIRL!" Ham shouted. Everyone went quiet as Phillips was deeply offended by the comment while the others turned to look at Riley. Riley stood silent as those words echoed through her mind leaving her conflicted, she wasn't sure how to react to the comment. On one hand, she was a girl who played ball and she was better than half the boys on the team. Whereas, she knew that girl's playing any sports in this era was almost unheard of. She sighed quietly before shrinking back as Phillips managed to gain the team's attention.

"Tomorrow. Noon. At our field. Be there, buffalo-butt breath," Phillips sassed. "Count on it, pee-drinking crap face!" Ham told him as he and his boys rode off out of the Sandlot. The boys cheered for a moment before noticing that Riley had stayed quiet, she let out a breath before going over to the dugout and grabbing her backpack and glove. "Riley?" DeNunez was the brave one to speak up. "I'm not mad... I, uh, just need to think," Riley spoke without looking at the team, she made her way out of the Sandlot without another glance.

── ⚾️ ──

Author Note
If you were in the sixties and heard them say that, how would you react?

-Rose <3
{1170}