Waiting It Out - Benny Rodriguez - Book 1

Making Amends

Given it's the first day of summer we're naturally playing at the sandlot today.

The majority of us are behind Vincent's, waiting for Smalls to get here. No shocker he's the last out of all of us.

Me and Benny arrived separately since we didn't share a bed last night. I slept over at Ivy's and I know he had wished I was with him but me and Ivy haven't spent too much just-us time lately.

Now, I'm currently being interrogated by everyone who is here.

"What did he say to you?"

"Did it have something do to with us?"

"How does Ivy know?"

Before I got here, Bertram and Kenny spilt that I had a... run-in with Phillips yesterday. I haven't actually said what he told me so no one else knows. Except for Ivy, of course.

Benny has asked but I want us to be completely alone when I do. I couldn't do that yesterday since I went from school to Ivy's and am seeing him for the first time today with the guys here.

"I don't think I should say." I tell them.

"What about me?" Benny asks. "Shouldn't I know?"

"I'm more than willing to tell you. I just think no one else should be around. Or anything... breakable." I respond.

"Hey, guys." we hear Smalls' voice.

"Why can't we know?" Ham asks me.

"Yeah, yeah. I should know too." 

"And me!"

"And me!"

If I was gonna tell anyone else, it would be Yeah-Yeah. 

Me and Alan go almost as far back as me and Benny do. Plus, I like to keep him aware of the current drama.

Not like he's the only one who would know though. It's gonna get to the rest of them at some point.

Not cause Yeah-Yeah will tell them but because when you're this close to people as I am with all of these boys, no secret stays a secret.

I roll my eyes with my eyes landing on Smalls and the figure who's standing next to him.

"Hey." Phillips greets us with a nervous voice.

"I tried telling him not to come but he followed me anyway and I didn't know what to do!" Smalls rushes out panicked.

"What are you doing here?!" Ham yells.

I'm not ready for this.

"Well, I-"

"What'd you say to Lily yesterday?" Yeah-Yeah asks him angrily.

"Um..."

"Um what?" Benny retorts even more pissed off.

"I-"

"Guys!" I yell, getting everyone to shut up. "What are you doing here?"

"I th-think it's time I stopped being a douche to all of you." he explains. "I want all of us to be on good terms."

Uh...

Oh...

God dammit! I told him not to try and fix things! Right?...

I'm snapped out of my thoughts when Ham breaks the silence of confusion surrounding us. Well, them. I know exactly why he's doing this and I couldn't be any more against it.

"Why would you want to be "on good terms" with us?"

"Well..." he trails off while gazing at me.

Move your gaze. Move your gaze!