"Your sister's hot!!" Benny Rodriguez X OC !!

Chapter 12

3rd Person POV

A couple days after the boys all got over acting like big shots, the group were back to playing ball again. They all swore off the hard stuff and just stuck to Bazooka. Karmen had spent the last couple of days contemplating her parents proposal to move. It was very tempting but something was holding her back... or someone.

As the group walked from the market to the sandlot, Kenny and Karmen lingered behind the rest of the boys. Every now and then she'd make subtle eye contact with Benny who was walking in front of the group, sending shy smiles back and forth, but neither of the two spoke. Kenny noticed their behavior and rolled his eyes.

"Have you told him about the move?" He asked quietly.

Karmen's smile falls.

"No, not yet. I-i don't know how. I don't even know if I want to go."

"Trust me Karmen, you want to go. You've been looking at decor magazines for the past 3 days."

The girl sighs of relief. Knowing that Kenny is ok with the idea of her saying yes makes it a lot easier to do so.

"How 'bout this. If it's meant to be, if i'm meant to leave, the universe will give us an undeniable sign. Something so unpredictable that not even I could see it coming."

"I'll hold you to that." The brother and sister smile at each other as they finally approach the lot.

Once they separated, Karmen headed to claim her spot at the dugout. Before she could get too far, Benny caught up with her. The shy smiles quickly returned to both of their faces. It never occurred to either of them before but neither of them had actually been in a relationship before. They didn't quite know what to do.

"How have you been? I haven't seen you since the carnival." Benny fiddled with his bat as he spoke.

"Benny... we talked for like an hour on the phone yesterday." She giggled.

"Yeah, yeah... I know..." He had a dorky little smile on his face that made Karmen weak.

She did the only thing she could think of and that was to kiss him on the cheek.

"The boys are waiting, Rodriguez." She smirked, gesturing towards the outer field.

When Benny turned around, he was confronted with all of the boys mocking him with kissy faces. He began to shake his head as he made his way up to bat.

Karmen watched intently as Kenny pitched the ball. Of course she had seen Benny bat billions of times before, yet none of those times had ever been like this one. The entire group watched in awe as the ball made rough contact with the bat. They all watched as the leather skin of the ball lands before the center ever did. They all watched as the guts land perfectly square into Scott's glove.

Without a word, everyone leaves their original spots and circle the skin left on the ground. Karmen found it hard to focus on the commentary taken place around her as she just stares at the leather, wide eyed. It was rare for something like this to happen in the big leagues, let alone some run down sandlot. This was... unpredictable. It was a sign. by the time she had zoned back in, Smalls was gone and Kenny was looking at her with a knowing look.

"Hows that for a sign?" He whispered.

Apparently he hadn't whispered low enough considering Benny, who had been walking toward the two siblings, had heard him.

"A sign for what?" He tilted his head.

Karmen shared a panicked look with her brother before quickly shaking her head.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just a little inside joke." She lied. (Man, she's getting good at that.)

Kenny shook his head, confused s to why she was hiding this from him. Nonetheless, he decided to mind his business and joined the other boys as they waited for smalls.

"Hey, where'd Scotty go?" Karmen asked as she finally noticed his absence.

"He said he had a ball at home and went to get it." Benny answered,dropping the last subject.

After a while, Benny noticed how quiet Karmen had gotten. He could tell something was bothering her but he couldn't tell what. He started to become self conscious. Maybe she was upset at him again? Maybe she didn't like him anymore? Maybe-

His overthinking seized when she gently grabbed his hand, interlocking her fingers with his. All of us worries washed away as she smiled at him sweetly.

Karmen soon became impatient as she waited for Smalls to return. She started talking about her favorite show that she likes to watch with Kenny and how they have marathons of the seasons. Benny listened intently. He couldn't care less about the whatever corny show she was yapping about, but hearing her talk about something so passionately made him smile. She even tried to use baseball terminology when explaining the plot just to keep him interested.

Kenny watched from afar as the couple interacted. Seeing his sister and his best friend so happy made him regret ever trying to keep them apart. He soon began to realize how bad this might end when Karmen does tell him shes leaving. He starts to panic as all the bad thoughts came rushing back.

Luckily for everyone, Smalls came running onto the field waving his ball in the air like a trophy. Karmen gives Benny's hand a gentle squeeze before running off to the dugout. She watches from afar as Benny hands the bat to Scott. Karmen struggle to focus on any and everything around her. All she could think about was the move. She knew she wanted to go but how could she possibly tell Benny? Or any of the boys, really. It wasn't until the field got quiet that she finally looked up. She was confused to see all of the boys watching as Smalls walked towards the fence.

"Hey, what's he doing?" She hollard as she ran up to the rest of the boys.

They all just looked at her, puzzled. Some of them even shrugged. She sighed, shaking her head as she brushed past them. walking to Smalls herself.

"Scotty," she called out to him, "What the hell are you doing, kid?"

He didn't answer.

He didn't even look back.

Karmen was starting to become concerned. She stopped about a foot away from him and tried again.

"Scotty?"

No answer.

He just stared at the fence in a state of pure shock and horror. Karmen turned around when she heard the other boys approach as well, all of them calling smalls. He didn't even flinch.

"What'd you guys say to him?" she asked, a hand on her hip like a skeptical mother.

"We ain't said nothin'... honest!" Kenny answered.

The rest nodded in agreement.

Before she could interrogate any further, Smalls finally turned around and said,

"We got to get that ball back."

Hey guys... long time no see huh😸. Before you guys get mad at me,just know I had a lot going on and no time to write but that doesn't matter now cs Im determined to finish this story🫵🏾😼

Alr smooches💋 hope you enjoyed this chapter.