A Sandlot Summer (A Sandlot Fic)

~Chapter 2~

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       To say the next two weeks went by fast would be a bald faced lie. But finally it was the last day of school. I had made some acquaintances but no real friends, which was fine with me. Unfortunately, the same could be said for Scotty who took it harder than I did. 'Poor kid.' I thought to myself as we walked to school for the final time that school year. Bill still hadn't taught him to play baseball and I was getting fed up. I'd made a plan to go to the library after school was out to get some books on the game. If push came to shove, I'd teach Scotty myself.

       Just like every day for the past two weeks, there was a baseball game going on as we walked up to the school. Benny and his friends, three I knew as Bertram, Hamilton and Kenny, were sat on the sidelines, waiting for their turns to bat. I looked at my brother, seeing the look on his face that had been there every morning as well. A look of longing.

       "You should see if you can join." I said, nudging him with my elbow.

       "What? Oh. N-no. I can't. I don't know how, remember?" Scotty said back, deflating slightly.

       I gave him a look of sympathy before we continued our way through the doors of the school. I made a mental note to get as many books on baseball as I could check out from the library. Bill be damned.

~~~

       BBRRIINNGG!!

       The final bell rang and students all but stampeded out of their classrooms. Finally! Summer had arrived! I cleared out my locker quickly and pushed my way through the crowd of kids signing each others year books to get to the front entrance to the school. I told Scotty at lunch that I would meet him at home and started for the library as soon as my feet hit the pavement.

       It took me a while to get home, having had to sign up for a library card, but I was able to get a few books on baseball. It was almost dinner time as I happily carried them home under my arm. Turning the corner, I saw some of the kids from the open lot also making their way to their respective homes. They broke off one by one until it was just Benny left. I watched him walk with his ever present bat slung over his shoulders. He must have sensed my eyes on him because he turned around to face me. Embarrassed at being caught staring, I did the first thing that came to mind...I hid behind the nearest tree and prayed he hadn't seen me.

       "I know you're there, you know?"

       'Damn!' I cursed myself. I peeked around the tree to see Benny stand a few yards away, smirking at me. An embarrassed blush spread across my cheeks and butterflies swarmed my stomach but I did my best to force them away. Holding my head up high, I came out from behind the tree and started walking. I walked past Benny and started to think I had walked far enough away that I could check over my shoulder to see if he was still there. He was. Right behind me. I squeaked in surprise and nearly dropped my books.

       "Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you." He said, stifling a laugh.

       "You didn't scare me." I tried to deny but it was pretty obvious he had.

       "Right." He said in a clearly not believing me tone. "So, I saw you and your brother at the Sandlot after school the one day."

      "Really? You saw us?" I asked, clutching the books I was holding closer to my chest.