She Stole More Than Just a Base

Chapter 40 Yeah-Yeah's POV

<Picking up where the last chapter left off...>

All 11 of us (minus Benny and Tina) sat in the second farthest booth to the back. I, luckily, sat next the Yorky.

Should I tell them about my new school, Bridgeton Academy in Maine?

"Guys -" I started, but Kenny cut me off.

"I don't know about you, but I feel like Benny's ditching us for Tina," he said.

"Yeah, without Benny, us outfielders don't got anything to chase," Squints told us.

"Yeah. Plus, it's funner with him," Tommy added.

"It's more fun, Tommy, not funner," Timmy corrected, slinging his arm around my sister's shoulders.

"Whatever," Tommy grumbled.

"I don't know guys, maybe we should take a break from the sandlot for the while," Bertram suggested, placing one hand on Yorky's knee and used the other the rub the back of his neck.

"What?" Ham exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yeah, yeah. You're crazy! What else would we do?" I questioned.

"Guys," Smalls reasoned, "maybe it's a good idea. I mean we are starting high school in like, what? 3 weeks? We're already in August."

"You're fricken crazy Smalls! It can't be that different from middle school. Well, at least for most of us," Chrissy snapped at him, then gave me a look telling me to tell everyone about Maine.

"You okay, Yeah-Yeah?" Emmee asked.

"Yeah, yeah, why?" I lied.

"You seem kinda out of it," Yorky informed me.

It's now or never. I'm leaving in a week. Now or never.

"Yeah yeah, I'm fine," I lied, deciding to tell them when Benny and Tina were with us. I earned a glare from Chrissy, so I returned the favor.

"You guys okay?" Kenny asked us.

"Yeah," my sister told him. "All is good," she said, then mumbled just low enough for me to hear, "until Yeah-Yeah just gets up and leaves you without any warning."

"What?" Ham asked because he heard her grumble.

"Nothing," Chrissy fibbed.

"No Christian, what'd you say?" Bertram questioned.

"It's nothing important," I cut in.

My sister huffed and raised her voice a little bit and blurted, "He has some very important news, okay? But we need Benny and Tina here!"

I buried my face in my hands and sighed. Yorky placed her hand on shoulder and lifted my chin with her thumb so I'd face her.

"Yeah-Yeah, what's going on?" she asked concernedly, her ice cold eyes softening.

"C'mon Yeah-Yeah, I'm your best friend and you haven't even told me," Squints pleaded.

"We're all his best friends, man," Kenny corrected.