First Crush (Sandlot)

Part 7

"Benny, listen. I don't have a glove. I can't play in the outfield." Maya whispered to Benny as they were walking.

"Why don't you stop home and grab it?" Benny said.

"It's not like that. I wouldn't know where to look. Can you help me?" Maya asked really hoping he had an extra glove.

"I gave my last glove to Smalls. But you're welcome to take mine. I could just bat anyway." Benny suggested very sincerely.

"No. No you play. I will stop home and find my glove." Maya said and couldn't make eye contact with Benny. She knew this wasn't the right thing to do but she couldn't shake the need to do it. She ran all the way home and slowly crept in the door.

She was greeted by her beautiful dog Rover.

"Hey buddy, I missed you." She petted it's coat.

"Maya, where have you been? I waited up all night for you to come home." Her father said sternly putting an oily towel on the counter. He had just finished up working on the car in the garage.

"I was with some friends. I am fine." Maya said feeling guilty she didn't tell her father where she was.

"Maya. What were you doing?" He said.

"Dad, can I just get some time? I promise we will talk later." She pleaded.

He just eyed her sternly and Maya just looked at the ground.

"I need my glove." She choked out quickly.

Her dad paused and he was still confused but was pretty relieved this problem must be about baseball and baseball only.

"You're lucky I happened to find it in the garage earlier. Check the second box on the shelf." Her father said sensitively and with a light heart. He had been trying for so long to get her back out in the sport and once he stopped he never thought she'd do it. He always hoped for it though.

Maya went out in the garage and dug through one of the boxes. She found her glove and her heart skipped a beat. It was just how she remembered it.

She knew she wasn't playing in that game against Phillips today.

The glove reminded her how much she wasn't a loyal person for not being there for her mother. She can never change. The glove just made her remember everything about herself. The friends she just made deserve better than her. If Benny liked her she was doing him a favor. She is a girl who lets people down. Who never says goodbye. No one could tell her she isn't that kind of girl because she proved it.

She will always tell herself she isn't any good.

Benny

"Where is the girl? Rodriguez, we don't have all day." Phillips said.

"She is coming, give her a second." Benny said but even know he was beginning to worry she wouldn't show. He thought she would be right back but it was taking forever.

"She isn't coming Benny. Let's start the game." Yeah, yeah said.

Benny got down that Maya was nowhere to be seen.

"Alright. Base up." Benny said with a chip on his shoulder now that Maya must have lied to him. But every so often he kept an eye out for her to appear on the field.

Maya

"Did you find it?" Her dad called out to her in the garage.

Maya was sitting on the concrete floor by the shelves of boxes. Not only was her baseball glove shoved away in the boxes but her Babe Ruth posters where crumbled away in there as well.

Coming back to the sport was harder than she thought it would be and Benny wasn't here to tell her all the reasons to love Baseball.

"Yea dad." She yelled back into the house so she could hear.

Maya took out the box with her Babe Ruth posters and looked at them after wiping off the faint layer of dust that accumulated on them.

"I've got extra tape in the kitchen drawer if you need some." Her dad said in the doorway of the garage.

"Dad, I can't do it." Maya said as tears welled up in here eyes.

"Bud, what's wrong? You can't tape paper onto a wall but prove you're the best player in the state by beating out all those stupid boys." Her dad slightly chuckled.

"Dad!" Maya said and starting crying even harder. That feeling in her chest built u as she missed her mother so much.

"It's okay. Don't cry. Maya." Her father hated to see her like this and he hasn't seen her cry since the funeral. He was honestly shocked.

"Maya. Talk to me." Her father cradled her in her arms like when she was little.

"It needs to be okay. Will mom hate me if I love it again? If I love baseball again? She will. I know it. It took me away from her dad." Maya confessed.

Her father instantly wanted to take all those feelings out of her because they weren't true and he could tell her how much that wasn't true but he had to show it.

"Maya believe me your mother loves you and nothing can or ever will change that. And I will tape the posters back in your room. Baseball is what you need. Your mother would be so proud of you for doing something you love." Her father hugged her again.

Maya was grateful for her father and his love and support. Even though that should be expected of a parent.

"Thanks dad. I love you. Maybe I will go see them tomorrow. I am tired today." Maya said and rubbed her eyes before shuffling to her room for the rest of the day.