Summer of 62

Chapter 14

"Nancy?" Asked a voice I knew had to be Benny's.

I rubbed my eyes and sat up. A slightly fuzzy Benny, Timmy , and Tommy were all standing in front of me.

Everything that had happened the day before came back to me and I felt myself getting ready to cry again.

"How did you say you found her?" Benny asked looking from me to my hat. The tears had started to flow again and I was mad for them having to see me like this.

"She was just curled up and asleep." Said Timmy.

"Curled up and asleep." Repeated Tommy shaking his head. Timmy shot him a glare and Tommy just shrugged back.

"Okay, could I talk to her? Alone?" Benny staring at me now.

The boys all agreed without words and soon it was just Benny and I in the treehouse.

"Nancy what happened?" Benny asked sitting on the ground next to me. The tears started to come out faster now.

"I just... The man... My hat... Dad." Was all I could get out between sobs. I was holding the hat so close it was starting to hurt. My heart stopped when Benny put an arm around my shoulder and pulled me so I was laying against him.

We sat like that in silence until I had calmed down a little more.

"Nancy I just want to know why you're so freaked out." Benny said quietly.

"I got my hat from Phillips. When I got home, my mom and another man were having dinner at our dining table." I said sniffing and feeling the anger rise up again after explained.

"It's okay Nanc, I'm right here alright? You're gonna be fine." He said again in a soft voice.

"She doesn't understand how it makes me feel. It hurts to see another man where my father should be." I said trying to get my breathing to return to normal.

"Well, you should try and understand her too. I get that it hurts, but she has to do what's right for her too. It's not like she's just shoving your dad out of life like he was never there. She's just trying to live her life." Benny explained.

I felt a little anger towards Benny. He didn't know what it was like. But the more I thought about it the more awful I felt for my mother.

We sat there for a little while longer while I thought things over. Finally I came to a conclusion.

"I gotta go Benny." I said shrugging his arm away and shakily getting to my feet.

"Where?" He asked in a worried tone and getting to his feet as well.

"Home, I need to talk to my mother." I said already halfway down the ladder.

I got to the bottom and had almost made it to my bike when Benny grabbed me by the arm and spun me to him.

"Benny I'm serious I-" he cut me off by pressing our lips together. It felt like it was the Fourth of July again. My stomach felt so nauseated and my ears felt like they were going to melt.

"I'll see ya later?" Benny asked after he pulled away and stepped back with the most red cheeks I had ever seen.

"The sandlot, just like always." I said with a smile stuck to my face. I got on my bike and started to pedal away. 

Benny Rodriguez just kissed me! My brain screamed with joy and my smile grew so much I thought it would never go away.

That's when I pulled up to my house and I remembered what I had come home to do.

I laid my bike in the grass and my eternal smile started to fade away. I slowly opened the front door to see my mother sitting on the couch with a pile of tissues right next to her.

"Mom?" I asked suddenly worried.

"Oh Nancy!" She said, her eyes snapping open. She scrambled to her feet and engulfed me in a hug. I hugged her back and felt he tears come again.

I didn't even remember the last time we had hugged. It had to have been almost four years ago.

"Mom I'm so sorry. I should have looked at it your way before freaking out." I said getting her dress soaked with tears.

"No I'm sorry, I knew I should have asked you first but I didn't! I just want us to be happy." She said running her fingers through my hair.

We stood like that for a while before letting each other go.

"I'm guessing you want to go out with your friends today?" My mom asked reaching for another Kleenex on the couch and blowing her nose.

"I don't have to. I can stay home if you want." I said watching my mom pull herself back together.

"No, no you go have fun. Tomorrow do you want to go shopping?" She asked looking me up and down.

" Will it be for school dresses?" I asked trying to keep her off the topic of where I was last night.

"Anything you like. But for now how about you get changed and I'll make you some breakfast." She said with a smile.

I nodded. It was like we just kinda clicked. Like we haven't been arguing and at each other's throats for he past 4 years.

I bounced to my room and pulled out a pair of ripped jeans and a black shirt. I quickly hopped in the shower and dried my hair the best I could.

We had a nice mother daughter diner. We hadn't had one of those in a while.

"I'll be at the sandlot mom." I said setting my clothes on top of the washer.
It sounded weird actually communicating. I usually never told her where I was going.

I slid on my shoes and grabbed my hat and mitt.

"Okay honey. Please be careful." She said putting the broom back in the cleaning closet.

I smiled and ran out the door and out into the street. The guys were most likely all already here. It was almost 9:30.

When I got there I felt my face flush with anger. I was looking at Phillips team and my team face to face, again.