Basics [A Sandlot Story]

4 || More like a royal pain in the ass

Ty was fairly sure that they had traumatised the owner of the drugstore.

She and Scotty had torn through the little shop like hurricanes, spending all the meagre money they had on - you guessed it - candy. By the time they'd made it up to the counter, they had amassed four packets of raspberry drops, three boxes of Razzles, two packets of potato chips, a stash of Atomic Fireballs and Bazooka gum, and two bottles of Coke that they'd only decided to grab because they each came with a free Tootsie roll.

The poor cashier - a portly woman in her mid-forties - looked just about ready to pass out.

They left with a paper bag each, popping the lids off of their icy-cold soft drinks and wandering down the street aimlessly. Ty had no idea where they were headed, but she didn't really care. She'd found a sort of middle ground with Scotty, and despite the fact that he was still keeping things from her, she felt like maybe - just maybe - she could let it go.

"Where do you see yourself in seven years?" He asked after a little while, completely out of the blue. Ty was somewhat taken aback.

"When I'm twenty-two? Gosh, Scotts, I haven't even really thought about it." She replied, listening to their feet slapping the pavement and enjoying the cool sensation of the freezing Coke in her left hand. Scotty shrugged, taking a left down a side street.

"Yeah, but hypothetically, y'know? Where d'you think you'll be?" He pressed. Ty thought for a moment, and reached into her bag to pop a raspberry drop in her mouth.

"Well," She began. "I'd wike to head back to Austwawia at some shtage. I haven't sheen my cousins shince Dad died." Scotty laughed at her attempt to speak around the lolly, quickly giving a reverent nod at the mention of her father, and then waited for her to swallow before answering.

"... Do you think I could come with you?" His voice was soft, almost hesitant. This question surprised Ty slightly more than his original inquiry about her future. She felt her eyebrows knit together.

"You'll still be in college, little man." She responded. Scotty itched at the back of his neck, but didn't say anything else. They continued on in silence for a few blocks.

Ty was silent because she was confused. Her little brother had rarely shown much interest in her life before her dad died - beyond the point of asking polite questions about her family members, anyway. She had never really expected him to suddenly change his mind.

"Why the sudden interest, kiddo?" She questioned a few minutes later. They'd circled the block around Main Street, and had unanimously decided to head in the other direction, where the swimming pool was supposed to be.

Scotty shrugged for what had to be the fifth or sixth time that morning.

"I dunno." He muttered. "Just curious." His face had gone a little sour, and his lower lip jutted out slightly, kind of like a toddler's. Ty couldn't help but chuckle, and ruffled his hair affectionately.

"Of course you can come. I'll even wait for you to finish college, if you'd like."

Scotty beamed up at her, his smile brighter than the Californian summer sun.

"Really?"

Ty smiled.

"Yeah, really."

-(-)-(-)-(-)-

Ty felt extremely sick by the time she got home.  She was way past the little buzz that a meal of straight sugar gives you, and was on to the stage of regretting every decision she had ever made. Well, except for deciding to go out with Scotty that morning.

After spending a good five minutes brushing her teeth, she wandered into her bedroom to take stock. They'd been living in the Valley for almost a week, and Ty had yet to even look at the majority of the boxes that held her small amount of belongings, let alone open them.

Maybe it was time to fix that?

She seized the box closest to her, discovering that it was full of clothes, and dumped its contents on her bed, beginning her methodical process of sorting her hanging items from those that could just be stuck in a drawer. She may have not wanted to move in the first place, but something about her conversation that day with Scotty had changed how she felt about the little town, and so she reluctantly let go of her misgivings. There wasn't any point in hanging onto them anymore - they were just another thing causing pain. And besides, if she was going to spend the next seven years halfway around the world, did it really matter exactly where she was?

Empty boxes began piling up near the door as Ty worked hard into the afternoon, hair tied out of her face and sleeves rolled right up. She was being so incredibly productive, that she was almost surprised at herself. She'd managed to set up her dad's record player on her desk, and That'll be the Day by Buddy Holly and The Crickets poured out of the speakers, providing her with a little jig in her step. Her books now filled her bookshelf, as her clothes did her wardrobe, and she was halfway through sorting out where to put her various items of sporting equipment.

Her cricket bat and her baseball bat sat nicely against her bookshelf, but she was still stumped - pardon the pun - about where to put her set of wickets, her netball, and her small collection of cricket, tennis and baseballs.

As engrossed as she was within her dilemma, she almost didn't hear Scotty's cry of distress from outside.

Almost.

Ty immediately dropped the basket of assorted balls, and sprinted from her bedroom, skidding into the kitchen just in time to see Bill slapping a cold steak over Scotty's eye.

"Sorry kid." He was saying. "Keep that on for a while. It'll be black, but it won't swell.

"What happened?!" She demanded, rushing over to kneel in front of her little brother, glaring at the older man. Bill shifted uncomfortably, rubbing at the back of his neck.

"I just didn't keep my eye on the ball, Ty." Scotty replied, drawing her gaze back to him, and placing a reassuring hand on her arm. She sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair, before straightening up and looking back to their stepfather.

"What happened, Bill?" She repeated, far more slowly. If it had been any other situation, she would have enjoyed how squeamish he looked, but she was focused on her brother, and as far as she was concerned, it was his fault that he was hurt.

"Your brother needs to learn to watch out for that curve."

Ty's blood began to boil. Who did he think he was? The freaking Queen? Her fingers clenched into fists at her sides, but as she opened her mouth to unleash her anger, her mother entered the room, and she snapped her lips closed. She ran a hand across the top of Scotty's head and placed a quick kiss to his forehead, before storming out, throwing a dirty look at her mother as she went.

She couldn't believe it. It was only the beginning of summer, and already, Scotty had been fairly seriously injured.

Ty hated to think about what the rest of the break would be like.