Fall ❈ Benny Rodriguez

ix. me

CHAPTER NINE!
ME　THE 1975

　

　

EVERYONE CROWDED IN the dugout, a mess of deep breathing and sweat. It had been a productive day at the sandlot. Everyone put their utmost effort into the game today. The joy that refused to release me from its warm grip seemed to push the victories on.

　Unfortunately, Jordan had been forced to stay home. Fortunately, today would be the final day of his grounding. His parents worked well with schedules.

　Brandy had left half an hour ago, because it was her younger twin brothers' birthday. Today they would be seven, I'd actually cared to learn. Now that Jordan and I were dating (he had wondered aloud minutes after the kiss: So does this mean we're, like, boyfriend and girlfriend now? I had agreed), there was not much room for hostility. Every inch of me was covered with an unbreakable shield weaved of solid bliss.

　In fact, I had begun to truly like Brandy. She was hard to dislike, even if she was dating my first true love—I'd formed that belief not long after Benny and I parted. I had believed that I had truly loved before, thought I'd known it in my heart at those times, and maybe I had, but if those times the love had been true, then there was no word for the way I'd felt for Benny.

　But I pushed Benny out of my mind. Quickly. The thought of him could still burn my cheeks, but lately my mind did not have the capacity to hold the image of him while Jordan was painted on the backs of my eyelids. It was a sad, wonderful thing.

　Sitting on the bench, tipping the bottle of water toward the sky, all I really wanted to do now was go home and chill out. My mom would be cooking dinner at this time, half an hour before sunset; Dad would be getting home from work soon; and Luke and Elizabeth would most likely be at my house, spending time with baby Tessa.

　Everyone around me (the original Sandlot Gang now) created some sort of noise. They were loud with laughter and conversation, but it sounded like home. It warmed my heart, and in those moments, I realized how utterly happy I was. Everything was almost perfect.

　Kenny returned from a second trip to the mini-fridge and wedged himself into the small space between me and Timmy. He popped the can of Pepsi open, drained half of it, then directed a smile at me.

　"How was your night?" he inquired, and I automatically understood what he was asking.

　It seemed that I would never be able to stop smiling. "Oh, man, Kenny, it was unbelievable. Seriously."

　Kenny nudged me with his arm, smirking. "I want you to tell me all about it. Leah, too. Why don't you come over today?"

　"Okay," I said, still smiling. "After dinner, I will. You're in for the most romantic story of my life."

　Kenny's smirk fell, and his lips actually seemed to pull downward. Before I could ask why, he asked, "So you and Jordan are together now?"

　The sound of those words sent a new shock through me, full of pleasure, and my stomach fluttered. There was no holding back the smile that grew on my face, full of light and maybe even shyness. "Yes."

　The boy bit his lip, face twisting with some unreadable expression. The dimples atop his high cheekbones creased. I could not quite decipher the look, but it seemed almost disapproving.