The Home Run

Redepmtion.

Benny's POV

"Why'd you bring him, Benny?" Bertram asked.
"There was eight of us. There's nine of us with Izzy and now he makes ten. I already told you, if one of us ever gets sick or grounded we'll be good." I said.
"Yeah, yeah, so would my sister, but I didn't bring her." Yeah- Yeah said.
"Really, Yeah- Yeah?" Izzy asked.
"Sorry, Izzy," Yeah- Yeah said.
"At least we got a little more than a whole team Yeah- Yeah!" I said, defending my actions.
"No. With Elswenger we had a whole team." Ham said, "Elswenger could catch."
"And throw." Kenny added, "C'mon, Benny, man. He ain't game. You saw the way he threw."
       "Yeah." some of the guys said in agreement.
"Besides, you already filled up all the empty positions since Elswenger moved to Arizona," Timmy said.
"Right. And now I get to rotate nine positions instead of seven. I need the practice, guys." I said.
"You're the best on the team! You don't need practice." Ham said.
"C'mon, Benny, man. That kid is an L-7 Weenie!" Squints said, attempting to make a square with his fingers.
"Yeah, yeah. Oscar Mayer even. Footlong! Dodger dog! A weenie!" Yeah- Yeah said. Izzy and I looked back at Smalls as the guys laughed.
"What are you laughing at Yeah- Yeah?" Izzy said, pissed off, "You run like a duck."
Some of the guys laughed and he hung his head, "Kay, kay, but I'm-"
"Part of the game, right?" I asked.
"Yeah." Yeah- Yeah said.
       "Then how come he doesn't get to be?" Izzy asked, "You guys let me play. What makes him any different?"
"Because you can actually play. He's a geek, man." Bertram said.
"Man, base up you blockheads," I said. The guys all went to their spots and Izzy and I walked up to Smalls.
"He'll be okay, right?" Izzy asked me.
"Yeah. Take right-center." I told Izzy, she nodded and put on her hat walking to her position, "Hey Smalls, take left-center."
"Okay, um... where exactly is that?" Smalls asked.
"It's over there man," I said, nodding towards where he's supposed to go.
"Okay," he said and started running towards Izzy.
"I got this," she yelled at me.
"Come on, Benny, man." Squints said.
"He's never gonna catch the ball anyway. Let's just play." Bertram yelled.
"What a jerk." Yeah- Yeah said.
I nodded and watched as she pointed to where he was supposed to go. I walked to home plate and grabbed the bat and ball from Ham.
"Yeah- Yeah, get two!" I said. I threw up the ball and hit it. Yeah- Yeah grabbed it off the dirt, threw it to Bertram, who threw it to Tommy, who threw it to Ham.
       "Nice," Ham said, handing the ball back to me.
"Izzy, throw home!" I yelled at her. She nodded.
"She can't throw that far!" Bertram yelled.
       "Wanna bet?" Izzy yelled.
I looked behind me at Ham, "You ready?"
       "Yeah." Ham scoffed, doubting her.
       I threw the ball up in the air and hit it. I watched Izzy catch it in midair and before I knew it it was flying back towards me. I ducked as Ham caught it. Everyone looked at her wide-eyed.
"Didn't your mothers ever tell you it's not polite to stare!" she yelled with a smirk on her face.
"Smalls, throw to second!" I yelled, getting the ball back from Ham.
"Okay," Smalls yelled back.
       I prayed for him to catch the ball. I threw the ball up yet again and hit it. Izzy and I watched Smalls with hope. He started walking back to catch it but, tripped over his feet and fell on his back, while the ball fell a few feet behind him. I hung my head.
"I told ya, Benny. I told ya." Ham said as Smalls got up to run for the ball.
"C'mon, Benny. Why'd you do that?" Kenny asked.
"A square, Benny! The kids a square." Squints said, cleaning his glasses.
"Shut up!" Izzy said, angrily.
All the guys quieted down while Smalls ran away from the fence with the ball. He got ready to throw it in but stopped himself. Then he started running towards Kenny.
"What the hell is he doing?" Ham asked as we watched Smalls. All our jaws dropped at what Smalls did, "I don't believe this."
"Here, sorry," Smalls said, placing the ball in Kenny's glove. We all watched as Smalls ran back to his spot. Kenny looked from his glove to me, stunned. Izzy and I jogged up to Smalls.
"You can throw it ya know," I said.
       "No, I can't." Smalls said, looking down and taking his hat off, "I don't know how. Thanks for taking me here, but I think I'd better go."
"Smalls." Izzy grabbed his shoulder pulling him back, "You think too much."
"I bet you get straight A's and shit," I said, quoting Izzy.
"No. I got a B once. Actually, it was an A-, but it should've been a B." Smalls said.
Izzy gave me a look that said, I told you so, and we both smiled.
"Man, this is baseball. You gotta stop thinking. Have fun. I mean, if you were having fun you would've caught that ball." I said.
"You ever done a paper route?" Izzy asked.
"I helped a guy once," Smalls said.
"Close enough. Chuck it like you would a paper when your arm gets here," Izzy said, demonstrating a throw with her arm, "just let it go."
"It's that easy." I added, "When have you done a paper route?" I asked as we walked away.
"I did them all the time with Danny. How do you think I got so good at throwing?" Izzy scoffed, walking happily back to her spot.
"How do I catch it?" Smalls asked me.
"Just stand there and stick your glove out in the air. I'll take care of it." I told Smalls.
"About time, Benny. My clothes are going out of style!" Squints said.
"They already are, Squints." Yeah- Yeah retorted.
"Shut up." Squints said back.
"Told you, Benny," Ham said.
"Smalls, throw to second!" I yelled at him.
"Okay!" Smalls yelled back.
       I spit on the ball, threw it up, and hit it again. We all watched Smalls again. Everything went in slow motion. Then, he caught it.
"Yes!" Izzy screamed. Squints cleaned his glasses on his shirt, stunned.
"Yeah!" I said, "All right!"
"He's all right." Squints said.
"I told you so, man!" I said. Just then Smalls threw the ball to Bertram and he caught it.
"Okay. Let's play some ball!" Bertram said, throwing the ball to, Kenny.
       "All right." Kenny said, catching the ball, "I knew it all the time."
Smalls smiled and gave Izzy and me a thumbs up, "Yeah!" I said again, returning the thumbs up.
"Hell yeah!" Izzy yelled, happily.

*~*

"I'll show you some more tomorrow," Ham told Smalls.
"Okay. Bye." Smalls said.
       "See ya later, Ham," I said.
       "Bye, Ham," Izzy said.
       "Bye, guys," Ham replied.
       "See you tomorrow, Smalls. You did really good." Izzy said, smiling.
"Later, Smalls," I said as Izzy and I walked towards our houses.
"Bye." Smalls replied, "Benny, wait! Your glove."
"Keep it, man," I said.
       "Thanks!" Smalls said happily.
"Hey, Smalls." I said as Izzy and I turned around from walking home, "Um, bring in a T-shirt and jeans tomorrow. Okay?"
"Okay," Smalls said.
"You got a fireplace?" Izzy asked.
"Yeah, why?" Smalls asked.
"Not to be rude but um... throw it in there." she flicked his hat and smiled.
"Oh, yeah. It was um... the only one I had." Smalls said, taking the hat off.
"Not anymore. Wear my old one." I said, handing him my old hat.
"Tomorrow. 8:00." Izzy said.
"Great. Thanks, guys."
"Bye." Izzy and I said in unison walking to our houses.
"Aren't you the sweetest," Izzy said, smiling at me.
"Just bein' nice." I said, smiling back, "Hey, Izzy. I was wond-" I got cut off by her brother opening the door to their house.
"Benny, you sweet talkin' my little sister?" Danny asked me.
"What? No." I said, blushing a bit.
"Danny! Seriously?" Izzy said, blushing.
"Hey, I'm your big brother I have to give you shit and watch out for you," he said, leaning on the door frame.
"What were you saying?" she asked me, lowering her voice.
"Nothing." I said, still blushing, "I'll see you tomorrow morning."
"Bye, Benny." she smiled, blushing a bit, and walked inside her house.
I turned and walked into my house. I sighed pulling off my hat and leaning on the closed door. Should I tell her I like her?