The Home Run

Gone?

Izzy's POV

       "Izzy." Benny called out, "Izzy!"
       "Huh?" I asked, snapping out of my daze.
       "What's up?" Benny asked.
"Nothing. I'm fine." I lied.
"I don't buy it. You've been out of it all day." Benny put a hand on my shoulder.
       "Sorry. I just feel... off today."
"Here, you're up to bat." he handed me the bat, "Just hit a couple. It'll make you feel better." he smiled.
"Thanks, Rodriguez," I said, planting a small kiss on his cheek. We both smiled as Benny walked to his position. Ham squatted and put on the catcher's mask, while I stood at home plate.
"Play ball!" Ham yelled.
"Show me what you got DeNunez," I called out, practicing a swing.
DeNunez leaned forward, twisting the ball behind his back. He stood up, wound up his arm, and threw the ball. I swung and hit it. It flew all the way to the back fence, but it didn't go over.
"Yes!" I said, running to first base as Smalls ran for the ball. Before I could even get to second, a soldier walked through the fence that separated the Timmons household from the Sandlot.
"Miguel?" I whispered.
"Izzy?" the guys questioned at me as I started walking over to the soldier.
"Oh, no," Benny said, behind me. He started running after me, but I reached the soldier before he could.
"Miguel?" I questioned, confused, "What are you doing here."
"Izzy..." Miguel stopped, "I-" he tried to find his words.
"Izzy." Benny said, putting his hand on the small of my back, "What's going on."
I shushed him, not looking away from Miguel, "Miguel, what's going on?" I asked him.
"It's... Son of a bitch." Miguel struggled.
"Miguel, spit it out!" I said, growing anxious as the boys gathered behind us.
"What's going on?" Ham whispered.
"Yeah, yeah what's happening?" Yeah- Yeah whispered.
"Shut up!" I hissed.
"Izzy, I... God damn it!" Miguel bent over, tears welling in his eyes. He stood up straight and took a deep breath, "Izzy, I'm sorry. Danny was killed in action two days ago."
The guys all went wide-eyed, their jaws dropped. The boys all took off their hats and held them in their hands. Everything went quiet. Even The Beast stopped growling.
"Oh, my god," Benny said and the boys all started whispering.
"He..." I couldn't register what he said, "No, no, no. No, he's not."
"I'm so sorry, Izzy." Miguel tried holding back tears.
"No. No. You're lying!" I shoved Miguel, causing him to stumble back.
"I'm not. I wish I was. I was next to him when he was-" Miguel couldn't bring himself to say it.
"Liar!" I said, hitting Miguel, "You're a liar!"
"Oh, shit..." Squints whispered.
"Izzy. Izzy. Stop." Benny said, grabbing me around my waist and pulling me back. I started to flail my arms and legs trying to break from his hold. He just held me tighter, "Calm down!" he urged.
"Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!" I screamed at him as hot tears fell from my eyes, "He's lying! Benny, let go!"
"Izzy. Stop. Calm down!" Benny said.
"Let me..." I went limp and fell to my knees. I started crying, "Oh, my god..."
"I'm sorry, Izzy," Miguel said.
"Izzy..." Smalls said behind me.
"He's..." I couldn't bring myself to say the word, "Guys, he's..."
"I'm so sorry," Benny said, kneeling next to me. I threw my arms around him and hugged him. Slowly the whole team was in a group hug with me at the center. After a moment we all broke apart except for Benny and me. I didn't let him go.
"C'mon, Izzy, I'll give you a ride home," Miguel said.
"I'm not going home right now," I said, standing up and looking at Miguel. I still had my arms around Benny.
"You've gotta go home. C'mon your parents are waiting and-" I cut him off.
"I'm gonna walk home!" I said, defensively. Miguel jumped at my outburst, "I need time... to process this."
"Okay." Miguel said, "I'll see you at your house."
I nodded slowly as Miguel walked away. We all watched Miguel leave then looked at I looked back at the boys. My arms were holding my stomach like I was sick.
"I don't know if I can go home," I said, looking at the guys.
"We can stop playing for the day," Ham said.
"Yeah, yeah, we could. You're gonna need us." Yeah- Yeah added.
"Yeah. One day of not playing is okay. I mean, we've done it before." Bertram said.
"Don't stop on my account. You guys go ahead and keep playing." I insisted.
"No way. You need us now more than ever," Benny said, wiping a few of my tears away.
"Yeah. We want to be there for you." Timmy said.
"We need to be there for you," Tommy said.
"We'd rather be there for you. What kind of team would we be if we just left you to do this on your own." DeNunez said, giving me a weak smile.
"We're all here for you, Izzy," Smalls said.
"We all got your back." Squints said.
"Thank you, guys," I said, giving everyone a weak smile.
"C'mon we'll all start walking home now," Benny said. We all picked up our gloves and hats and started walking home.

*~*

"Do you want me to go inside with you?" Benny asked as we stood in the driveway of my house.
"No. I think I should be okay." I sighed.
"Well, if you need anything, you know where to find me," he said, moving a few loose strands of hair out of my face.
       "Thanks. I'll see you at church tomorrow. Maybe." I said, hugging him.
       "You'll be okay. You're stronger than you know," he said. I smiled at him and walked inside.
"Where have you been?" my dad hissed at me.
       "I was playing baseball," I said, putting my glove on the coffee table.
       "A girl? Playing baseball?"
       "Yes, blockhead a girl can play baseball!" I yelled. I wasn't gonna take crap from him anymore.
       "Excuse me?" he asked. I looked at my mom and Miguel who were wide-eyed.
       "You heard me." I said, "Ask Benny."
       "Who do you think you're talking to?" he asked.
       "I don't know, cause that week when Danny was here you were going for father of the year and now you're back to being my worst enemy." I was getting worked up.
       "Your brother is dead," he said. I blew up.
       "All he wanted from you was to stop drinking and you couldn't even do that! You're a sorry excuse for a father!" my dad shrunk back, "You can hit me if you want, it's not going to change anything." I had tears streaming down my face.
       "Isabel." my mom said.
       "No, mom. You're not going to say it, someone has to. You think Danny's going away only affected you? It didn't. I had a crappy two years and where were you? Oh, that's right. Drinking like it was going to change anything. You're pathetic."
       "You're lying." my dad said now he was crying.
       "I'm lying? You have the audacity to call me a liar?" I scoffed and walked to my room getting one of Danny's letters. I rushed back into the living room, "You wanna call me a liar I'll show you. This was from Danny, 'Remember when I told you I was psychic? I'm feeling like something is going to happen to me. I don't know what could happen so if anything does happen read this to mom and dad.'."
       "Keep going." my mom said. She and my dad were crying as well as Miguel.
       " 'I want dad to stop drinking, if not for you for himself. If I'm not there to walk you down the aisle someone has to be. Make sure that mom uses that recipe book I got her. Make sure to tell her to stand up to dad too. I know you both can do it. I believe in you two. Tell them I love them so much and give them a hug for me.'." I stopped reading and folded the letter back up, "That was the last letter he wrote to me."
       "Actually, Izzy." Miguel stood up wiping the tears from his eyes, "He asked me to give you this."
       I took a piece of paper from him. I held it like it was priceless. I kneeled down and read it in my head.
"6/19/1962
Hermanita, we're set up for the night. I think this may be my last letter for a while. Things are starting to get kinda crazy. I want you to know that I love you."
       That was it. Those were his last words to me. There was a line where the pen had been dragged from the period to the edge of the paper. I unfolded it the rest of the way and his dog tags fell into my lap. I gasped at the few red stains on the paper.
"Danny," I said hugging the paper and clutching his dog tags, "I'm sorry. I love you..."