The Girl That Made Baseball

16

By the time they had made to to the fair grounds, it was completely dark, making the lights on the rides look gorgeous.

"Y-You're not still mad at me... Are you?" Ham asked

"No, Ham. I'm not." Jess laughed

"Good. I wouldn't want the best baseball player in the neighborhood to hate me. I forgot you know how to work a bat" He said

Jess laughed as they ran up to the ticket booth

"Best guys, it's on me tonight!" Benny said

He bought all the tickets and handed them out to everyone

"Aw crap! I almost forgot!" Bertram yelled

"What?" Ham asked

"Chaw!" Bertram yelled, holding out a bag of dip "I was savin it for a good time!"

"What is it?" Smalls asked

"Gig chief, the best" Bertram said, smelling it and holding it out

"Jeez Smalls, I suppose you don't even know who the babe is either!" Ham yelled, making everyone but Benny and Jess laughed

Jess set her hands on Smalls shoulders from behind and squeezed them lightly, signaling to him that she was on his side.

"It's plug, wad, chewing tobacco!" Ham said

"Backy man" Bertram said

"What do you do with it?" Smalls asked

"You're killin me Smalls" Ham said, stuffing a piece in his mouth "Chew it of course!"

"You do?"

"Yes!" Ham said

"Yeah, sure, man. All the pros do" Denunez said

"Yeah yeah, gives you TONS of energy!" Yeah-Yeah said

"Let's dip!" Tummy said

"Let's dip!" Repeat said

Bertram hammed around the bag. Everyone took a bit and put it in between their lip and gums, just as the pros did

They all got onto their favorite ride, which spun you around in circles.

Everyone got in their own pods, Jess being in the front, Smalls going behind her, then Benny begins him, and the rest of the boys all spread around.

The ride started up, and Jess couldn't get a smile off her face.

For Benny, everything was in slow
motion when he looked at Jess. Her smile, the way she was laughing and putting her hands in the air and looking around at the team made Benny weak at his knees.

Then, he got a weird feeling in his stomach. Not butterflies, not anything cute, but like he was gonna throw up.

He looked around at his team mates, and everyone else had the look on their faces too, all but Jess.

Everyone started to throw up, all over the place. Benny threw up in his pod, most of the other guys leaning over the edge to puke.

The ride stopped and everyone got off, all feeling sick to their stomachs.

Jess looked around and shrugged.

"How come you didn't yak?" Ham yelled at her, clutching his stomach and leaning over, just in case he. did again

"I spat it out before we got on. I have an older brother who not only chews, but got me to do it a few times. And not to mention, told me it'll make you sick the first few times" Jess shrugged

"Gee, thanks for the heads up!" Bertram yelled

"Well y'all had to figure it out sometime. Don't acting like big shots?" Jess asked

"Learned our lesson" Benny said

"Let's go home" Jess put her arm around Benny and Smalls so they could both walk easier.

The walk home was miserable. Not only did Jess have to help Benny and Smalls walk right, but she also had to make sure Smalls got in his house without getting caught.

Then, she had to help Benny sneak in.

"Do you chew, Jess?" Benny asked

"What? No! Of course not!" Jess said

"Then how come I watched you put it in your mouth, and you still didn't yak?" Benny asked tiredly

"Because I guess Alex got me used to it." Jess shrugged

"My moms gonna kill me" Benny said

"She doesn't have to know. Your not drunk, just sick. If you get caught, just say you're nauseous" Jess said

"Thanks, Jessie" Benn said when they made it to his porch

"What are friends for, right?" Jess asked

"Thank you" Benny hugged the girl and walked inside quietly

Jess smiled to herself and walked on air home.

She crawled in her bed and looked at her ceiling. Summer would end in about a month and a half.