Summer of 1995
I'm the new kid on the block. Specifically new girl. And this is a story about how I pretended to be a boy just to play with these boys and to prove to them that girls can play baseball just as good as any boy, if not better but I did...
"Yes dad. I promise, I will be home by 9. I'm just going to the amusement park with a couple of my friends from school." "It better not be any boys." I laughed. "Dad no boys are in my friend group but there will be boys at the amusement park." "Nope sorry." I gave my dad a look. He smiled. "Okay fine sweetheart, but stay with them and come back at 9:00 exactly." "Thank you daddy." I kissed his cheek and went to my room to get ready.
My friends told me to come to the amusement. Me being the new kid, I didn't know none of the summer festivals or occasions that happened over here. I was excited. I designed my own clothes. It was like a hobby for me.
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"Okay dad! I'm leaving!" "See you later honey!" My dad never said Goodbye, he always said see you later. "Hey Zamyra! Wait up please!" I turnt around and saw Scotty. "Oh hi." He smiled. "Are you mad at me?" "No, why would I be?" He looked down. "Because of what happened at the Sandlot." I smiled. "It wasn't your fault. We are cool." "Okay great! I was scared you didn't want to be friends anymore." "Never." We smiled. "Nice outfit by the way. I never seen that anywhere before. Where'd you get it from?" "Thank you, and I designed and stitched it myself." "Wow! can you be any more awesome?!" I laughed.
"So where are you going?" "To the amusement park me and the boys...sorry." "Listen it's fine. I'm going to." "You want to hang with us?" His face lit up. Hell no. "No I'm fine. Thanks. I have my friends who are going." "Okay well we better start moving. Come on." I smiled. "Lead the way."
Once we got there it was packed. Everything was bright and people were moving around and it was loud. There was so many rides. "Zamyra!" I turnt around and my friends were there. "Girl you look so cute!" "Thanks Maya so do you. You all do." We all hugged.
There was Maya, the wild one, she would set someone straight real quick. Then Lily, the mother of the group and Sasha, she was also wild but she had a filter. Then me, I didn't know who I was in our group. Probably all of them mixed together. "We waited for you babygirl. We have to go in together to be safe." Lily said. Sasha rolled her eyes. "You're such a mom. We waited on her because she's our bestie and that's what besties do." I laughed. "Thanks. Come on. I looked around for Scotty but he disappeared.
"Ugh Benny is so fine. I would lick him up!" Maya said. We all laughed. "Ew have some manners." Lily said. "These are my manners." She stuck her tongue out. "I don't think he dates. A lot of girls have tried to get at him, but he always turns them down." Sasha said. "Is he gay?" "No, I just think he just doesn't have time for girls. The only thing I ever seen him do is play baseball." Lily said. He was dedicated. I like that.
"Well enough about him. Let's get on that ride!" I said. We all ran to the big rocket like ride that was for sure gonna get us dizzy. After that ride we got on a couple of more and decided to get food. "I just want fried pickles with bacon." "Eww you eat fried pickles." I looked at Maya and laughed. "Shut up you eat fried twinkies." She was about to say something else when a boy bumped into her. "Aye watch where you are going little boy! You jocking up my style." She fixed her hair. "Sorry chick." I looked and it was the boy with the glasses from the Sandlot. Oh no.
"Watch your mouth, I'm not a chick. I'm Maya, you better recognize." "Yeah she's a young woman. That was very disrespectful." Lily said. It seemed like they were surrounding him now. I couldn't help but giggle. "Sorry he didn't mean any harm." The black kid from the Sandlot said. "Mmhm that's what we thought." Sasha said. "Come on girls, let's just go." I said. "Oh look it's the girl who thought she was good enough to play with us." That caused us all to do a 360. "What did you say?" Now it was Lily who was holding me back. "Shut up Ham, now she got her squad." "Yeah yeah, shut up Ham." Now all the boys were here except for Benny. "What did you say about our girl fat stuff?" Sasha said and got in his face. This wasn't gonna end good for none of us.
"It doesn't matter what he said because he's stupid and you are far too smart to stoop down to his level." Benny stepped in front of Ham and up to Sasha. "Yeah he's right Sash, let's just go. I'm over it." She looked back and rolled her eyes. "Fine but control your little dogs." She cut her eyes at Benny. "Yes ma'am." I didn't even look at him. "That was crazy. Aren't they in like middle school?" Lily asked. "No a few of them are in Highschool." Maya said. "They was all about to get slapped though." Sasha said. "Forgot about them girls. Let's just have some fun." "Your right, let's go." We continued to get on rides. It was getting late and the last ride that we haven't got on was the Ferris wheel.
"Sorry Z, I know you have a no boy policy right now because of your dreams and what not, but I need a boy to kiss once I get to the top." Maya said. "What y'all too?" I looked at Lily and Sasha. They gave me a cheeky smile. "Fine go. I'll wait here because I'm not getting on by myself. "Okay we love you, see you in a bit." They all literally tapped a boy and got on the ride with them.
"Wait, I'm getting on." A voice said and walked past me. "Zamyra you aren't gonna get on?" It was Benny. "No, I don't have anyone to get on with." He patted the seat next to him. "I rather not." "You might as well." "Just get on girl. He's slowing the ride down." The worker said. "Fine." I sat next to him and pulled down the ride secure thingy.
The ride started. "I'm really sorry about my friends. They can be-" "assholes. Yes I know. Your lucky Sasha thinks your cute or else she would have slapped all of y'all." He smiled. "She thinks I'm cute, what do you think?" He looked me in my eye and I looked away. "Your alright I guess." "I'm alright." He chuckled. "Yep just alright." "Why just alright?" "Because you actually believe girls can't play baseball just as well as guys or probably even better ." "I never said that." "And yet you don't deny it." He looked at me and shook his head. "You don't give up huh." "Nope." "Your still gonna hold that against me?" "Yep."
"I think 1 girl is worth 10 boys." "You ain't slick, Peter Pan said it first." We both laughed. "Okay okay listen. I don't think girls can't play baseball I just think it would be a distraction for all of us if we did let a girl play with us." "Why is that?" "You make people lose focus Zamyra. Your nice to watch." He said. I looked at him. "Have you been watching me?" "Pfft no. I'm not that kind of guy." We made it to the top of the Ferris wheel. "What type of guy are you then?" I swore he was looking at my lips. "The type who can't let anything or anyone stop him from achieving his dreams." I nodded my head. He was like me.
The ride came to a end and we all got off. "Can I walk you home?" Benny said once we got off. "I don't see why not." "Warming up to me." He lifted his eyebrows up and down. "Please, we live on the same street." I waved him off. "Yeah yeah." He smiled as I rolled my eyes. Maya, Lily and Sasha were still with the boys they got on the ride with. I walked over to them and said my goodbyes and told them Benny was gonna walk me home.
"Better you then me." Maya said and stuck her tongue out. "Yeah cuz you'll scare him." Sasha said. "Maya, put that tongue back in your mouth!" Lily scolded her. "Ain't my fault that he fine." Maya slapped my butt. "Go get him sis." "Ew stop. I definitely don't want him." I said and rolled my eyes. "Go, he's waiting." Sasha said. "Okay I love y'all." "We love you to." I left them and walked back over to Benny. "You ready?" "Yeah, did you say goodbye to the boys?" He looked shocked for a moment. "Didn't know you cared about that." "I mean they are your friends, it would be rude if you didn't." He chuckled. "Yeah, they all left." "Oh, well come on. It's getting late."
The whole time we talked and laughed all the way to our house. Benny wasn't bad at all. "This is my stop. Thank you." "For what?" He muttered. "Walking me home." "Anytime Zamyra. Thank you for allowing me too." I smiled. "I'll see you later?" Are you asking me? Or telling me?" I said. "Both kinda." We both laughed. "Maybe, but I better go before my dad kills me." "Same my mom will have a heart attack. See you later?" He said it in a question from. "Yeah, see you later. Goodnight." "Goodnight, Zamyra." I walked inside my house and once he seen me close the door he started walking to his house.
"Your a minute late!" My dad popped up. "Dad I was here. I was just saying good bye to my friend." "Better not have been a boy." "A boy? You already know how I roll dad. Don't have time for them." "That's right! Now give me a hug before you go to bed." I smiled and hugged my dad. "Love you." "I love you too babygirl." I went to my room, took a shower and then got ready for bed.
