The Heart of the Team

Chapter Five

"Come on! We aren't waiting all day!" Squints yelled.

Benny took another practice swing before nodding.
DeNunez wound up and pitched the ball.
From my place in the outfield I watched as Benny swung.
There was a loud crack and he took off running.
I ran back, keeping my eye on the ball.
I reached up, jumping and caught the ball.

"Ha Ha!" I yelled.
Everyone cheered.
"I feel betrayed!" Benny joked as I threw the back to DeNunez.
"You'll get over it."
"Will I?"

After a long day we called it quits when Smalls got hit in the face with the ball.
His nose was bleeding as he approached the dugout.
"Don't tip you head back. Tip it forward, pinch the bridge like this." Benny quickly showed Smalls how to hold his nose as I found some tissues.
"Here." I handed him the small packet from my bag.
"Thanks." He mumbled.
"Come on, let's get you home." Benny said, helping him up. 
Everyone spilt up and headed home.

"I'll bring Smalls back to his house."  I said once we reached our street.
Benny and Ham nodded and kept walking while Smalls and I turned up his driveway.
I knocked on the door.

It opened to a woman standing there. "Hello?"
I smiled "Hi, I'm Scotty's friend Liz, from the sandlot. I had to help him walk back cause he got hit in the face with the ball and now his nose is bleeding. We thought it was best to have someone walk him home."
Scotty stepped in front of me.
"It isn't bad mom, just bleeding a little." His voice was muffled by the tissues.
"And they thought it was best to send You with them." She stressed the word you.
"Oh I'm sorry, I only now realize that it is terribly bad for our little Scotty to be playing baseball with a black girl or god help even be walked home by one after he got hurt."
I turned on my heel and walked away.

I didn't go to my house, or Benny's, or even the sandlot.
I just walked.
I let my feet guide me and I spent a while just wandering.
I sat at the library for a while, wedged in my favorite reading nook, reading The War of the Worlds.
A while later I felt a tap on my shoulder.
I looked up to see Benny standing there.
"What are you doing here?"
He sat down next to me, it was a small nook with a beanbag, so we were kind of squished together.
"You never went back to your house."
I marked my page and closed the book "So you came to find me?"
"Yeah."
I rolled my eyes "You do realize i wont die if you dont see me for two hours. You went a whole school year without seeing me."
"Barley. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. The school year thing wasn't my choice and  i was too busy with work to go find your school."
I nodded "Well, forgetting about me is fine. I lived."
Benny just smiled "It was very far from forgetting," He wrapped an arm around me "Is this okay?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
We sat there for a while. Me reading and Benny just sitting with his chin resting on my head.
"What is your book about?"
"It's not baseball, and its old so you wouldn't like it."  I said flipping the page.
"Well whats it about?"
"Aliens."
He laughed a little.
"An old book? About aliens?"
"Yeah now shh."
I continued to read again leaning into Benny.

"Excuse me?"
I looked up to see the librarian.
"Yes?"
"It's 5 oclock the library is closing."
"Oh yes of course."
I went to stand up but Bennys arms were still wrapped around me.
He had fallen asleep a while ago, and was nestled against me soundly.
"Benny. Benny we've got to go."
He sat up, and looked around.
"Huh?"
"The library's closing. We've got to go."
He nodded and let go of me, standing up.

We headed out of the library and started up the street towards our neighbourhood.
"So what was your book about?"
"Like i said, Aliens."
"But it was an old book, they didn't have aliens back then."
I snorted "Aliens have been theorized since the dawn of man, darling."
"Still what happens in the book?"
"Well essentially it's the 1800s  cause that's when H.G Wells wrote the book, and Aliens start invading and killing everyone. The plot follows one man and his brother in some sections, as they fight to survive."
"How does it end?"
"I can't tell you. You have to read it yourself."
Benny sighed "I don't have time for reading."
"What, because of baseball? You have times where you aren't playing you know. What if i read it to you?"
He hummed for a moment "yes i think i have time for that."
I laughed "Okay. How about we meet up after dinner every night and read till 9. We should be able to finish the book within a week or so."
Benny smiled as we reached my house "Sounds good, I'll be over at 7."
I walked up to my house and headed inside laughing as he ran over to his own house.

"Your late."
I turned from the door to see my mother standing there.
"It's only 5:09. I was only late by 9 minutes."
"Still late nonetheless. Your dinner portions are now halfved."
I wasn't too mad about that considering I wasn't planning on eating much anyway.
"Okay Mother."
"Now go wash up! And if you're not in that dinning room in three minutes no dinner at all!"
I quickly ran to the bathroom and washed up, hurrying out to the dining room with a minute to spare.
She put a small bowl of Chili in front of me before sitting down in her place.
"Where were you, that you were nine minuets late? I thought I saw you and those boys coming back from that wretched sand pit or whatever a few hours ago When I got home."
"Smalls got hit with the baseball, everybody called it a day, there was a book I wanted to read so i was at the library."
She eyed me coldly "Interesting, why was it that those boys were here this morning?"
Oh.
Oh no.
"Well, they didnt know i had already left. So they thought i was still here. I'll tell them not to come here again, if you'd like?"
She nodded and we finished our meal in silence.
After I quickly checked the time, 5:47, and scurried to my room.
I found my old copy of The war of the Worlds and set it on my desk.
After a long shower I changed into sweatpants and a new sweatshirt.
I did my best to wrap my arms in the bandages the way Benny  but it wasn't great.
Still they held their purpose so it was fine.
I straightened out my room the best I could.

I don't know why I was worried about Benny coming over.
Normally Mother doesn't care if anyone came over as long as we weren't loud.

It was just, lately everything with Benny made me slightly nervous but not nervous.

Like some weird thing.

Like when he smiled, or when he called me his girl.

I liked that.

And when he had his arms around me earlier it just felt right.

And it's not like i have a crush on him.

I've known him forever, we practically grew up together.

I just think hes cute when he smiles.

And it's adorable when he fake pouts.

And the way he keeps looking at me.

The way he was so concerned.

And his cute face when he was asleep.

And the way i feel around him.

And the way it feels to be in his arms.

And.

And.

And holy shit.
I have a crush on Benjamin Rodrigez.

Wow. Didnt see that coming at all