𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐲 | 𝐛. 𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐳

𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐲 - 𝐨𝐧𝐞 | 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐧

"WE UNFORTUNATELY SAY GOODBYE TO LENNON DAVIS, but instead say hello to the future Lennon Rodriguez. Our fellow reporter announced two months ago after the Giants vs Dodgers game that she was officially off the market and preparing for the wedding of her dreams. Her fiancé? A mystery, even to us here in NYC. Fans speculated for the entirety of her unnamed engagement, creating theories and trying to link together stories that might have something to do with it. But it was last week that her mystery engagement was finally revealed. She announced that childhood friend Benjamin Rodriguez of the Los Angeles Dodgers and her had secretly been dating for more than a year when he proposed, catching her completely off guard by showing up to her apartment at five in the morning to propose. The couple isn't set to marry for another six months, but decided it was time to announce their engagement correctly, only sharing the news with the Los Angeles Dodgers at the time, some childhood friends known as the 'Sandlot Kids', as well as Lennon's Brother, Sister, and Mother, and Benjamin's Mother. One fan's speculations turned out to be mostly correct when she linked the details of the kiss between the couple a year prior and the reports of seeing them together at a local fair just twenty minutes north-west of L.A. that night. Videos also surfaced of what looks like Rodriguez playing a fair game where you smash beer bottles with baseballs, dominating the game with his talent. That's all for now, but come back at ten tonight for any updates regarding the game or the famed couple." Michelle says.
      I approach the dugout stairs, holding the lineup clipboard to my chest. Hernández stands at Home plate, eyes narrowed.
"Come on, Kiké." Cal says, standing on Deck, warming his swing up.
Dodgers are down three. If he gets a base hit, we could easily get another with Cal and possibly even a homer with Benny. Seager could follow with another homer or a ground hit, either would work. Kiké runs for first in a dead sprint and our dugout erupts with applause.
"Kiké Hernández makes it to home, safe. Oh, but the phones are already ringing. Looks like the Padres are up to challenge the call." Smalls says up top.
      "Oh come on, it was a base! We're down three, what more can you take from us?" Cal asks.
      "Cal, stop, calm down. You're gonna get ejected from the game for unsportsmanlike conduct." I say.
      "These assholes are trying to take our base from us!" He exclaims.
       The catcher for the Padres and stands and approaches us. Cal rears up his bat and smirks at the catcher.
      "You wanna do this? Let's do this!" Cal exclaims, waving to the catcher to get even closer.
      I grab his arm, pulling him back to stop. He looks like he could jump onto the catcher.
      "Cal, stop it! You're gonna make us lose the game!" I exclaim. "Just cool off!"
      "Come on, hit me!" Cal exclaims. "Hit me Asshole, do it! You won't."
       The catcher swings his fist towards us and, instead of hitting Cal, he hits me instead. I slip backwards, landing in Seager's arms.
      "Len, you alright?" He asks, an eyebrow raised, helping me stand.
       My head throbs and I nod slowly. Benny runs up the stairs, brushing past us without a word.
       "You hit her?" He asks, his voice husky and rough. "Did you hit her?"
        The catcher looks at me, spotting me cupping my cheek with my hand. He nods.
        "Yeah, and I'd do it again. This is a man's argument. Leave the women out of this." He says.
        Benny shoves him, pushing him away from our dugout.
"You two, you're done!" The umpire screams at Benny and Cal, pointing to the dugout. "Get out, you're done for the day."
       Cal and Benny raise an eyebrow, shaking their heads at him. I look at Daniel, an eyebrow raised.
       "Isn't there anything you can do to stop this?" I ask.
       He shakes his head, exhaling sharply as he crosses his arms over his chest.
       "Nope, the Umpire has the most say in the game. We're just here to tell the team what to do." He says. "They're done for the day, and so are we."
       I shake my head and approach the umpire. The catcher who started it all crouches before him.
        "Why's he still out here?" I ask, pointing to the catcher. "He started it all, why is he still here?"
The catcher stands, towering over me, glaring down at me.
"What are you gonna do, hit me again?" I ask, an eyebrow raised.
       I look at the Umpire as he separates us, eyebrows furrowed.
       "Their backup catcher can't come in. He's injured." He says. "They need him."
       "Either kick him out or let them back in," I say. "You pick."
       I return to the dugout, crossing my arms over my chest. The catcher and the umpire talk, a furious conversation sparking between them.
        "You two are back in. Another stupid outburst like that again and you're out for good." The umpire says.
      Benny approaches me, taking my face in his hands, examining my cheek.
      "How hard did he hit you?" He asks, brushing my hair away from my cheek.
      I shake my head, taking his hand in my own, exhaling sharply.
      "Benny, I'm fine, really," I say, looking in his eyes.
      "How hard did he hit you?" He repeats, his voice raspy.
      "I don't know, enough to make my ears ring, but I'm fine now." I say.
      He nods, kissing my forehead. He takes Cal's spot in the on-deck circle and pulls his helmet on.
      "Benny, why do you ask?" I ask, an eyebrow raised.
      He practices a swing and smiles back at me, nodding.
      "To see just how hard of a homer I'm gonna hit, just to rub his nose in it." He says.