Saturday, June 20, 2015

Bertram hit the ball with the bat, and took off running. Since Luke wasn't going to be at the sandlot today, I volunteered to take Bertram's place as second baseman.

Smalls caught the ball, and threw it in to Timmy, the first baseman. Luckily for Bertram, he reached the base safely before Timmy caught the ball.

As we continued the game, I heard something odd. I glanced towards the entrance of the sandlot to see a group of boys rolling in on their bikes. My black Yankees cap was on backwards, so I had to use my hand to block the sun from my eyes.

With a frown, I asked, "Who're they?"

The boys averted their attention to the group of boys, and they all let out exaggerated sighs.

All of the boys left their spots to approach the boys who finally come to a stop in the middle of the field. I followed the action, standing beside Benny, who had the bat in his hand.

"What are you guys doing here?" Squints demanded.

"Yeah, yeah, we put you in your place last summer," Yeah-Yeah added.

DeNunez chuckled. "Back for more?"

The one in the middle — clearly the leader — shook his head. "No. We came to make peace."

Benny stepped up a bit so he was in front of all of us. "We don't want anything to do with you, Phillips. That's how we'll keep peace."

Phillips turned his head, and his eyes met mine. He frowned and asked in disbelief, "You're playing with a girl now?"

"Yes, we are," Ham piped up in a proud voice. "She's one of the best on the team."

"Says the one who insulted me by saying I played ball like a girl last year," Phillips shot back. I rolled my eyes. "That's pretty pathetic. Girls don't play baseball. That's what softball is for."

"Actually, she's really good," Benny confirmed. "You're just mad because she can play better than you."

Phillips laughed, his buddies following suit. "I doubt that." He looked at me again and smirked. "I know why you're all taking up for her. It's because you like her."

I shook my head, stepping up next to Benny. "No, it's because I can play. You little boys are just wasting your time. Go ride your little bikes back to wherever you came from. We're in the middle of a game."

Phillips glared at me. "Shut your mouth, nobody was talking to you."

Before anyone could react, I jerked the bat out of Benny's hand, and approached Phillips. With my hands tightly gripping the bat, I growled, "Wanna say that again?"

Phillips attempted to hold the tough look, but his eyes went wide with fear. He opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it again.

"I may be a girl, but I won't hesitate to kick your ass," I continued. "Everyone who doubted me when I said that before regretted it. So try me. See how far it gets you."

Phillip glowered at me for a few moments before looking back over at the boys. "Forget the peace offering. I'll make you all pay."

I raised the bat menacingly, sending him a murderous glare. "And when you make one wrong move, this bat will be covered in your blood."

"And then you'll be put in juvi," one of his friends remarked.

I followed the sound of the voice, and my eyes landed on one of the boys in the back. "You think that's gonna bother me?"

"It should," Phillips responded, causing me to avert my attention back to him.

"Well, it doesn't," I replied, using my coldest tone possible. "It'd be worth it if it meant I got to . . . You know what? There are young ears around here, but I'll just let you imagine what I'll do to you if you so much as lay one finger on any of us."

Phillips stared back at me with fear in his eyes. Of course I wouldn't have really hurt the guy like that, but I would have liked to knock some sense into him. I hoped to scare him enough to the point that he didn't want to take his chances.

When all was silent for a few moments, I patted his shoulder, causing him to wince. "Good talk," I said. "That's your cue to leave."

Without hesitance, all of the boys turned their bikes around, and they rode off of the sandlot as quickly as possible. When I turned around to face the boys, they all had scared expressions on their faces.

I rolled my eyes, handing Benny back his bat, which he took with hesitance. "I'm not actually that violent, you guys, come on. I was just trying to scare him."

Finally, the boys all nodded, and smiles spread across their faces. They all attacked me with pats on the back, and they congratulated me on getting them to leave so easily.

"I won't let him mess with you guys," I informed them all. "Because he'll have to go through me, and I don't see that ending well at all for him."

Benny sent me an adorable smile. "I now see another reason people were so scared of you."

"Why?" I questioned, a small smirk playing on my lips.

"Because we all thought you were literally about to murder him," he answered, chuckling.

I shrugged, tugging at an imaginary jacket, a cool look on my face. "What can I say? I should've been an actress."

Benny laughed, throwing his arm around my shoulders. "There's another talent."

I laughed too, and replied jokingly, "Yeah, you could say that. I guess I'm just good at everything."

DeNunez and Bertram shot me a smile, and I returned it but shook my head at them all the simultaneously.

"Anyways, let's resume the game they so rudely interrupted," I said, chuckling afterward. All of the boys agreed, and that was what we did.

---

The boys and I got ready to leave the sandlot.

"Hey, guys, I almost forgot!" Bertram exclaimed.

"What?" Squints asked.

"My brother is having this big bonfire tonight, and he's having a bunch of friends over," he began. "He said I could invite people over, and I was wanting to know if you guys wanted to come."

I glanced at Benny and nodded. "Sure."

Benny looked back at me before sighing. "I'll ask my mom if I can go."

So after everyone agreed to ask their parents, we all headed home. When I walked into my house, I quickly ran upstairs. I took the fastest shower I'd ever taken in my entire life, managing to wash my hair and body and shave in less than ten minutes.

When I got out, I dressed in a white lace crop top tank, ripped high-waisted boyfriend jeans, red Vans, and a black leather jacket. After drying and brushing my hair, I straightened it to perfection. Then I pulled my hair in a cute high ponytail, and I tied on a red bandana as a headband.

Finally, I called my mom while running outside to meet Benny, since she wasn't home yet. She answered with a, "Hello?"

"Hey, can I go to a bonfire tonight with some friends?" I asked her.

"Will Luke be there?"

"I'll make him come, so yeah," I replied.

"All right, you can go, but be safe."

"Yes!" I crowed. "Okay, thank you. Love you, mom."

Before she could get her full reply out, I hung up. When I looked up at Benny, he had a smile on his face.

"She said I could come," he informed me. "Bertram wants us to meet him at his place. Apparently it's somewhere in the woods behind his house."

"Oh God," I muttered. "They better not be trying to murder us or something."

Benny laughed. "That's why I brought my pocket knife with me. Protection."

I smiled up at him. "Well, let's go, then."

---

The boys and I followed Bertram through the woods. We weren't going too far out, thankfully, so I didn't think we could get lost. I knew we'd reached the spot when a huge open space came into view, and half a dozen guys were sitting on logs around a huge fire.

"Seriously?" one of the guys spoke loudly. "You invited your little brother and all his little friends?"

The only guy who sort of resembled Bertram slapped him upside the head. "Shut up, man, you'll live."

The other guy muttered something, but we ignored it. Bertram sat down on an empty log, and we all sat by him, almost filling up the entire space. I was sitting in between Benny and Yeah-Yeah. Then I remembered that I was supposed to get Luke to come.

I pulled out my phone, and called my brother. He answered with, "What?"

"Are you doing something right now?" I asked.

"I'm just chilling at Sky's house. Why?" he responded.

"Bertram's brother is having a bonfire, and I told Mom I'd get you to come," I answered. "And you have to."

"No, I don't," he mumbled. "I'm with Sky, I'm not leaving."

"Bring her with you!"

"No!"

I sighed loudly. "There are a bunch of older guys, and I'm the only girl."

Luke stayed silent for a few moments before replying, "Ugh, I'll be on my way. Where's it at?"

A smile spread across my face. "Go to Bertram's house, then go to his backyard, and just walk into the woods. Go straight, and you'll see the fire."

"Okay," he mumbled. "See you there. Love you."

"Love you too." With that, I ended the call, and tucked my phone back into my pocket. I looked over at Benny with the same smile, and said, "And that is how you do that."

Benny laughed, showing off his perfect smile. "You know I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

My heart began to race, but I remained calm. "Thanks, Benny. I appreciate that."

"I'd do anything for my best friend."

And there he goes, friend zoning me and breaking my heart again. Even still, I held my smile.

"Me too," I returned.

The older guys drank beers and joked around, completely ignoring us, while we made s'mores and did our own thing.

I remained in my seat, watching as all of the sandlot boys sat closer to the fire, roasting marshmallows. All of a sudden, someone plopped down next to me, their shoulder bumping into mine.

"Oh, sorry," the guys said. He was one of the older guys, and I was surprised he wasn't slurring his words. "You just looked lonely, and I figured I could keep you company."

I furrowed my eyebrows, scooting away from him. "Yeah, well, I'm fine. You can go back to your friends now."

The guy laughed. "Aw, but why can't we be friends? I'm Austin. Aren't you a little old to be hanging out with these little dorks?"

I rolled my eyes, frowning at him. "Actually, I'm fourteen. So, no, not really."

Austin's eyes widened in surprise. "Fourteen? You're lying."

"Nope," I denied, shaking my head. "I'm dead serious."

"Oh well. Age is just a number," he muttered, scooting closer to me. I stood up, but he grabbed my hand, pulling me back down. "Wow. Anyone ever tell you you have a huge ass?"

I glared at him. "Leave me alone, you fucking creep." I stood up again. This time, he didn't touch me.

"Feisty. I like it," I heard him comment, laughing afterward, as I sat down on the ground next to Benny.

I bent my knees, resting my arms on them as I stared into the fire. The heat burned my face a bit, but I ignored it. Fire always reminded me of Leon, considering it was the cause of his death. Sometimes I'd sit dangerously close to a fire, and even if the burning was painful, I wouldn't move. I tried to imagine what he felt, and then I thought, he couldn't escape the fire. And it always made me feel bad, so I always tried to just take it. It's weird, I know.

"You okay?" Benny asked me, nudging me lightly with his elbow.

I snapped out of my thoughts, and looked over at him. I simply nodded, not even bothering to put on a smile. Then I noticed how handsome he looked, the glow of the fire dancing on his perfect face.

"Want a s'more?" he asked me.

I nodded again. "Sure."

Benny smiled and grabbed a marshmallow from one of the bags Ham brought. He suck it onto the end of a sharp stick, and he started roasting it. When it caught on fire, he pulled it out, and blew the flame out. He took a graham cracker and a couple small rectangles of a Hershey's chocolate bar, setting them onto the cracker. Then he put the marshmallow on top. Finally, he squished it all together with another graham cracker on the top.

Benny handed the treat to me with that same gorgeous smile on his face. "Here you go."

I took it, sending him a smile. "Thanks, Rodriguez." With that, I took a careful bite, trying not to make a mess.

"Any time."

After a few minutes pass, Luke still hadn't arrived. It had gotten a lot louder — the older guys were doing stupid stuff, and the sandlot boys were telling stories. I got up to go call Luke, and no one noticed as I walked out of earshot and sight from everyone.

I called Luke, and the call didn't last long. He said he stopped by the house so he could shower and get ready, and Skylar had to do the same before they left. I had a dirty thought in mind, but he confirmed that they didn't do anything before I could get a word out.

As soon as I hung up, I heard footsteps right behind me. I twisted around quickly, ready to punch someone, but then I realized it was Bertram.

"Oh, hey," I breathed.

"Hey," he greeted. "I saw you come out here, and I was just checking to see if you were okay."

I chuckled. "Yeah, I was just calling to see when Luke's getting here. We should get back though."

"Wait," he said quickly. "I brought something with me." He pulled two objects out of his pocket, and I squinted through the darkness to try to make out what it was. Finally, the light of the moon revealed a lighter and a rolled joint.

"Bertram!" I whisper-yelled. "You shouldn't be doing that!"

"Come on, I know you do it," he responded, clutching the things in his hand.

"Only on occasion," I muttered. "How did you get that anyway?"

"Borrowed it from my brother," he answered. "You should smoke it with me."

I glared at him. "Bertram, they'll be able to smell it on us. We'll get caught."

"So?"

I stared at him for a while, contemplating what to do. I did want to, because it was fun, but what would the boys think? Finally, I sighed, giving in.

"Fine, whatever, but we aren't smoking it all," I grumbled.

Bertram smiled in victory. "All right. Ladies first."

He held out the items in his hand for me, and I rolled my eyes, grabbing them.

We smoked about half the joint, and because I hadn't done it in a few months, my tolerance wasn't very high. As a result, I already felt great, my eyes burned a bit, and I felt really giggly.

Bertram stuffed the rest of the joint into his pocket, along with the lighter, and we made our way back to the bonfire. Luckily, no one seemed to have noticed that we were gone.

Bertram and I sat down in front of the fire a few feet away from the boys. We talked and laughed uncontrollably about stupid stuff.

"Okay, we need to get it together in case something happens," Bertram said, pulling a straight face. "I'll pretend to be a cop. Okay?"

I let out a laugh, but I nodded. "It's so funny you're doing this, because when I got high with my boyfriend and his little brother a while back, his brother did this. But okay, I got this."

Bertram cracked a smile, but immediately wiped it away. In a deep voice, he asked, "Ma'am . . . are you high?"

A smile found its way onto my face while I shook my head in response. No matter how hard I tried to keep a straight face, I just couldn't do it.

"Why are your eyes red then?" Bertram asked in the same deep voice.

I quickly came up with the excuse that it was from staring at the fire too long. I pointed to the fire, but before I could speak a word, I burst into a fit of laughter.

"She's high," he continued a in the deep voice, as if speaking to a fellow officer.

"No, I'm not," I insisted through laughter. When I saw that he was still holding a straight face, I started laughing even harder.

"We're gonna try this again. Ma'am, are you high?"

I forced myself to stop laughing while he spoke. When he was done, I tried my hardest to keep a straight face, but instead, I burst out laughing again. Finally, he started laughing along with me.

All of a sudden, someone sat down next to me, almost giving me a heart attack. I gasped, but when I noticed that it was Benny, I calmed down.

"Benny!" I exclaimed, laughing more. I fell over onto him, letting my head touch his chest.

Benny grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me up. I couldn't stop laughing for anything. He looked into my eyes, and then sighed.

"You're high," he muttered.

"No!" I insisted, trying unsuccessfully to stop laughing.

Benny sighed, shaking his head. "I thought you were better than that." He stood up, and I tried to stop him, but he walked away.

---

By the time Luke and Skylar finally arrived, I had managed to calm myself down. Instead of being a laughing mess, I was just sitting back, chilling. I feel too good to worry about Benny, who seemed to be ignoring me.

I had taken off my jacket because it got too hot, and it rested on the log I was sitting in front of, my back resting against the wood. Skylar sat next to me. Luke was talking to the older guys.

"Hey," she greeted me in a sweet voice.

"Aye," I responded, not bothering to look at her. I didn't want her to see my eyes, which were bloodshot and hard to fully open.

"What's up? Why are you just sitting here alone?"

I shrugged. "Got tired of talking to people. And Benny is ignoring me."

Skylar frowned, her eyes set on me. "Why?"

I shrugged again, and lied, "Dunno. But it's whatever."

She nodded. "Oh, does it not bother you?"

"Nope."

"I thought you liked him. Well, I was just assuming, because it seemed like it," Skylar responded.

"Oh, I do," I confirmed. "I'm just too chilled out to care at the moment. What's Luke doing?"

Skylar shrugged. "Talking to the guys. They all reek of beer, though."

I laughed, nodding. "Yeah, they do." Then I looked up and noticed that Luke was walking in our direction. "He's coming over here."

Luke approached us, and then sat in front of us. "Hey — Makayla!"

I frowned, opening my eyes as wide as I possibly could. "What?"

He pursed his lips together, letting out an angry sigh. "I'm about to take you home."

"No," I laughed. "I'm having fun."

He shook his head. "No, you're going home. Besides, it's almost eleven at night. You better hope Mom's asleep, because she'll kill you if she finds out."

"What?" Skylar questioned, clueless. "What's going on?"

"She's high," Luke grumbled. "Come on, get up."

Luke pulled me up from the ground against my will, and in attempt to avoid causing a scene, I let him. I didn't even get a chance to tell the boys goodbye before he drove me home.

---

I know I've been updating a lot recently. I just found my love for this story again, and I just can't stop writing. I hope it doesn't bother you guys.

Stay gold.