Monday, July 20, 2015

A week had passed since the day I hit Phillips, and to my surprise, we hadn't any problems. We assumed his coach called the police after he saw what happened, but no cops ever showed up.

Benny and I sat at a table for two, eating ice cream. I got a hot fudge sundae and he got cookie dough ice cream. I looked up at him, slowly pushing a spoonful of ice cream into my mouth.

Benny brought his spoon to his mouth, then looked up, his eyes meeting mine. My lips curled into a smile as I looked back down at my bowl of ice cream.

"What?" he questioned.

I looked back up at him with a tiny smile. "Huh?"

He smiled lightly. "Why do you keep looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"

I shook my head, looking down as I scooped up another spoonful of ice cream. "There's nothing on your face."

"Then why do I keep catching you staring at me with that look on your face?"

"What look?" I asked before eating the ice cream on my spoon, and I looked up at him.

The smile on his face never disappeared. "You know, you have that little smile or smirk . . . whatever it is."

I giggled, shaking my head at him. "I just can't believe you're mine."

Benny's smile widened slightly and he dropped his spoon into his ice cream before standing up, leaning over the table and giving me a kiss. When he sat back down, his smile returned.

"That's the only thing I can think of anymore," he responded to my previous words. "All those others guys are really missing out."

I chuckled. "They don't matter anymore. I used to love making my exes jealous, but now I don't really care what they think. All I care about is being happy with you."

Before Benny could reply, a man stepped to the side of our table, standing to my left. We looked up at him, waiting for him to say something.

"You guys are the kids from a week ago," he said, pointing at us.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied, not recognizing his face.

He pointed at me, his attention set on me now. "You're the one who punched one of my players, Jordan."

I immediately came to the realization that he was Phillips' baseball coach. I continued to stare at him, and though my stomach dropped, I kept a hard look on my face.

"He brought it on himself," I returned.

The man nodded. "I understand how Jordan can be sometimes. That's why I didn't call the law. I'm not here to say something bad." He glanced back and forth between Benny and me, then said to the both of us, "I couldn't help but notice how fast you two ran. That was quite impressive."

Benny looked at me, chuckling. "They don't call me The Jet for nothing."

The man looked over at Benny. "I know you. It's Benjamin Rodriguez, right?"

Benny nodded, his smile subsiding. "Yes, sir, that's me."

"I remember you. You have a reputation for having a strong passion for baseball. Correct?"

"Yes, sir."

The man extended his hand to Benny, and after they shook hands, he said, "My name is John." He then moved to me and we shook hands. "And what's your name, miss?"

"Makayla," I answered.

John turned to face Benny again and said, "You ever thought about playing on a real team?"

"I have before, but I'd much rather play with my friends and Makayla," Benny answered. "That's why I'm not."

John glanced at me. "You play baseball too?" I nodded in response and he raised his eyebrows. "Wow. I've never really heard of that before."

"She's really good," Benny said to John. "She may be a girl, but she might be almost as good as me." He sent me a wink and I chuckled, shaking my head.

"Well, you should think about trying out for the team," John said to Benny, ignoring what he said about me. "I'd say next summer, but my boys are slacking a bit lately and we could really use a player like you on the team."

Benny shook his head. "Thanks, but I'll have to pass."

"Why?"

"Like I said, I'd much rather play with Makayla and my friends," he answered. "Plus, Phillips and I don't get along well. I don't think it'd be a good idea to put us around each other."

"Well, at least think about it then," John responded, pulling a white rectangular card out of his pocket. He handed it to Benny, who hesitantly took it. "If you have any questions, give me a call. It's not too late to become part of the team. Let me know if you change your mind."

"Um, okay," Benny muttered, stuffing the card into his pocket. I could tell he felt uncomfortable.

"All right, I have to get going," John said. "But it was nice meeting you kids. Bye."

"Bye," Benny and I returned in unison.

John walked away and I looked at Benny with a confused look on my face.

"That was weird," Benny murmured, picking up his spoon.

I nodded in agreement. "I was so sure he was about to yell at me or something. But he couldn't take a hint or the truth."

Benny laughed, nodding. "Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Oh, well. I'm not taking the offer anyway. You'd have to kill me before I'd join a team with Phillips ever again."

"I don't blame you," I said, stuffing a spoonful of ice cream into my mouth. "I wouldn't do it either, and if I did, I'd probably end up hitting him in the face with a bat."

Benny chuckled. "Speaking of hitting him . . . let me see your knuckles."

I playfully rolled my eyes. "Oh my Lord." I held out my left hand to him, because I hit him with that hand. Because I was right-handed and I couldn't hit as hard with my left hand, the damage I caused really surprised me.

After I hit him, my knuckles were bruised and a bit bloody. Most of the blood was probably Phillips' though. It was about time someone put him in his place and showed him that he didn't rule the world or anything in it for that matter.

"Looks a lot better," Benny announced, letting go of my hand so I could place it in my lap. "I can't believe you managed to hit him so hard with your left hand, though."

I chuckled. "Neither can I. But I blacked out, so I guess when your adrenaline is pumping, you can do a lot of things you normally can't."

"That's true," he responded, nodding in agreement. "What about your other hand? How's it doing?"

"Just scarred now, but it's healed completely," I answered. He signalled for me to let him see and I held out my right hand to him. He studied it as I asked, "Why are you so worried about it?"

Benny looked up at me with a bored face. "Really? You're my girlfriend, I'm supposed to care."

I laughed loudly. "Oh, I see what you did there. You remembered when I said you had to at least act like you cared. You don't have to act about that kind of stuff, Benny, it isn't that important."

"No, that's not why," he replied, narrowing his eyes at me. "I never have to act like I care because I really do. And I've always cared about that, even before we were together. I care about how you feel. I don't want you to be in pain or anything."

A small smile formed on my lips. "This is one of the reasons I can't believe you're mine."

Benny smiled. "Why, because I care about you?"

"Because you care to that extent," I corrected him. "I'm sure the other guys cared about me, but not about the little things too, like my knuckles."

Benny and I chuckled and he replied, "Well, I guess I'm better than them."

I laughed. "You are. But . . . speaking of guys . . . how's everyone doing? You know, the sandlot boys."

Benny's smile disappeared. "They're fine. It's not the same at the sandlot without you."

"How do they feel?" I asked. "And be honest. I can handle it, I promise."

He sighed, looking down at his bowl of ice cream. "Well, they don't talk much about you anymore. Not to me, at least, but that's probably because they know we're still together. But I can tell they feel awkward about not having you to play with them anymore. They're just being stubborn, you know? Some of the guys straight up told me they missed you, but some others are quiet on the subject. They feel betrayed. But they cheered you on when they found out you punched Phillips."

I nodded, pursing my lips. "I wish they'd just see things from my point of view. I feel bad for hanging out with Phillips, but it wasn't to spite any of the boys, and it's not like I actually liked him or wanted to be around him."

"I wish I would've realized that when I first found out," Benny responded. "But I'm sure they realize that now. Maybe they're just afraid to face you after what they said and walking away like they did."

"Could you talk to them or something?" I asked. "And actually try to get them to listen unlike last time? I miss them and the sandlot so much."

Benny nodded, glancing up at me when I looked at him, our eyes meeting. "Anything for you, princess."

---

After mine and Benny's early ice cream date, he went to the sandlot. Because I couldn't exactly do the same, I hadn't anything to do all day, so I just spent most of my free time watching movies and maybe crying a little. I watched Titanic, Dirty Dancing and Stand By Me, and even though Dirty Dancing wasn't sad, I still cried over Patrick Swayze. I was currently  nearing the end of Ghost, which also starred Patrick Swayze, so I knew I'd definitely end up crying for the millionth time that day. I couldn't help it.

The movie continued, and though I'd seen it about a million times, considering I grew up watching old movies, I still found myself growing nervous.

At the end of the movie, when Patrick's character was talking to his girlfriend as a ghost, tears fell down my cheeks. I may have been tough, but I was a sensitive person when it came to my idols who had died or really sad movies. I guess I'm just weird. And the fact that I'm a bit of a hopeless romantic doesn't help anything.

The end credits started rolling and I turned off my TV with my remote, tears still rolling down my cheeks. I hated crying, so I had no idea why I watched those movies, because I knew that it would always result in the same thing. With a deep sigh, I stood up and stretched. The sky was beginning to darken, so I knew Luke would be home soon.

Since all I wore was a black T-shirt and underwear, I slipped on a pair of red Under Armour running shorts. With that, I exited my room and made my way downstairs. Considering I hadn't eaten anything but ice cream that day, I walked into the kitchen.

As I searched for something to eat, I heard the front door open and close. I knew it was Luke, so I didn't bother to look back at him.

"Welcome home, ugly!" I greeted him playfully.

Luke laughed. "Feels really nice to be able to come home to such a loving sister."

"Oh, yeah, I know all about that," I replied, a smirk finding its way onto my face. "You're a great sister, I'm lucky to have you."

Luke laughed loudly. "That's really nice. Really touches my heart. You think you're slick, huh?"

"I am slick and you know it."

All of a sudden, I felt a pair of arms snake around my waist and I jumped in surprise. When I heard Benny's light laugh, I loosened up. He rested his chin on my shoulder and, with a giggle, I said, "You scared the crap out of me."

"Sorry, babe," he responded with a chuckle. He pecked my cheek and let go of me.

Instead of turning around, I continued to search through the cabinet in front of me for food. I didn't even feel hungry, but I knew I needed to eat. I was insecure about my weight, and when it was much more severe, I unintentionally starved myself. I just lost my appetite, and because I never got hungry, I kind of forgot to eat. I ended up losing more than twenty pounds. I still got like that a lot, but I forced myself to eat anyway.

"What are you looking for?" Benny asked, making his way beside me so he could rest his elbows on the counter.

"Food," I answered, glancing at him with a small smile. "Really, what else would I be looking for in a cabinet full of food?"

Benny chuckled, but when his eyes landed on mine, he immediately frowned. "Have you been crying?"

I laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I spent my day watching movies that make me cry."

His frown faded, replaced with a tiny smile. He shook his head, looking down at the ground. "I was about to get scared. I haven't seen you cry very much."

"Yeah, I hate crying," I responded, chuckling and returning to my search for food. After a few more moments, I gave up and closed the cabinet. "Screw it. There's nothing good."

"Mom's making pasta tonight!" Luke exclaimed as he started upstairs. "She'll be home in a few minutes!"

I looked at Benny, a smile growing on my face. "Hey, did you stop by your house before coming here?"

"Yeah, I had to drop my stuff off and change," he answered. "Why?"

"Has your mom started cooking yet?" I asked, knowing the answer was probably a yes. It was already getting dark.

"Uh, yeah."

I nodded. "All right. You should see if your family can come have dinner with us one day."

Benny smiled. "I'll talk to my mom about it when I go home."

I sent him another smile, and he wrapped his arms loosely around my waist and pulled my body closer to his. Then he kissed my lips lightly.

"You know Elizabeth actually came to the sandlot today?"

I chuckled, throwing my arms around his neck. "Really? Of course, when she finally decides to come, I'm basically banned from there."

"I think you should just come and see what happens," he murmured. "I talked to them about you today. They wouldn't really listen, but they don't seem mad anymore."

I shrugged, my smile disappearing. "I don't want to show up if they still don't want to see my face. I'll wait until they decide to get over everything, and forgive me. Until then, I refuse to step foot on that sandlot."

Benny sighed, shaking his head. "You love baseball, don't you?"

"Yeah. You know I do."

"Then it shouldn't matter what they think of you," he replied. "Do you remember when we first met? All of the guys thought you were no good because you were a girl, and even though they said a bunch of rude things, you didn't care. You just wanted to play baseball, so despite what they thought or said, you were set on proving them wrong so you could play too. Why is it different now?"

I removed my arms from his neck and he let go of my waist. I jumped up onto the counter, sitting so that I was facing him and he stood between my legs, waiting for an answer.

"I guess it's because I actually know them now," I responded, staring down at my legs. "Now their opinions actually mean something to me, you know?"

"Yeah, but what I'm saying is . . . they were negative towards you, but you changed their minds. You made them like you. You can do that again. Instead of waiting for them to just change their mind, you should go confront them and make it happen like you did before. Most of them aren't even mad anymore. DeNunez talked to me about you a lot today. He talked about how much he wishes you'd come back and how the boys who are holding a grudge need to get over themselves."

A giggle escaped my lips and I looked up so my eyes connected with Benny's. "Man, I miss him. It feels like it's been forever since I saw them."

"Then come with me tomorrow," he responded, grabbing both of my hands. "Seriously, it'll be okay."

I sighed deeply and, after a few moments, I muttered, "Okay."

A big smile grew on Benny's face and he leaned forward to kiss my cheek. "Thank you."

Instead of replying, I simply looped my arms around his neck, pulling his head to my chest. He let go of my hands and his arms snaked around my waist. For a while, we remained in the same position.

I love him. I do.

---

Luke, Skylar, my parents and I sat around the table, eating our food.

"I was wondering if Benny's family could have dinner with us one night," I piped up, because I hadn't been speaking too much.

"Sure," my mom answered. "Terry, what do you think?"

Terry looked at me and replied, "Sure, but you and Benny can't be kissing or anything."

A couple days previously, I finally told him about mine and Benny's relationship. Like a normal father, he wasn't fond of me having a boyfriend, but he never had been. The bright side was that Benny was with me while I told him, so he earned more respect from my dad. Also, he already liked Benny, so it didn't bother him as much as it normally would.

I chuckled, nodding. "Trust me, that wouldn't happen. When should we do it, though?"

Mom shrugged. "We're off Friday, so we could start the meal earlier. That'd be a good day for it."

I nodded. "Okay, I'll talk to them about it."

Skylar looked down at the table for a moment before looking over at Luke. "Oh, so I probably couldn't come that night, could I?"

"I'm sure we could fit you in," Luke replied. "Right, Mom?"

Mom looked up from her plate and replied, "I mean, I'll have to find some extra chairs anyway, so I guess I could find four instead of three."

"Great," Skylar chirped. "I can't wait. But if it's a problem, that's okay, I can stay home. I was just talking to Luke about having dinner with you all again on Friday."

I looked over at Luke to see that a tiny confused frown formed on his face, and I could tell she had been lying. But he went along with it. "Oh, yeah. I was going to ask you about it later."

"Oh, honey, you know you're always welcome," Mom said to Skylar, sending her a smile.

"Thank you, Jamie." Skylar returned the smile.

Luke looked over at me with a confused expression on his face. I cast him a tiny frown, shaking my head with a tiny shrug as if to ask a question. It was hard to explain, but with silent gestures and facial expressions, Luke and I could communicate easily.

Luke shrugged, raising his eyebrows. That was his way of saying he didn't know why she lied. After that, we returned our focus to the food.

I wondered if Skylar was insecure about Elizabeth because she was the same age as them, and she and Luke hung out sometimes.

---

I sense some drama in the future between Skylar & Elizabeth. (;

I'm working on a Chris Chambers fan fiction, but I probably won't post it for a short while. I still have to make a cover for it. But it'll be based in the 60s, & I'm excited about it. Would anyone read it?

Votes & comments motivate me to write more... *cough* hint *cough* hint. 😂

Stay gold.