S A M

"Sam, wait up!" The boys chorused, rapid footsteps followed behind Sam. She kept walking faster and faster, picking up speed until she was running.

"Come on, Sam!" Ham yelled.

Sam ignored him and kept running down the empty street. She turned left and into a big, green, empty, field. All of a sudden, a body collided with hers, knocking her down. She was laying on the ground with her eyes closed tightly as she felt heavy breaths fan her face. She didn't open her eyes immediately but when she did, she was met with familiar hazel green eyes. Her breath hitched in her throat and her heartbeat quickened.

"Benny?" She squeaked.

"C-Can you um, you know..." She trailed off. Sam felt awkward in the position they were in since they just met and they weren't together. She kind of liked it since she liked him.

"Right." Benny stood up, and offered his hand. Sam grabbed it, and Benny helped her to her feet then she dusted herself off as the boys ran in. Wow, Sam thought: Benny out ran them.

"Now, what do ya' want?" Sam snapped, tying the flannel around her waist as they all stood in front of her.

"Sam! What happened?" Tommy said.

"What happened?" Timmy repeated.

"Yeah, is there something wrong?" Squints asked.

"Please, like if you don't know Squints." Sam placed her hands on her hips.

"Is it about Squints kissing Wendy Peffercorn?" Bertram questioned.

"What do ya' think?" Sam scoffed. "That was dirty, evil, rotten, and low. That was my sister!"

"Well I didn't—"

"Okay ya' didn't know, but still! How old are you? Like twelve? She's seventeen. What you did means you don't respect women! What you did also showed that women are like toys, and that's offensive!" Sam explained with her eyes narrowed.

"I didn't realize that, I'm sorry!" Squints pleaded.

"Sorry doesn't work!"

"Sam, I don't want to be rude or anything, but why do you care? Aside from that Wendy's your sister." Benny asked, he was very worried.

"Because—ugh. It's complicated, I'm sorry. I guess I can forgive you Squints." Sam sighed. What she explained to Squints was true but that wasn't the big reason why. When Squints was 'unconscious' and Wendy was giving him mouth-to-mouth, Benny was just staring at the scene like if he was wishing he was Squints. Also when Sam was up at the lifeguard's seat, he kept staring at Wendy like how dogs stare at a piece of meat; tongues out with drool and everything.

Sam should've known that he didn't like her. Based on the looks almost all the guys where giving Wendy, everyone wanted a piece of her, or least get mouth-to-mouth from her.

June 19, 1962 - 9:30 A.M.

"Hi Mrs. Phillips." Sam greeted as she stepped in the yellow house. She was doing her daily routine, passing by the family that always welcomed her.

"Hello dear, how are you?" Mrs. Phillips asked, wiping her hands on the green apron she was wearing. Mrs. Phillips was a mid thirties lady with brown hair and matching eyes.

"Good, how are you?"

"I'm feeling grand. Breakfast's in the kitchen and the shower and laundry room is free if you need it."

"Okay, thanks!" Sam walked into the kitchen, and found Luke sitting at the kitchen table, munching on a pancake.

"Hey babe!" He greeted when he saw her walk in.

"Hey Luke." Sam went over to him and hugged him before kissing him cheek. They weren't dating, he just calls her babe and she's used to it. Luke is like a brother to her.

"So, what have ya' been doing lately?" Luke asked. Sam took a seat across from him while he offered her some of his pancakes, scrambled eggs, and pieces of fried bacon.

Sam shook her head before responding. "Ya' know, blinking, breathing, living. But aside from that, I have been spending most of my time at the sandlot."

Luke faced flushed a light shade of red as he started coughing, choking on the piece of bacon he just ate. "The sandlot?" He managed to ask.

"Yeah...why?"

"Why do ya' do that?!"

"Because I want to? It's not like I play, I just watch the boys play."

"Why can't ya' watch me and my boys play?"

"'Cause I see you everyday Luke."

"Do you know the boys?" To Sam, he was asking an awful lot of questions.

"Of course! They're like my best friends, I've known them for some time know."

"You can't be friends with them anymore." Luke stood up from his seat before placing his almost empty plate next to the sink.

Sam's eyes widened.

"What? What do you mean I can't be friends with them?" She shot up from the seat.

Luke turned to her. "They're a bunch of rejects, sissies."

"Don't talk about them like that!" Sam's nose started to flare. Every time her nose flared, everyone knew right away that she was mad. Sam didn't know who she got it from, but she wanted to break the habit. Luke was noticing.

"Sam, we both know that my team is better than them."

"They can beat your team anytime, 'Phillips'." Sam spat, mocking how his friends called him. "And why can't I be friend with them, apart from the fact that they are 'rejects' and 'sissies'."

Sam used her fingers to quote what Luke called the boys. She was getting really annoyed at him; The Sandlot boys were her friends and they were not what Luke said they were.

"As your brother, I'm supposed to protect you."

"Who said you were my brother? Yeah, I've said that you were like a brother to me, but ya' weren't supposed to take it seriously! Yeah, you're older than me by a year but still!" Sam started pacing around the room, looking at her feet. She couldn't even look at him.

Sam glanced at him briefly."Look, I'm going to shower and then I'm outta here. I hope that I won't see you again." She then walked out of the kitchen and ran up the stairs before going into the house's laundry room.

Sam wrapped herself in a towel after taking off her clothes and throwing them into the washing machine. She then reminded herself that she needed to find new clothes since they kept shrinking in dryer. Since she had the same clothes since she was ten, they were tight.

Yes, her almost four year-old clothes still fit her since one: she had no idea where to get new clothes and two: she didn't get the proper nutrition so she didn't grow a lot. Sure she went to Luke's house to eat but that was only for breakfast; she had to find other food for lunch and dinner in giant trash cans behind restaurants. It was gross but Sam usually found small pieces of good, clean food and that kept her alive.

June 20, 1962 - 10:30

Sam sighed happily as she stepped into The Sandlot. Her anger faded as she started to walk towards the boys who were huddled on the base where one by one they all bat. Sam crept up behind them and placed her hands on Benny's sides before peeking her head out from behind him.

"Hi!" Sam greeted. Now she could forget all about Luke.

Benny quickly turned to her and sighed out in relief. "Where we ya' Sam? I was—I-I mean uh...w-we, were starting to get worried." Benny stuttered. Sam wondered why he was so nervous but she thought his stuttering was adorable.

"Sorry, I had to shower and wash my clothes." Sam answered, her lips curving into a slight smile.

"I thought you lived with Wendy?" Scott asked.

"I told Wendy that I would visit that day at the pool, but I didn't. It'll just be weird if I go now." Sam opened her mouth to say something else but she was interrupted by Squints.

"Oh no!" He groaned. They all turned around and Sam's eyes widened. Luke came riding in on his bike, his team following behind him, clad in their baseball uniforms.

The Sandlot boys threw their gloves on the ground and walked up to them when they stopped, holding up their bikes.

"It's easy when you play with a bunch of rejects and a fat kid, Rodriguez." Luke said as Sam walked up to them as well. Her eyes narrowed at him. His eyes landed on Sam and he winked, he did it just to annoy her.

"Shut your mouth, Phillips!" Benny commanded, wrapping an arm around Sam's waist. Her cheeks burned and she looked down, covering her mouth to hide the big smile growing on her face.

"What'd you say, crap face?" Ham snapped at the remark Luke said.

"I said you shouldn't even be allowed to touch a baseball. Except for Rodriguez, you're all an insult to the game." Luke responded.

"Come on! We'll take you on right here, right now!" Ham challenged.

A wave of confidence hit Sam and she looked up, smirking. "If you're up for it, but I'm pretty sure they're gonna beat the crap out of all of you."

"Keep your mouth shut, Sam!"

"Watch your mouth, Philips!" Benny's grip on Sam's waist, tightened. It was starting to hurt Sam a little but, she didn't care.

Luke shook his head, ignoring Benny. "We play on a real diamond Porter. You ain't good enough to lick the dirt off our cleats."

Sam rolled her eyes.

"Watch it, jerk." Ham responded.

"Shut up, idiot!" Luke fired. Then, it turned into an insult contest.

"Moron!"

"Scab eater!"

"Butt sniffer!"

"Pus licker!"

"Fart smeller!"

"You eat dog crap for breakfast, geek."

"You mix your Wheaties with your mama's toe jam!"

"You bob for apples in the toilet and you like it."

"You play ball like a girl!" Everything suddenly went silent. The boys snickered but Sam was very surprised at Ham and also, very impressed.

"What did you say?" Luke asked, after blinking a couple of times. He was just as shocked at Sam was.

"You heard me." Said Ham confidently.

"Tomorrow. Noon. At our field. Be there, buffalo-butt breath."

"Count on it, pee-drinking crap face!"

"Yeah!" They boys, even Sam, cheered. Sam then turned around, Benny letting her go, thinking Luke had already left. But Sam looked over her shoulder when Luke called after her. "Uh, Sam?" Sam raised her eyebrows. "You'll be back."

"I doubt it, snotty rich jerk!" Sam scoffed.

Luke rolled his eyes and turned around. "Let's go!" Him and him team rode off and after he finally left the Sandlot, the boys turned to Sam.

"You know Phillips?" Benny asked.

"Yup, I used to go to his house to shower, eat, and do laundry. He was part of the family that welcome me and was like a brother to me but now I hate him, after what he told me today."

"What'd he say?" Ham snapped, he was still mad.

"That I can't be friends with you guys anymore. But I didn't listen, and I'm not going to. Don't worry, ya' gonna win later, trust me."