she's alright {benny rodriguez}

~10~

You put your last bag into the car and ushered in D/N, before glancing around. The pink house a door down had a FOR SALE sign in the front yard, and you wondered if it would have new owners by the time you came back. You shrug and clamber into the backseat.

+++++

You had left your house a little under an hour ago, and you were already bored out of your mind. You had been tossing and looking at your signed ball from the boys, but Y/D/N had tried to chew on it, so you decided to put it away.

Another hour went by, and trying to take a nap hadn't worked. The next stop on your way was another 30 minutes away, too.

"Mama, how long until we get there?" you groan.

"Just be patient, Y/N. We'll get there soon."

"Yeah, okay. Soon."

+++++

You arrived at your home for the next few months after what felt like an eternity, and you all greeted your grandma and settled in.

Your best friends had come over too, and you all had a teary reunion. They helped you get settled in and prepare yourself for helping your grandma with the funeral, too. Everything back home reminded you of things you missed, and it made you a little homesick. But you were happy to be back, even if just for a short time.

"Hey, Y/N, can we show you what's happened since you left? Oh, also we have some things to catch you up on. Did you know that..." they dragged you towards the town and showed you all the changes that had happened in a few months.

"Did you meet any new people in California?" F/1 asked.

"Did you replace us?" F/2 joked, and you shook your head with a smile.

"Okay, so I did meet some people. But I think about you guys all the time, so don't worry about me forgetting about you. As for the guys I met, they live in my neighborhood and we play baseball together. It's really fun, and I've actually gotten-"

"Boys!" they exclaimed.

"Yeah, they're all younger than me. Except for one, but we're just friends. Anyways-"

"No, no. We need the details. And you've been playing baseball? That's amazing! Maybe you could teach us sometime."

"Oooh! That would be fun. Remind me to do that. Okay, so there's Kenny, Yeah-Yeah, Timmy and Tommy, Ham, Bertram, Squints, Ham, and Benny. And they're all really good."

So you catch up with your best friends fro, Y/H/T and re-familiarize yourself with the city.

+++++

The day of the funeral came three months later, and you were not excited. You didn't want to cry in front of all the people invited, and didn't want to see all the people cry. But you had to go, since you had to speak.

You dressed in a black dress (which was definitely not your first choice), some black flats, and a black jacket.

As you stood with your friends and family at the funeral, you tried not to cry. You really did miss your grandpa... You kept expecting him to pop up beside you and laugh that it was all a joke, maybe give you some hard candies to make up for it. He would always laugh and tell funny stories, and now you knew that your visits back home would not be the same.

After the funeral ended, you all headed to your grandma's house. You went to your temporary room and looked through photo albums with your grandpa, especially the ones of you together. It brought back so many memories that it overwhelmed you. Your mom came in and looked at pictures with you, the both of you laughing at old memories of your grandpa. It felt good to tell those stories, too. Like some weight had fallen off your shoulders.

+++++

You had been writing letters to the sandlot boys (telling them not to write back because you didn't know when you were leaving), and told them everything that was happening in Y/H/T.

Hey guys! It's Y/N. We just had the funeral today... it was really hard to be at. Plus, I had to talk. Anyways, I think all we have to do is help grandma go through her things- maybe another month? And then I'll come home! I really do miss you guys. I want to get back to playing baseball with you.
I'm trying to teach my friends here how to play baseball, and might I say it's not going too horribly. They are throwing and catching well, but I have yet to teach them how to bat. That's going to be a challenge in and of itself. 
Well, if I have any updates, I'll write again. But for now, that's all I got. See you guys soon! Love you all

Sincerely, Y/N

+++++

~Benny's POV~

School was about to get out, and Y/N still hadn't come back yet. She was sending letters every week or so, updating me and the guys. I checked the mailbox again on my way home from school today and, finally, there was a letter from her. I wanted to open it right now, but the guys wouldn't be very happy. So I waited.

They all came over, as usual, to see if there were any updates, and I showed them the letter.

"Benny man, she's gotta be coming home soon, right? Did she forget about us?" Ham pouted, and I waved the letter.

"Guys, look. We've got mail." I opened the flap and pulled out the paper, reading it to all the eager guys.

Dear sandlot boys- I'm coming home in a week! We're all done cleaning and helping my grandma, which really helped her, I think. But when you get this, I might be on my way home soon! I'll let you guys know when I'm home, so we can all meet up and hang out. I really miss you guys- but I'll see you soon!

Sincerely, Y/N

"Woohoo!" Everyone cheered, and we laughed.

"Yeah yeah, Y/N's finally coming back!" Yeah-Yeah smiled, and we all celebrated. I was so excited, I missed her so much.

"Well, what're we waiting for? Let's give her a proper welcome home party!" I yell, and everyone follows me to prepare for her to come home.

{feb. 25, 2021}