she's alright {benny rodriguez}

~6~

It was the day after your birthday, and Benny's mom had invited you over for dinner that night, as your mom had said. Your mom had offered to bring a cake. Which meant you had to bake it all day, and miss playing some baseball.

You were mixing the batter when there was a knock at the door. You ran over and opened it, seeing Benny waiting.

"Hey Benny! I can't come right now because my mom wants me to bake a cake for tonight. I'll be over when it's in the oven, alright?"

"Oh, yeah! Yeah, that's fine. Well, see you soon I guess," he waves and runs down the driveway.

You head back to the cake, greasing the pans and putting the batter in.

The oven took a bit to warm up, so you waited and read your favorite book at the moment, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Once the oven beeped, you put in the cake and set the timer for an hour before running out of the house with your glove in hand. You arrive at the sandlot completely out of breath, and the boys all tell you where to go.

After playing for about 40 minutes, you tell them that you have to go do something. They all frown, and you explain that your mom made you bake a cake. They laugh and wave you off.

You run home and get there right as the alarm goes off, and you rush to take it out.

You had to let it cool, so you sat down for about ten minutes and read your book.

+++++

You were ready to ice the cake, and so you got to it.

After about thirty minutes of perfecting it, you stepped back and admired your masterpiece. There was icing and cake crumbs everywhere, but that could be cleaned up later, after you had your shower.

But before the shower, you ran back to the sandlot and got back into the game. The boys stared at you as you entered the field.

"What's that on your face?" Squints asks. You touch your face and find dried frosting on your cheek.

"Heh, that would be icing. Is it anywhere else?"

"Uh, definitely," Benny walked up and put his hand on your shoulder. "But we can fix that later, let's play ball!"

+++++

You had taken your shower and gotten ready to go to the Rodriguez house for dinner.

You got ready in some clean jeans and a nice shirt, letting your natural hair down, with your PF Flyers to top if off.

"Y/N, honey? You ready?" Your mom calls.

"Yeah! I'll be right down." You grab your jacket and run down the hall to the front door. "I'm here, want me to carry the cake?"

"Sure. Here you go," she hands it to you, and you head out the door and down the street.

Your dad knocked on the door since you and your mom had full hands, and Benny was the one to open it. "Hey, guys! Here, Y/N. I'll take that for ya," he offers, and takes the cake out of your hands. He looks at you for a split second longer before shaking his head and walking inside. Your mom gives you a sly smile and you make a face at her.

"Hello!" Mrs. Rodriguez calls, and her husband comes in soon after. While the adults visited and got dinner ready, Benny led you up to his room.

"Woah, there's so many baseball things in here, Benny," you marvel at the collection he had, especially the baseball cards.

He sits on his bed and responds, "yeah, I love it. Well, how was baking the cake? It looked amazing, by the way."

"Thanks, Ben. Well, as you could see, I made quite the mess. I hope it tastes okay," you laugh and lay back on his bed, tossing a baseball.

"I bet it will," Benny mumbled, and he silently watched you throw the ball. He couldn't help but think of how good you looked right now... But he couldn't think that. You two were best friends, after all.

Your parents called you down to dinner, and you and Benny stood up. "Race ya," you smirk and sprint out the door and down the hall. He took off after you, but you managed to beat him by a hair.

"Ha! I beat Benny Rodriguez- that's amazing!" you cheer, and he pokes your side.

"Not by much, I'll race ya tomorrow and we'll see who's faster, huh?"

"Nah, it'll be me. Don't worry, I'll go easy." You smirk at him and he rolls his eyes. You wash your hands and sit down in between Benny and your dad.

They ask the blessing, and everyone digs in, dishing up piles of food.

"Thanks for inviting us over, Mrs. Rodriguez," you say before eating your first bite of food.

"Of course, dear! And, happy birthday! How was it yesterday?"

"It was really good!"

"How does it feel to be 14?" Benny elbows your side and you shrug.

You take a sip of your water. "Ah, I don't feel one bit different."

Your parents pulled you into every conversation they had, so you and Benny didn't get to talk much. When you were distracted with Mr. Rodriguez's question, you almost didn't see Benny take a chip off your plate.

"Benny! Give it back!" you you say after you answered his dad.

"Too late," he smirked, and popped it in his mouth. "Oh wait, did you want that? Here, take it!" he starts spitting it out.

"Aw, Benjamin! Disgusting! You keep it in your face. I don't want it anymore," you wave him off and he laughs.

"Whoops."

The adults just watched you two with smiles on their faces.

+++++

It was time to go, but you protested that you were in the middle of a card game with Benny.

He placed down the last card with his hands in the air, and yelled "I win!"

"Ugh, you cheated!" you cross your arms and frown at him

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

Your dad butted in and told you it was really time to go.

"Alright, fine. Well, I'll let you clean it up Benny. Have fun living with the fact you cheated."

"Oh my... I did not cheat." He rubs his face in annoyance at the show you were putting on.

"You keep telling yourself that, mister."

The adults dragged you two to the front door, and you decided to give in a bit to Benny.

"Bye, Ben. I'll see you tomorrow?" you give him a hug, and he hugs you back.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow. Oh, and we're still on for that race?" He pulls away and smirks at you.

"Totally. You're on." You give him a high five and head out the front door, back to your house.

{feb. 10, 2021}