she's alright {benny rodriguez}

~23~

You were sleeping peacefully, relishing in the last few minutes of sleep you had when there was a knock at your door. You groan and roll over, mumbling 'five more minutes.'

The knock came again, but it sounded weird. You say, "come in." But nobody comes in. You look at the window to see where the sun was, but see Benny standing at your window. That's where the knock was coming from. You look at Benny for a few seconds before you get up to open your window.

"What's up, Ben? Why are you here so early?" you yawn and rub your eyes. He watches as you grab your blanket and wrap it around your shoulders.

"I had a dream last night. It's really important. Hurry and get dressed, I'll tell you on the way to the sandlot." He says urgently, and goes to wait on your porch.

You quickly grab some jeans and a white tank top, and put a button down baseball jersey over it. You brush your teeth and put on your shoes before grabbing a granola bar and meeting Benny on the porch.

"So, what's so important?" You ask as you start down the street.

"Y/N, I had a dream about Babe Ruth."

"So?"

"Here, I'll tell you after we wake up Smalls." He runs up to Smalls' room and knocks on the  window, holding a shoebox.

"I had a dream. Get dressed, we're going to the sandlot. C'mon," he says urgently, and Smalls frowns.

"Okay, uh, wait! I'll get my stuff." He closes the window and you and Benny head to the sandlot.

"Okay... So you had a dream about Babe Ruth. So what?"

"Y/N, he told me something. He said something like 'heroes get remembered, but legends never die'... He said I should pickle the Beast."

You stop mid-step and widen your eyes. "You're kidding."

"No, I'm not. I gotta do this. It's my chance!"

"Stop. This has gotta be a joke, Benny. You're gonna get hurt!"

"I know, and that's a risk I'm willing to take. C'mon, let's keep going," he grabs your hand and pulls you along.

Once you got to the sandlot, the other boys were waiting with bated breath, knowing something was up. They followed you and him to the fence, where Benny set down the shoe box and pulled out the shoes. Brand new PF Flyers. He put them on and stood up.

"Benny are you sure?" you ask one last time, knowing if you couldn't change his mind now, there's no going back.

"Yes. I have to try. For Smalls, for the team, for you. I'll be careful, promise." He gives you a hug and kisses your cheek before walking to the old car by the fence. You just walk back to the other boys and watch.

"Benny, wait," Smalls says. "It's okay, it was my fault. You don't have to do this."

"Yeah, c'mon Benny man! You don't have to do this, forget about it. It's like committing suicide, Benny. Don't do it," Squints protests, along with everyone else.

"Yeah I do, Smalls. I have to do this." He walks to the car, climbs up, and looks back at you.

You give him a sad smile, and he gives you a thumbs up. You do the same, and hope it all goes well. He jumps over the fence and lands with a thud on the other side.

You wait, and listen for what was happening. There were a few barks and growls, and then there was the sound of running and sliding. Then, a chain breaking.

After a few seconds, Benny came vaulting over the fence and landed on his back. You all helped him up and watched the fence. Everyone cheers for him, and he lets out a breath, but the victory was short-lasted.

"Aw, shit!" he yells, and you watch in horror as the dog jumps over the fence. Benny turns and starts running, the Beast chasing after him. You just stand there, waiting, until someone breaks you out of your trance.

"C'mon, what're we waiting for! Let's get him!" You lead the other boys down the street and watch as Benny runs into a biker, over an old lady's car, and into an alley. You come to a stop at the entrance, but start running again, jumping over trash cans and boxes.

You watch as the come out the other end of the movie theater, and you follow Benny and the Beast to the Founder's Day Celebration. Your parents and you would be there later to celebrate, but you don't know if there even will be a celebration.

Benny jumps over the cake, the Beast goes under, and you and the boys go around.

Benny runs to the pool, and you wonder how he wasn't tired yet. You guys stop at the entrance and Benny runs by yelling, "Sandlot! Sandlot!"

Squints yells about a shortcut, and you follow him down another sidewalk. You make your way to the sandlot, and slow down as soon as you got there. You bend over and catch your breath.

Benny was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is he, does anyone see him?" Ham asks, until Smalls yells, "there he is!"

You whip your head around and see Benny come running in from behind the dugout. The Beast gets closer and tears off a piece of his shirt, and you wince. Benny vaults back over the fence and the Beast follows suit, breaking through the panels of the fence. Not again.

However, the fence had become unstable and fell over, into Mr. Mertle's backyard. Once the dust cleared, you saw Benny leaning against the Beast's lean-to. The Beast was nowhere to be seen; except for under the fence. You and Smalls look at each other, them rush to help the whining dog, while Benny mumbles, "oh man." Smalls takes the right side and you take the left, heaving upwards in an attempt to release the dog.

"C'mon, guys. Help us. Please!" Smalls says, but the boys stay still.

"Benny, help us. Please, he's hurt," you beg. He debates for a moment, and sighs before walking over. He stands beside you and you give him a thankful smile while he throws the slobbery ball to Ham. He bends over and with the three of you, the fence went up easily. The Beast stands up and walks out, and you all drop the heavy wood.

You stand up and nod to Benny, who immediately gives you a hug. When you pulled away, you saw the Beast standing right behind Smalls.

a/n- 7k. i'm speechless. 1k reads in two days??
-j
{apr. 28, 2021}