Back to Square One - Benny Rodriguez - Book 2

I Thought You Would

I'm at bat the next day and holding an impressive amount of focus while Ham is "insulting" me.

Thought I told the kid to work on that. Oh, well.

I give Kenny the 'do it' look and he gets into his own position before pitching the ball in my direction.

I hit the ball with no struggle and send it to Tommy in center field, running off towards Timmy at first base soon after.

I make contact with the first 3 bases but am stopped before I can make forth so I'm stuck at third until the next batter hits the ball with the person I wish I didn't have to stand next to while they all figure out who's batting next.

"I can't do it, I'm pitching!"

"Well I'm a baseman so I can't leave!"

"We could just have someone else from the outfield come in!"

"Or one of them could bat!"

I do my best to focus on their conversation and not the one I'll bet Benny's gonna try and bring up.

"Hey." I hear him greet me.

I don't react out of my own stubbornness. 

The situation's bad enough without us actually having to interact.

"Oh, I'll do it!" Squints groans. "Somebody has to take my position though!"

"I got it!" Smalls responds, jogging towards fourth.

Squints walks up to the home plate and picks up the bat I discarded not 10 minutes ago.

"I jus-"

Benny's cut off by Squints hitting the ball and I take off running as soon as I notice it.

I make it to home base with ease and do the slide-stand-up just because I haven't done it since I got back.

"Nice..." Ham drags out.

I knew he all of people would get a kick out of that.

Squints did get caught in a pickle between first base and second but made it home with little difficultly after that.

Everyone goes over to the dugout to get all their stuff before they leave and I'm about to do the same when some grabs my arm gently.

"Can we talk right quick?" I hear Benny ask without me turning around.

Without looking at him, I walk towards the other side of the field and out of earshot of everyone else.

"You better make it quick. I don't think your girlfriend will take this lightly." I say when we stop walking.

"She can suck it up." he replies, sounding slightly annoyed at the mention of her. "Anyway... I just wanted to know what that whole thing was about yesterday."

"What do you mean?" I ask, looking at him with no particular expression.

"It's just- you know... you went threw the whole thing of racing her and didn't end up kissing me." he explains his curiosity.

"If I didn't know what you were talking about, I'd say you were a bit self involved."

"No, I just-"

"But, I do know so you're safe." I cut him off, directing my gaze to the ground before looking back up at him. "You make it sound like you wanted me to. Doesn't exactly display your boyfriend material but I'm not too surprised at this point."

I know it's a bit risky taking a subtle dig at him like that but he deserves it so I don't feel all that bad.

"What?" he asks, missing the offended tone I expected him to have.