head over heels | benny rodriguez, the sandlot

| chapter forty six |

Though it took a bit of convincing, Benny eventually gave into my pressure and called off practice for the day, just so we could relax and prepare for tonight's little camping excursion.

The plan was to have everyone meet at the lot right before sundown with all of our shit, though of course, I had to show up a casual fifteen minutes late just as expected.

Stumbling onto the lot, my hair flapped in the wind along with every dusty step beneath my feet. I was wearing an oversized grey zip up, with a black tank top underneath, and a pair of fuzzy plaid pajama pants that matched Benny's blue pair he'd promised to wear. After all, couples do matchy-matchy stuff, right?

Any who, I lugged a tan backpack over my shoulder with all my belongings, along with my red tinted sleeping bag.

A few of the other goons agreed to bring the tents - I'd apparently figure out my tent mate later on I guess? 

"Hey team!" I announced, dropping my sleeping bag in the sand.

"There she is! You're the last to arrive," Benny murmured, giving me a subtle grin.

"When am I not?"

"Enough yapping guys! We really have to go, it's gonna get dark soon," Smalls spoke through his teeth, loud enough to make us shut up.

"Geez Smalls, whats got your panties in a twist?" Ham cackled.

The little boy covered his face but kept his composure, "I- It's nothing. Let's just get moving!"

-

It felt like an eternity of walking through the nearby woods, to the point where I thought my limbs were going to snap off, but we eventually found a beautiful camping ground where we settled.

The surroundings were absolutely beautiful, with the last glimpse of sun peeking through the pine trees. As the breeze steadied, it felt as if everything outside the woods had vanished.

"It really is gorgeous here, isn't it?"

"Ugh, whatever!" Several boys sneered at me as they all plopped their belongings onto the dirt beneath us.

"Okay y'all, how many tents we bring again?" 

In that moment, everyone hushed as we added up the numbers, "Four I think?" I mumbled.

"If there's ten of us... we can do three people in two of em, and two people in the rest? If I did the math right-"

"I CALL-"

Ham shoved one of the boys, "YOU STOP IT! I WANT"

"WAIT WAIT BUT I SHOULD BE IN DAT ONE!"

"NO IDIOT, YOU-"

Just like that, everyone broke out into one of the quickest, most aggressive and annoying fights I have ever seen. Not only was it vocal, but physical too, as kids began digging one another into the dirt. All over a fucking tent. God help me.

"ENOUGH!!!" I hollered so loud I broke the sound barrier, making all of the scuffed boys scurry to their feet, "I've got a good plan. Timmy, Tommy, and Bertram, y'all get one tent, Yeah Yeah, Squints and Ham, you troublemakers in another, and then..." I paused for a moment as I locked eyes with Benny.

Though I'm leaving this town in a couple weeks anyways, a secret's still a secret, and we both knew putting ourselves in the same tent just wasn't gonna slide.

His gaze softened and he nodded, as if he knew exactly what I was saying, so I continued, "DeNunez and Benny get a tent, then Smalls and I in the other. Cool?"