Curveball: A Sandlot Fan-Fiction☆

13☆Ham Date

☆Author's Note:
Dear reader,
We sincerely apologize for the extensive delay since the last chapter. School started and there's a lot going on at the moment. But, we hope you enjoy this chapter, the story is wrapping up!
<3, Z

     Y/n stood in the bathroom, leaning over the counter to look closer in the mirror, a make-up brush in hand. She carefully concentrated on what she was doing, not hearing when someone knocked on the door. Her father reluctantly hauled himself to his feet off the couch, where he'd been glued to the news. He shuffled, in his slippers, to the door and opened it. To his great shock, stood a boy, around the age of his very own daughter. "Oh? Hello there uh... young man? Can I help you?"
     The boy seemed suddenly embarrassed but he managed to stammer, "Hello, Mr. Y/n's dad. I'm here to pick up Y/n." Y/n's dad was rather surprised and not sure what to do, so he called for his wife, "Hey, Y/m/n? Can you c'mere for a second?" He paused for a second, glancing at Ham, "There's a uh- rather... nice young fella who says he's here for Y/n?"
     Y/n, from the upstairs bathroom, was filled with horror, "Shit." She dropped what she was doing, and taking a final glance in the mirror, she stumbled down the stairs to where both of her parents stood by the open door. She looked to Ham who was  bearing a small bouquet of obviously garden-plucked flowers, which he held out to her, the baggy sleeve of his oversized tuxedo covering his hand. She also noticed that the pant legs hung down over his shoes which also appeared slightly too large. Y/n nearly giggled at the bizarre sight but she managed to stifle it.
     "Hey, Y/n you look pretty. These flowers are for you, by the way." Y/n smiled and approached him, taking the flowers, "Thanks, you look... dapper." He blushed, "Thank you. Are-Are you ready to go?"
     "I'm just gonna put the flowers on the counter, is that okay?" Ham just smiled and nodded as Y/n flitted away. As soon as she was out of sight, her dad began grilling Ham, "So what's your name, son? Did you steal that suit? Do you partake in any suspicious activities? What are your intentions with my daughter? You ever been to the slammer? Are you-" Y/n's mom gave him a harsh stare and he shut his mouth as Y/n returned.
     "Okay, I'm ready!" Once she noticed the look on Ham's face she too gave her dad a harsh stare, identical to her mothers. He put his hands up in defense, "Alright then, have fun." Y/n smiled at her parents, then gave them a little wave goodbye as she stepped out the door to where Ham was standing.
     "Sorry about my dad. He can be a little... overbearing, sometimes," she commented, attempting to ease an obviously stunned and embarrassed Ham. He shrugged, "It's alright, I get it; my dad's like that with my sisters." The two laughed and conversed as they leisurely walked side by side to the diner for dinner.

     "How many in your party?" The hostess asked, with a bright smile on her face. Ham glanced smirkingly at Y/n, "Well, we need a place for me, and a place for my lady." Y/n blushed while the hostess raised an eyebrow at Ham.
     "So... two?"
     "...Yes." The hostess rolled her eyes halfheartedly then pointed to a booth on the other side of the diner, beside a large window. "Next!" She called out once the pair had started towards the table. They slid into the booth across from each other and began reading their menus quietly. After a short while of this and waiting for the waiter, the quiet was majorly awkward. So, to break the silence, Y/n joked, "So... I feel a bit- underdressed..." She gestured to her humble blouse and regular jeans.
     "I think you look beautiful," Ham responded. "You always do."
     "Aw, thanks Ham," She tittered, and Ham smiled in assurance. "Do you know what you're gonna order?" Y/n asked, resting her chin on her hand. 
     "My usual," he replied confidently. "And a milkshake." She gazed at him questioningly, "...Great. I'll just get Y/f/f(your favorite food)."
     The waitress finally came over and took their orders, leaving Ham and Y/n with nothing to talk about again. Y/n uncomfortably picked at her nails and Ham scratched a crack on the table. Ham eventually said, "So, you and Smalls have been friends for a while, huh?"
     Y/n shrugged, "Yeah?" Ham opened his mouth, as if to continue until he was cut off.
     "Here's your milkshake, kiddo! The rest will be ready in a few minutes," their waitress pleasantly informed them. Y/n smiled at her, then eyed the milkshake eagerly. Ham seemed to notice this and asked the waitress, "May I have another straw, please?" Their server happily granted his request, placing a second straw onto the table, and hurried away. Ham removed the paper wrapping from each of the straws and stuck them into the milkshake, then pushed the glass towards Y/n, "Want some?" Y/n, for a moment, looked reluctantly at the drink, but eventually caved in and took a big sip. Ham then leaned in and took a big sip from the glass.

* * *

     As the two were taking in the aromas of their meals, the diner's bell rang happily, surely not preparing anyone for who was entering. Y/n had just barely taken a bite of the french fries that came with her meal when she realized who had entered the building. "Shit," she quietly muttered, watching Phillips and the squad approach. Ham turned in the direction that Y/n was looking and his face and neck deeply reddened. He turned back around and glared down at his french fries, probably hoping Phillips and goons would just walk by. That was, in fact, not what happened.
     Phillips stood at the end of the table, smiling menacingly at the couple. "Wow, isn't this sweet? The fat kid finally scored a date!" He turned to his goons, "Why do the losers always get the pretty ones?"
     His stereotypically villainous henchman laughed cruelly at this. Ham opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water, about to make a retort over and over. However, he kept glancing at his date, unsure if he should make an equally vile comeback with her sitting just across from him. Phillips seemed to notice this and said sneeringly, "Cat got your tongue, Porter?"
     "Wh-what do you want, Phillips?" Ham cried. Phillips evilly laughed, "What I want? What I want is for Y/n to go on a date with me." Ham was left totally speechless and Y/n scoffed, "In your dreams, douchebag!" 
     Phillips scoffed, "Aw, shucks, you're makin' me blush! Really, don't be such a doll, I've been called better things than that!"
     "Just get out of here, Phillips! Screw you!" With that, in one fluid motion, Y/n picked up her glass of water and tossed the freezing cold contents of it at Phillips. He stood frozen in shock, mouth wide open looking at himself, soaking wet, and then back up at Y/n who looked almost as shocked as he did. He shook himself off and glared at Y/n.
      "Wow. I thought you could see that you're better than these losers, more worthy of someone like me. But, I guess I was wrong," Phillips scoffed and gestured to his squad and they all stormed away, Phillips shooting a final fleeting glance at Y/n. When the group was mostly out of earshot, Y/n looked back at Ham who was beaming ear to ear.                                
     "That was really cool!" he exclaimed excitedly. Y/n laughed, "Whatever, that asshole had it coming." Ham turned to the tabletop jukebox on his left and went through the songs quickly. He searched his pockets for change, then placed a dime into the slot and punched in the numbers for his song. A few moments later, "Love Me Do" by The Beatles started playing and Ham smiled proudly and silently mouthed the words, swaying back and forth while Y/n giggled at the obscenity of the sight for the second time today. Y/n attempted to stop her incessant giggling by taking a small sip of the milkshake. However, this turned out to be a bad idea because as she was drinking, Ham jumped up and started dancing and the milkshake sprayed from her nose painfully. Ham burst into laughter and hurriedly handed Y/n a stash of napkins.
     "Are you okay, Y/n?" Ham asked through a fit of giggles. She wiped off her face frantically, "Ye-yeah."
     After that fiasco, they paid and exited the building. They slowly made their way back to Y/n's house and instead of mostly awkward silence, they talked and laughed about the previous events.
     When they finally got to Y/n's house, Ham walked her to the door and she found herself surprisingly sad, wishing their time together had lasted longer. She turned to him. They looked into each other's eyes, tension electrifying the air. Ham then slowly leaned closer to Y/n. Her heart thundered and at the last minute, she moved slightly and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for dinner, see you later, Hamilton."
     With that, she slipped into her home and shut the door quickly, but not harshly. She leaned back against the door, face burning, heart still pounding. And to her own surprise, she smiled to herself.