It All Started with Baseball

Chapter 8: Pool Honeys

"I'm sweating like a pig," Ham panted.

"Let's go! Come on!" Benny shouted as we ran up to the other group who went to the Sandlot.

"Where you guys been? We've been waiting here forever already."

"Aw, Squints was pervin' a dish," Kenny said, bluntly.

"Shut up. I wasn't," Squints said defensively.

"Yeah, yeah, you were," Yeah-Yeah nodded. "Your tongue was hangin' out of your head, and you was swoonin'. Oh, Wendy Peffercorn, my darling lover girl."

The boys chuckled as Yeah-Yeah teased Squints.

"I said shut up!" Squint shouted. "I've got a lot of things on my mind."

"This pop isn't working, Benny," Ham complained. "I'm baking like a toasted cheeser! It's so hot here! It's a hundred degrees out here. We can't play baseball. You have to call it for the day."

"You gotta listen to him, Benny."

"Vote then," Benny said, sounding annoyed. "Anybody who wants to be...a 'can't hack it' panty waist...who wears their mama's bra, raise your hand."

I smiled and shook my head at Benny's insult to the boys.

"Yeah, I can handle that," Ham said, raising his hand.

All the boys raised their hands up in the air.

Benny looked over at me as if waiting for my answer.

"They're right, Benny," I said, raising my hand. "It's too hot out here to play ball. At this rate the boys will get heat stroke."

"Fine, fine, fine!" Benny groaned. "Be like that. So what are we gonna do?"

I thought for a minute while the boys laughed. I looked over at them.

"Scam pool honeys!"

I rolled my eyes as the boys cheered.

Benny would've played ball all day, all night, rain, shine, tidal wave, whatever.

Baseball was the only thing he cared about.

But of all the things we ever did besides baseball, going to the pool was what he tolerated best.

Even though none of the boys had ever seen a Playboy magazine, which they constantly lied about.

They all figured going to the pool was the next best thing to being there.

I carried a giant bag in my arms that carried towels and sunscreen for both Scotty and me on my arm.

I even had my swimsuit in the bag that I refused to put on before going to the pool based on the boys' reactions to hot girls being at the pool.

I suddenly felt insecure as we walked into the pool gate.

"Hi," The boys waved at the girls with their legs dipped in the pool.

"I remember you. Oh, sexy," Ham said, pointing and waving at a few girls that lay on pool chairs.

I suddenly felt very embarrassed. My cheeks started to burn and not from the sun as I placed both of my hands on the sides of my face, trying to avoid people's stares.

"Hey, girls," Ham said, placing his towel on a chair.

He jumped into the pool yelling "cannonball," making girls scream and run away from the big splash.

I placed my bag on the chair and sat down, staring at the boys in the pool. Everyone was in the pool except for Benny who sat beside me.

"Aren't you going to get in?" Benny asked me.