My Baseball Boy

Bright Ideas?

     I silently opened the door to Bill's trophy room, wincing as the door creaked open.  Scotty quickly followed me inside as he hurriedly brought the ball out.

     In awe, I gazed around the room as if it was heaven itself.  Bill never really allowed us in here, and he didn't like that I was a very competitive baseball player.  He liked traditions but he had to get used to the idea of me liking baseball.  That doesn't mean he'll let me in this room.

     Sweaty and looking dazed, Scott placed the ball where it belonged with the signature looking straight at us tauntingly.

     "Jaylynn? Scotty?" Mom's voice echoed from the hallway, making us spring away from all the trophies.  We shared a look that pretty much stated 'oh shit'.

    "In here, mom." I stated sweetly as she opened the door a bit wider. 

     She looked at us in confusion, "What are you guys doing in here?"

     "I-uh, we were just looking at Bill's- I mean dad's, baseball stuff." He mumbled.  I rolled my eyes as he stuttered with his words and resisted the urge to knock him over the head.

     I smiled sweetly at my mom as I jumped in, "I was explaining to Scotty about the history of baseball.  Cuz' ya know, nerdy little Scott doesn't know anything."

     She gave me a stern look making my smile disappear off my face.  "You know he doesn't like it when you touch his things."

     "Yeah, I know.  Sorry mom." He apologized quickly as he darted to the door.  Quickly wanting to exit I followed straight behind him.  Only for our mom to step in front of the door quickly.

     "Has he ever told you about that ball?" She nodded up to the Babe Ruth ball.  My eyes immediately looked at Benny's handwriting, and guilt swarmed inside of me as she gazed at it admirably.

     I shook my head, "Never."

    She sighed as she put a hand on top of our shoulders.  Scotty and I shared a look as she walked us closer to the ball.  "Babe Ruth signed that ball; he was the greatest baseball player who ever lived."

     "Uh- really?" Scott chuckled awkwardly, smiling like a maniac up at our mother.  Reaching behind our mom I hit him in the back making him stumble forward a bit.  I gave him a pointed look, with my blue eyes narrowed into slits, before looking back at mom.

     "His dad's father gave it to him, and someday he'll give it to the both of you." She said cheekily, giving us a smile that was painted with red lipstick.

     Scotty chuckled sheepishly as I shook my head.  Clasping my hands on his shoulders I said, "I think little Scotty should get the ball."  If that was a real Babe Ruth ball I'd be pushing Scott out of my way to get it, but since this was fake no way did I want it.

     As we walked out of the room awkwardly we rushed back to the sandlot to report back to the gang.  Before we left the house, I whispered to Scotty, "We're so dead."

     And we were dead meat.

     Mom knew who Babe Ruth was, Bill did, the gang did, I knew, and quite frankly the whole world did but Scotty.  That ball was worth my whole life times ten and now it's only with 98 cents.

     As we walked across the streets the sun heated up our skin.  Making this day possibly the second hottest day other than the pool day.  I shook my head at the memory of Squints and Wendy, a smile on my lips.

     We climbed up the ladder into the treehouse where everyone was sitting in.  I fanned myself with my hand as I sat lazily next to Benny through his arm around my shoulders tightly and held a baseball in the other hand.  Leaning into his embrace, I sighed at the heat.  Benny chuckled before dropping the bat and fanning me with a random magazine.  Smiling, I pecked his neck with a simple kiss before leaning my head on his shoulder.

     For once everyone was as silent as an empty stadium.  Nothing could be said, but our thoughts were running wild.

     "Hey! I got it!" Scotty blurted out making us look at him.  "Why don't we just go over and knock on the door, and ask Mr. Myrtle if we can-"

     Before he could even finish his sentence, everyone started disagreeing with him at different levels.  "Are you out of your mind?"

     "Are you serious?"

     "Keep it quiet, Smalls."

     "Mr. Myrtle is the meanest old man that ever lived.  He's the one that made the beast at that kid!" Squints squeaked, pushing up his glasses.  "It's not an option, Smalls.  Forget about it."

     "Alright, okay, sorry." Scotty apologized making me roll my eyes.

     Squints scoffed before saying, "Let's just look out the window."

     I jumped out of Benny's embrace to look out the window.  The last time I looked out of here was when I first heard the legend of the beast.  Only to see a huge dog, but I acted like it was a monster to just cuddle up with Benny.  I smiled goofily at the memory, for the fact that I acted like a girl and that I actually did cuddle with Benny.

     The junk is the first thing you'll see when you look back there.  Old trinkets and garbage were left behind, and some things really caught my eyes.  Too bad I couldn't go ask Mr. Myrtle for some things.

     A loud barking noise erupted from the quiet yard, a ball flying out of nowhere.  We all shuffled away from the window as I just glared down at the doghouse. 

     "We're on his territory now," Ham said quietly.  I looked at him with my blue eyes before looking down at Scotty.  Sweat was showing through his yellow-dress shirt, his blonde hair sticking out everywhere.  Defeat was evident in his eyes so I quickly jumped up.

      "Somebody has to have an idea, there's always something." I blurted, looking at all of them who looked down at eye contact.  I snorted, "Now you guys shut up."

     "C'mon guys, Baby Cakes is right." My heart fluttered at the nickname. "We gotta do something."

     "He only says that cause he gets to feel her boobs." Ham muttered, kicking his feet lazily.  Luckily no one heard him but me, so I hit him upside the head roughly.  "Dammit." He cursed, rubbing the back of his head.

      After that, no one said anything.  No bright ideas came to us with a snap of a finger or a blink of an eye.  So we had to start from junk.  Literally.