Homerun to the Heart // Benny Rodriguez

chapter two

The next morning came too quickly, the night before Kendra hadn't slept a wink. Thoughts of Benny raced through her mind. The brunette thought about the offer Benny had given her the day before. She could play baseball.

Smiling, she removed herself from the bed getting ready to play baseball, properly. After pulling on her red baseball tee and jean shorts, Kendra threw her long hair up into a ponytail. Pulling the end of her ponytail through her hat she grabbed her bat and reached for her glove.

Her hand patted the wooden surface of the dresser but her glove wasn't there. Destroying her room looking for the missing glove, Kendra began to panic. Holding back the tears that started to for in her eyes was hard. Her father had given her that glove for her 12 birthday.

Slumming in defeat, she solemnly walked down the staircase, out the door, plopping down on her steps. Her head drooped down as she kicked the dust beneath her Vans.

"Missing something?" A voice called from across the street. Kendra looked up to see Benny holding her precious glove. A smile grew on her face as her feet carried her across the street leading her to the glove.

Finally making it across the street she thankfully took the glove from Benny, all the fear disappearing from her face.

"Thank you." She whispered still admiring her glove. That glove didn't really mean much when it was first given to her, but without it Kendra felt a part of her missing.

"That glove means a lot doesn't it?" Benny asked breaking the silence that had fallen between them. Kendra nodded, slipping the glove into the back of her shorts. She finally looked up at Benny, but cowered back down at his height. "Well are you coming to play?" He asked breaking the silence once more. The brunette nodded rocking back and forth on her toes like the day before her and Benny spoke.

Benny swung his arm forward leading the way towards the diamond. Kendra's long hair blew in the actually cool wind, sending chills up her arms. Pulling down the sleeves on her shirt as far as they could go down, she resulted wrapping her arms around her torso.

Taking notice, Benny wrapped his light jacket on her back giving her warmth. Silently thanking him Kendra continued walking.

The closer they neared towards the diamond, the wind died down. Slipping off the jacket, the brunette handed the boy back his jacket.

Unlatching the gate, Benny waiting for Kendra to walk through first.

"Yo Benny, your late." A small kid with glasses squinted looking directly at the girl. "And you brought a girl?"

"Why'd you bring a girl?"

"Why is there a girl here?"

"Benny why'd you bring her?"

We're all the questions throwing at Benny, overwhelming Kendra. Taking deep breaths in and out she slowly calmed herself.

"Her name is Kendra, she's here to play." Benny announced, making all the boys snicker.

"You know girls can't play baseball, you said yourself Benny." The same boy with glasses told Benny looking at the girl looking down at her feet. Kendra's thoughts blocked out the noise of the boys. Did Benny really say girls can't play?

"Does she speak?" A boy from the back snorted.

"Leave her alone. Just let her play." Benny demanded. A few of the boys raised their hands in defeat.

"That's Hamilton Porter but we call him Ham, Scotty Smalls, or just Smalls, there's squints, DeNunez, Yeah-Yeah, Tommy and Timmy, Bertram." Benny explained to Kendra pointing out each boy.

"Thompson your up at bat." DeNunez snickered. Benny tossed her a bat, she set up her stance fixing her feet. A ball raced past Kendra as it hit Hams glove.

"Maybe you should swing the bat." Ham joked. She weakly smiled, focusing back on the ball. Another ball flew past her, yet did she not once move her bat. It's like she was frozen all the boys watching her made her feel uncomfortable. She never liked a lot of people looking at her, it gave her stress.

Laughter erupted from the field at the buys laughed at her mess up. Benny pulled her off the the side as the boys laughed.

"I'm sorry, I can't do this." She spoke quietly dropping the wooden bat beside her. Rough hands were placed on her shoulders forcing her to look up.

"Don't listen to them. Okay you can do this." Benny comforted. Nodding slightly, Kendra picked up the bat and walked back to the batters box, or at least what would be that batters box. The lines are too faded to see what's really the box.

Taking a deep breath, Kendra didn't focus on the the boys but the words Benny had told her, You can do this.

The ball came flying towards the bat, taking a step a loud crunch was heard throughout the field as the ball went flying. She dropped the bat racing towards first base. Safely reaching first she ran towards second then third, she was almost home until Benny had the ball. Attempting to run towards home, Benny three the ball to Ham, making her stop and turn back to third.

She was in a pickle, smirking to herself she faked going to third making Ham throw the ball. While in the air she turned racing home. Successfully sliding in home, ignoring the cuts that stung her thigh. She did It, she proved the boys wrong. She felt herself be lifted from the group into a pair of arms, which she soon recognized we're Benny's.

Spinning her in a circle he cheered.