1. | PUMPED UP KIDS [THE SANDLOT]

10

CHAPTER TEN

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Luna rubbed her eyes as she woke up. She felt two strong arms around her waist. She turned around slowly so Benny doesn't wake up. But when she fully turned around, his eyes were wide open and his mouth was turned into a huge grin.

"Damn it." Luna groaned. "You always wake up before me. Why?"

Benny shrugged. "I don't know. It just happens."

"Well, I have to go back home and change so I'll see you later." Luna said, getting up.

"What, no kiss?" Benny asked, throwing his hands up.

"Not until I brush my teeth." She said before climbing out of the window and into her room. She quickly got dressed in some comfortable clothes to play baseball.

She walked outside of her house and Benny was there sitting with his bat and glove.

"Come on, Benny boo, we need to the Sandlot." Luna nudged his arm, walking past him. He smiled, coming up behind her and twirling her around. Luna giggled as his hands touched her side. Perks of being ticklish.

"Stop, it tickles." Luna giggled pushing him away.

"I know." Benny smirked before running away.

Luna groaned before yelling. "Could you not?! I have short legs meaning I take five steps while you take one!"

She sighed in annoyance knowing that he didn't hear was she said. She decided not to run after him. She walks to the Sandlot at her own pace. She walked into the Sandlot and saw the boys sitting on the benches rather than playing.

"Why aren't you guys playing?" Luna asked as she walked up to them.

"We were waiting for you." Squints said.

"Yeah, yeah, what took you so long?" Yeah-Yeah asked.

"I did it to annoy you guys." Luna smirked. "If someone didn't leave me, I would've gotten here faster."

Benny grinned sheepishly as the boys laughed.

"That's your fault for having short legs." Ham joked.

"Shut up! I'm as tall as you, Ham!" Luna argued.

"Alright, enough." Benny butted in. "We've wasted enough time as it is. Let's not waste anymore."

Benny walked up to home base and position himself to get ready and by the baseball. DeNunez pitched that and Benny hit it. But an odd, but amazing, happened. The guts of the ball landed in Smalls' glove but the skin of the baseball landed next to DeNunez.

It was an omen.

They ran up and huddle over it.

"Bitchin'." Bertram said.

Benny shook his head, "Nah, it ain't."

"Come on, Benny boo. Maybe two or three guys in history ever busted the guts out of a ball. Must be an Omen." Luna said.

"All it means is that we can't play no more. Its only twelve o' clock and I just ruined the whole day for us." Benny groaned.

"No, you didn't. That's the most amazing thing I ever saw." DeNunez said in awe.

"Anybody got any money?" Benny asked, everyone shook their heads. "Then it ain't okay, cause now we can't play no more."

"Yeah, we can." Smalls said.

"What? You got 98 extra cents lying around, Smalls?" Benny asked in annoyance.

"No, but I got a ball." Smalls said and all the boys pushed him yelling, "Go, get it!"

"Idiot," Luna muttered, rolling her eyes.

—

"I got it, guys! I got it! I got the ball, guys!" Smalls yelled as he ran on the field.

"Bitchin'. You ball, so your up." Benny handed Smalls the bat and he ran out the left center and Smalls walked up to home base.

Luna pitched the ball and Smalls missed it, the ball landing in Ham's mitt. But on the second pitch he whacked it over into The Beast's back yard. Smalls was happy and ran but stopped at second base once he realized why had happened.

All the boys and Luna cheered for him but stopped once they notice him walk up to the gate instead of turning and hitting third base.

"It's out of here! Who's got big bat now, guys?" Benny cheered and the boys stated chanting his name. Smalls ignored them and walked further towards the gate. They all looked at each the in confusion.

"You forgot to turn. You go to third base!" Ham said to Smalls but he still ignored. "What the hell is he doing?" Ham asked.

"Maybe the shock of his first homer was just too much for this." Bertram stated.

"Smalls?" Benny called out, he turned around.

"We got to get that ball back." Smalls said.

"Oh, yeah right." Ham said.

"You're very funny, Smalls." Luna laughed.

"Hey, forget about it, man. Let's get another ball tomorrow." Benny said.

"No, you don't understand!" Smalls yelled.

"Sure, we do. You feel bad because you belted a homer. Now we can't play no more." Benny replied.

"No, you don't understand! That's wasn't my ball!" Smalls yelled. Everyone looked at each other in confusion.

"What do you mean, that wasn't your ball." Squints asked.

"It was my stepdad's. I stole it from his trophy room. It was a present or something. Somebody gave it to him. We gotta get it back he's gonna kill me!" Smalls exclaimed.

"Listen to me, Smalls. It's a matter of life and death. Where did your old man get that ball?" Squints asked.

"What? I don't know? Some lady gave it to him." Smalls said.

"What? Some lady?" Luna asked.

"Yeah. She even signed her name on it. Some lady named... Ruth. Baby Ruth." Smalls said.

"WHAT?!" Luna screeched.

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