2nd Base|| The Sandlot

four

Day after day, we'd meet at the lot, play for hours, then go home. It was an exhausting and at some points, a  boring schedule but today was different. Today, Benny and I were climbing up he hill to watch the sunset. It sounds so cheesy and cliche I know but we're just friends! Strictly friends, right?

We were all bummed out, summer went by faster than last year's and school is starting in three short weeks. Benny and I will be attending our sophomore year and everyone else is going to be freshman. Except Smalls, he's going into 7th grade.

"Pitch it already, Kenny!" Timmy yelled.

"Alright! Alright!" Kenny yelled, throwing his pitch to Benny.

I sighed from the outfield, ready for the sun to start heading down so we can all leave.

"Guys, I gotta get home from dinner!" Ham yelled, punching his glove as Benny hit first base.

Everyone agreed, stuffing their gloves into their back pockets. I turned my hat backwards, sliding the glove off my hand as everyone made their way to the exit.

"Ready to go?" Benny smiled, adjusting the sleeves on his flannel.

I nodded, the hill was opposite of the exit, so we had to go out another way.

"Where you two headed? Gonna go make out behind some bushes?!" Ham yelled from the exit. Squints an Yeah-Yeah both snickered behind him.

I rolled my eyes, "in your dreams, Ham!"

Benny stifled a laugh and nudged me with his shoulder.

"God, this is absolute Hell!" I cried, trudging up the steep hill.

"You're such a dork," Benny laughed from in front of me.

We made it to the top, I flopped down on the grass and let out a groan. Benny laid next to me, looking out at the setting sun.

"I can't believe summer is almost over," I said, taking off my hat.

"It's crazy. Sucks we can't play ball no more. I mean, not as much."

"Mmhhm, at least this year we'll have everyone else there. Except Smalls."

"Yeah," Benny blew a bubble with his gum.

I let out a laugh, thinking back to when Smalls played the Babe Ruth ball last summer.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Just when Smalls hit his step dad's ball over Hercules's fence last Sumner."

"Oh, yeah. Last summer was awesome. Like when Squints kissed Wendy Peffercorn"

I laughed again, thinking back on the memory, "oh man. I miss that."

Benny furrowed his dark eyebrows and turned his head to face me, "miss what?"

I shrugged, picking at a blade of grass, "when everything was easy. Before we had any real life problems to worry about."

"What real life problems do you have now?" Benny asked sitting up.

I did the same, pulling my hat back on, "you and me problems."

Benny signed, blowing the seeds of a dandelion. "I think it'd be easier once school starts."

"Hope so," I mumbled.

We sat in silence for the next few minutes, doing what we came here for in the first place, to watch the sunset.

                             -
"Mom no," I whined, pushing away the bright green shirt she held in front of my face.

With school coming up in the next two weeks, my mom and I were out clothing shopping. Which was my least favorite type of shopping.

My mom violently slammed the shirt back onto the rack, mumbling a few choice words under her breath as she snaked through the other hideous shirts on the rack.

I rolled my eyes at her back, turning myself to look through the shirts.

"Found one," I grinned, holding up a faded red baseball T-shirt.

She rolled her eyes, grabbing the shirt from my hand to examine it. "Blair you have tons of these, put it back."

I sighed, hanging the shirt back up and sat on the ground. Completely given up on all hope to find clothes.

My mom didn't look at me twice before hissing, "Blair! Get up now!"

She is always so worried about stranger's opinions. Does she really think someone will see me sitting on the floor and think, "that mother has no control over that child. What a wild one, sitting on the floor. Disgusting." No! Nobody will ever think that!

"Blairanna, if you do not and/or cannot find something we are leaving," she scolded.

Mom isn't usually this wound-up, but with school starting and Chris going back to university again, you could say she's slightly stressed.

"Awesome, let's go," I narrowed my eyes, representing my resentment of being here.

She rolled her eyes, "fine, but now you won't have any new clothing for your tenth grade year."

I shrugged, I had plenty of t-shirts and jeans to wear when school starts.

                                ---
"There she is!" Squints yelled, raising his glove over his eyes to shield the sun.

I was very resistant to go shopping in the morning. I knew it would take forever even though I wouldn't be purchasing anything. It caused me to miss more than half of the game.

"Blair, can you grab 3rd base?" Benny asked from left center.

I nodded, grabbing the glove out of my pocket. Hercules was lying underneath the overhang with his metal bowl filled with water sitting next to him.

It was hot, hotter than usual. It being August you'd think it'd cool down a little. Despite the heat, the last two weeks of summer were upon us and we were trying to make the most out of games. We woke up earlier and stayed out later. With school taking up six hours of our day and an additional one-two ours of homework, we have little time to play on a daily.

Tommy hit the ball, with ease I held up my glove and closing my hand. "You're out Tommy!"

Tommy groaned and took Bertram's place on second base.

I wish we were never banned from the pool. As much as I hate swimming I liked going and sitting in the shade. I've gone back once since the "Wendy incident" and was thrown out. My brother was not happy about that.

a/n: HOLY COW 1ST BASE HIT 2.34K VIEWS OHBMRLWKSIFJR. THANKYOUTHANKYOUYHANKYOU TO EVERYONE THAT HAS READ IT IM SCREAMING. and sorry about the shit chapter I'm excited for five because that's the first day of school !