The Girl That Made Baseball

8

The next day, everyone met at the sandlot at 8:00, and the day was on.

Ham was up up pitch, Benny being catcher, and Jess being short stop.

Ham pointed to the center field like the Babe did, and everyone laughed their butts off.

"Yes, I see it" Benny pounded his fist in his glove

Denunez pitched, Ham swung and missed, Benny catching it.

"You call that pitching?" Ham yelled

Everyone returned a laugh while Benny threw the ball back to Denunez

"This is baseball, not tennis, give me something to hit!" Ham said

"Someone give him a tennis racket!" Jess laughed

"Alright Ham, this is my heater, I dare you to hit it!" Denunez yelled

"You'll be sorry" Ham mumbled

Denunez pitched his heater, Ham hitting it all the way past the fence that seperated The Beasts yard and the sandlot.

Everyone started yelling and throwing their gloves at Ham.

"Damnit, Ham!" Jess yelled, throwing her glove at Ham

"Ham, you idiot, now we cant play no more!" Benny yelled, taking off his catcher mask and throwing it to the ground.

If Jess was being quite honest, Benny looked pretty cute with his hat backwards the way it was.

Ham ran all the way home, the team tailing him and hitting him.

"Wait a sec, I'll get it!" Smalls said, walking over to the fence

"NO!" Squints yelled

Everyone bust into a run and ran right over to Smalls, yelling in his direction, Benny running just in front of everyone.

Everyone pulled Smalls off the fence, yelling at him.

"I was trying to get the ball" Smalls yelled

"Holy crap, you coulda been killed!" Squint said

"Yeah-Yeah, truly, what are you doin?" Yeah-Yeah asked

"Well you guys were leavin so I just thought" Smalls started

"If you were thinkin you wouldn't a thought that" Squints said

"You can't go back there, Smalls" Benny said

"How do we get the ball back?" Smalls asked

"We don't" Jess said

"It's history" Timmy said

"It's history" Repeat said

"Kiss it goodbye" Timmy said

"Kiss it-"

"Shut up Tommy" Timmy said

"It's gone man, gone" Bertram said

"Games over man, just get another ball tomorrow" Jess said

"We'll never see it again" Benny shrugged

"Why not?" Smalls asked

"The Beast" Everyone said at the same time

"What is that?" Smalls asked

Jess walked over to the kid and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Smalls, listen to me. Go to that fence, real slow, and be quiet" Jess said

"But I-" Smalls started

"No, just go over there a peak through that hole" Jess persuaded

"But I saw something. Whats back there?" Smalls asked

"It's okay, just go" Jess walked back over to the group

Everyone persuaded Smalls as he slowly walked over to the fence. Then, a loud noise came from behind it, and Smalls ran far from the fence.

"Something go the ball!" Smalls said "What was that thing?" Smalls asked

"CAMPOUT" Everyone aid at the same time

********************************

That night, everyone met at the Timmons tree house. While Ham explained to Smalls what a s'more was, Jess and Benny both looked over their new bats.

"I like mine more" Benny laughed

"Mines more personal, because its from my parents" Jess laughed

"Technically, mine is, because your parents gave it to me" Benny laughed

"Okay, quiet you guys! Are you trying to wake it up?" Squints asked, getting everyone's attention

"What just went to bed?" Smalls asked

"SHH" Everyone hissed

"Oh, yeah!" Smalls said

"SHHHH!" Everyone hissed again

Squints over dramatically told the entire story.

"See man? Thats why you can't go over there. Nobody ever has, nobody ever will" Bertram said

"One kid did, but nobody ever seen him again" Ham said

"That ain't true" Denunez scrunched his nose

"Yeah it is" Ham said " He got eaten"

"Nuh uh, no. None of thats true. Your guys are just making this up to scare me" Smalls said

" Smalls, would I lie to you?" Jess asked

"Well... I-" Smalls started

"Stick your head out that window" Jess pointed to the window

Smalls did as he was told and threw himself back

"What ever goes over that fence, stays there" Ham said

"Alright, you guys, lets get some shut eye. Early game tomorrow" Jess said, snuggling inside her sleeping bag, holding her bat close to her body.