North || Benny Rodriguez (Book 1)

5

Naomi's P.O.V.

June 3, 1962

I grip my bat and do a few practice swings before chewing harder on the piece of gum in my mouth and stepped in the batter box. I got into my stance and watch as DeNunez starts up.

Bringing his left leg up, and throwing his right arm back, before throwing one of the fastest balls I could ever hit. Even better, as I watched it, it was a curveball.

I lift my left leg stepping into the ball and swinging at it.

Don't embarrass yourself, don't embarrass yourself.

I close my eyes for a split second to reopen them when I fell connect with the bat. I look out in front of me seeing the ball flying through the air and going into a tree house built at the edge of the park.

I smile to myself as I look at boys looking over at the fence.

"No one has been able to hit it in the treehouse before. That was the biggest record since whoever hit it in Mr. Mertles yard first." Another said just as shocked as I was.

"Okay, you're really good player, I'll admit that."

They all start walking over to home plate, where me and Benny were at. They all stood around in a huddle.

"Well guys, as you know, this is Naomi, Ni for short. Now, this is," Benny paused as they got into a line, "Timmy and Tommy Timmons,
Mike "Squints" Palledorous,
Alan McClellan, we call him Yeah-Yeah,
Bertram Grover Weeks,
Kenny DeNunez,
Hamilton Porter, we call him ham."

They all spit after their name was called which kinda grossed me out, but okay. I grinned crossing my arms looking at them.

"What position do you play?" Kenny asked.

"I'm a little of everything, I don't stay at one spot." I lied, knowing that he was pitched, he wasn't going to give up that position, so I thought I'd take the easy way and play left with Smalls.

"She's lying, she's pitcher." Cam spoke up for me.

"You can pitch?" Ham asked. I smiled a little bit as a response.

"Throw me what you got." He demanded walking over to home plate while everyone else got into their positions.

I looked at Cam, "Why did you say that? I'm going to embarrass myself, what if h-"

"You're the best pitcher I know, stop scaring yourself. Ya' know, after we left Indiana, you haven't been yourself. You never used to be like this." He said crossing his arms.

"You know all the shit that went down in Indiana, be happy that I'm even here Cameron." He nodded walking to the outfield.

I watched the ground as I made my way to the pitchers mound, then once I arrived, I looked at home plate seeing Benny crouched down.

I smirked a little bit moving the ball cap on my head. I breathed out, zoning out everything that was yelling random things that came to mind. I took a moment then brought up my left leg, once again throwing back my right and throwing "the ni".

I watched as the ball traveled to him, seeing him also eyeing the ball too. He went to step for it, and swing, just for the ball to reach Benny's glove.

Ham stood a little smaller after that, but didn't give up. Instead he yelled things at me to make him feel better about himself. Benny threw me the ball back, as Ham went off to yell, "Come on Naomi! Give me something to hit! This isn't tennis."

I heard Squints at shortstop yelling, "Give him a tennis racket, maybe he'll be able to hit it."

I chuckled a little to myself and then looked at Ham, "You sure you want to do this?"

He rolled his eyes getting into a stance, "You'll be sorry."

I wound up again, chucking that ball even faster than the last one, making him swing again, but that ball still reached Benny glove before.

"How are you doing that?" He called out to me.

Benny stood up throwing the ball, taking a break as me and Ham talked.

"What do ya mean? I'm just pitching the ball to you."

"No, I get that, I mean your curve, you almost as good as DeNunez." He remarked.

"I don't think I'm any better then DeNunez, he's the best pitcher I've met. You're just upset because you can't hit a girls pitch." I smirked, throwing my hand with the glove on it under my arm.

"Alright Naomi, we'll see about that."

I smirked and got into my stance, going softer then I did before, and throwing the ball, finally, once in a blue moon, he hit it into left field.

"That's how I like it, right where I wanted it."

He ran got to first before the ball was back into the field, making him stop. I walked down from the pitchers mound and let DeNunez start with his pitching again.

"Naomi, why don't you bat?" Benny called as I started walking to the dugout.

"How about you bat and me catcher?" I asked stopping and turning towards him.

He shook his head, "Get the damn bat and come over here."

I chuckled getting Cams bat, and walked over to where he was standing.

I looked up at DeNunez and got into my stance keeping my hand up so he wouldn't pitch, I gripped onto the bat and looked forward at him.

He smiled, throwing in a pitch. I smirked as I waited for it to travel to me, and right when I was about to hit it, trouble started.

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