North || Benny Rodriguez (Book 1)

7

Naomi's P.O.V.

June 6, 1962

My days consists of playing baseball during the day and getting my house chores during the night, meaning I haven't been getting much sleep. I was a little rusty on my game so all I wanted to do was play baseball in order to crush Phillips and them geeks.

It was finally Saturday, so our game was today, but since I haven't been getting sleep, I over slept. But lucky enough I was awaken by none other than, the sandlot gang themselves.

"Naomi! Wake up!" I heard one yell. I felt Lucy sat up causing me to open my eyes to see what the hell was going on.

I look to see all 10 of them in my room surrounding my bed. Benny was on my side of the bed, and the rest followed around it.

"Damn Ni, you look like hell." Yeah-Yeah stated.

I rolled my eyes, "I haven't been sleeping the last week so of course I'm going to be looking like this." 

"Well, please tell me you can play today at least." Squints asked leaning against my bed post.

"Yeah, I can play." I said sitting up, "Maybe a little bit of privacy?"

Everyone else walked out and Benny stayed behind, sitting next to Lucy on the bed. 

I get up walking over to my dressed, I pulled out jeans, a white t-shit, a random flannel to put over it, and new socks. I walked over to the bathroom. I got a quick glance throw the mirror seeing Benny look at Lucy's fake camera as she goes through all the photos that she took.

I smiled down to myself and walked into the bathroom, shouting and locking the door behind me.

—

We all make our way to the sandlot, slowly getting ready. Lucy walked next to me, but instead of holding my wrist, she was holding Benny's.

The thought of that just makes me so happy. I've never felt like this before, but damn with Benny, he's a different kind of guy. He's one to come over to your house at 2 in the morning because he wants to hang out and talk to you all night.

But I don't like him.

Lucy ran over to the dugout as we all started getting things ready. I have two water bottles, one for me and Lucy also when she ran away, she was holding our bottles.

I put on my glove and started to throw a ball with Benny, when I heard the little shits rolling in on their bikes.

I turned around to see them, but turned right back around to Benny. I have him a look and he nodded. I walked over to the dugout and sat down next to Lucy.

"Looks like they ain't letting a girl play with them are they?" Phillips asked resting his arm on the overhead on the dugout.

I didn't say anything, just crossed my arms and looked out on the field.

"Ain't got much to say to me like you did when we first met, weird how that works ain't it?" He smirked.

"If you don't leave me the hell alone then it's going to be weird how a bat can be shoved up your ass, ain't it?" I asked standing quick to my feet.

The boys walked over to us getting on different sides.

"Heads we bat first, tails you bat first." DeNunez said showing his quarter.

They nodded along and he flipped it up in the air catching it and putting it on his wrist. He slowly lift up his hand to show that it was heads.

We all walked in our different ways to get the different things we needed. Benny set up a line up, and he put me last. I didn't really care, if I wasn't so tired I would be arguing with him.

I sat down in the bench next to Lucy and watched the game. I twisted my cap slowly as I started sweating just sitting here.

Benny was up to bat with the bases full, and watched the ball coming towards him. I heard the sound of the ball hitting the wooden bat and the sound of their feet running. Benny just made a homer.

We were in the first inning, and already it was 6-0 us. It was squints and then me, so help me god, get out of whatever the hell I'm in and wake me up.

"Ni, you're on deck." I heard Bertram say to me, but I was too out of it to even look up from the ground.

"Ni." He repeated.

"Benny man, something is wrong with Naomi." I couldn't lift my head, I was so tired.

"What's wrong with her?" He asked walking over to me with Bertram next to him.

"Yeah yeah, what's wrong with her?" I heard Yeah-Yeah. That's when all I could hear was a ringing sound.

My eyes slowly started to close, and all I started to hear was my heartbeat, and then I felt the sweat pouring down from my head. My hands were so wet. Gosh I was so gross.

I couldn't do anything. My hearing was shot, and my legs were so lose it was becoming weird.

Someone put their hand in my shoulder trying to wake me or something, but I couldn't open my eyes. Then I felt another hand lift up my head.

The ringing started to stop, and I opened my eyes.

"Ni, are you okay?" Benny asked who was crouched down in front of me.

I nodded, "Yeah, sorry, it was just me moving a little to fast." I paused seeing everyone taking a break, "Am I up?" I pointed to the game.

"I think you should stay out on this one, and just leave it to us." Benny said looking at me.

"I ain't staying out in this game, I've been working for this and I want to beat the living shit out of Phillips. I am going to play." I spat standing up, and grabbing my bat, walking over to home plate.

I was starting to get dizzy, but I couldn't care, all I wanted was to show that a girl can play, and hope that I hit that ball right to Phillips who happen to be in the outfield.

I got into my stance and beat my knees a little. Getting ready to swing, right when that ball got to me, I swing as hard as I could hearing that ball going outside of that fence. I dropped the bat running towards first and turning to go towards second, but right as I was about to get on the base, my legs kinda gave out. I fell down in one motion, and boom lights out.

—