North || Benny Rodriguez (Book 1)

8

Benny's P.O.V.

June 6, 1962

I watch from the dugout seeing Naomi trying to run. You could see how tired she was. She was extremely tired. All I wanted for her to do is sit in the dugout and calm down, or be home sleeping. But she's Naomi, and Ni never lets shit go. She was one to be brave and prove people wrong. That's one thing I adore about her, her bravery.

One night this week, I think it was Wednesday, I went over to her house in the middle of the night again, just to see how she was doing. That day at the sandlot she told me how all she wanted to do was baseball and never talk about things again. Which made me wonder why she was feeling that way.

So when I went over I talked to her the day that Phillips came, all she could talk about was that. She mainly talked her plan in order to get Phillips back for talking that stuff about her. She wanted to prove that she was the best baseball player that ever lived. That's what I love most about her, but don't get me wrong, there was a lot of things that I loved about her.

As I watched her run, it looked like her knee buckled below her which caused her to fall right into the second base. The guy didn't do anything, all he did was watch her fall and lay there.

The first reaction I had was to run out there in the middle of the game, which I most definitely did. I ran so fast sliding down next to her, Cam come on the other side of me and Lucy running over too.

I picked her up slowly, moving her to the side so I could see her face. Her eyes were closed but she was still breathing.

I looked up at Cam, "Bring me some water."

He nodded running to the dugout bring me an ice cold water, obviously she couldn't drink it, she was out cold.

"Come on Naomi, wake up please." I mumbled.

A few moments later I hear, "Come on Naomi." From Yeah-Yeah standing behind me.

A few minutes pass and she was still out so I picked her up bridal style and walking to the dugout.

"What are we going to do?"
"Yeah yeah, what about the game?"
"We told her not to play."
"Is she going to be okay?"

"I don't know," I paused looking up from Naomi, "should we take her somewhere?"

They shrugged.

Not even a skip of a beat Naomi jerks up. She looks around then her eyes met mine.

"Where am I? What happened? Wh-"

I stopped her, "Calm down, you passed out in the game. I told you, you shouldn't have played."

She shook her head, "I'm fine, go back to playing the game, I'll just stay here with Lucy." She said softly looking at Lucy now sitting next to her.

"Please don't leave this dugout." I pleaded standing up, then handing her the water bottle.

"Why would I leave? I want to watch you beat the crap out of them. Now go hurry." She said shooing us off.

I smiled walking away.

—

We didn't just win the game again, we actually beat the crap out of those guys. Again. And they still come back for more. We were all walking on air just like the first game we ever played. We were all walking home to get ready for the fair tonight.

Just like last time, we all wanted to celebrate, but unlike that time, no chewing tobacco. Naomi was on my right, Lucy on my left holding my wrist. It was weird how she did that, but I didn't seem to mind seeing that she is trusting me. I looked over at Naomi, seeing her looking down at ground as we walked.

"What's wrong? You've been down ever since we left the sandlot."

She looked up at me, "I didn't get to play Benny, my plan didn't even work, and I've been busting my ass around my house just for me to be a weenie and pass out. I'm going to get made fun of by him."

I put my arm around her pulling her into a hug, "Don't worry about any of that Ni, if he can't see how bad ass you are, then he ain't worth the fight. This is Phillips we're talking about here."

She nodded looking up at me, "I might skip out on the fair tonight Benny."

"Wait, why?" She then looked away.

"If I don't stay home and work around that house, things will happen that I don't want to happen. And besides, Lucy doesn't do well with crowds and the noise." She explained.

"Why don't the boys go and you, Lucy, and I can go do something?" She looked up at me, "And you can't say no, you don't need to be in that house working anymore than you already do. Come on, you've barley seen this town, why don't I show you and Lucy around?"

She smiled, "Gosh I'm so lucky to have you."

I nodded in agreement, "Yes you are."

She chuckled pushing my shoulder a little. We finally got to our houses and made our sperate ways. I smiled as I walked into my house making my way to my room about to have the best night of my life.

—

Naomi's P.O.V.

I got dressed into something less guyish. I put on skinny jeans, and a black jersey, which this time was my old one, so North was on it. I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled, then got Lucy changed into something like mine, she had white t-shirt with some overalls, and I put her hair into pigtails.

I got my wallet putting money in my back pocket and walked out with Lucy in front of me, and just in time, Benny was knocking on my door. I smiled as I walked over to the door and opened it. I follow Lucy out the door, closing and locking the door then turning and looking at Benny.

"You ready?" He asked as Lucy grabbed onto his wrist.

I smile and nodded, "Where are we going?"

He looked at Lucy and then back at me, "That's a surprise."

I shook my head, "Never play by the rules unless you are in game."

"What does that mean?"

"You never play by the rules unless you are in game. You remind me of things my dad did. That was a saying he always used to tell me."

He smiled and we walked down the driveway heading to where ever Benny was taking us.

—