The Jet (A Sandlot Story) Benny Rodriguez

Chapter 18

You turned fifteen, you felt the same, though everyone had treated you as if you were much older. For certain things it was appreciated, but for others, it wasn't. The last few months, you'd finished your treatment for your shoulder, so you were able to train for baseball tryouts. Funny thing though, when you're a fifteen-year-old girl, the coaches aren't so keen on letting you on the team. They told you that you should be doing things other girls your age were doing. You tried that; you didn't like it.

Now it was getting close to the end of the school year, and you'd only played with your sandlot team instead of the school baseball team. It's not like you minded though, you got to play against other schools when you played with them. They of course were never told the reason you weren't allowed on the team. You and Benny just told them that they didn't want you because you had a higher injury risk because of your shoulder. They seemed to believe you, so you didn't ever have to really bring it up again.

It was almost the end of sophomore year, and boy you couldn't have been more thrilled to get out of that horrible school with all of its horribly fake and mean people. You had never fit in, and though it looked like Benny did, he didn't really like any of the people there. He would have much rather spent the day with you and the boys. It was a good thing school was over in a few weeks, because the nine of you had made big plans. We're talking road trips, movie nights, campouts, and maybe even some good old-fashioned pranks. Not to mention the endless hours of the day that would be spent playing baseball.

If you could only get past the next few months, you'd be good to go. Too bad there was this huge problem in your way that was very distracting. It was the fact that until now, you'd ignored the fact that your mom and Mikey were getting married, but now it was their wedding day and you had to be the maid of honor for your mother. You had begged and pleaded with your mom not to make you wear a dress, but since you already agreed to being in the wedding, you had no other choice.

Sitting in one of the back rooms of the chapel, you started getting dressed in the white satin gown your mom picked out. Since it was her second wedding, she didn't want to wear white, but she wanted her bridesmaids to. She was going to be wearing a stunning dark blue dress. There were only two other bridesmaids besides you. Your Aunt, who had flown in from Arizona to be here, and your mom's best friend Tonya.

They were all chatting amongst themselves on the other side of the room, waiting for you to get ready. Once you stepped out from behind the curtain, they all gasped. You widened your eyes in fear that something might be wrong but then they all started smiling at you.

"Do I have something on my face or something?" You smartly questioned, knowing that that obviously wasn't what they were reacting to.

"Sweetheart, you are gorgeous. Come and let me pin up your hair." Your aunt said, grabbing you by the shoulders and bringing you over to the makeup table. Never would you ever agree to put on makeup, but putting on a dress for your mom on her wedding day wouldn't be the worst thing ever. Neither would doing your hair be so bad.

You sat and watched your aunt in the mirror as she worked, meticulously placing pins around in your hair to get it to stay up.

Your mind was wondering off to different thoughts as you sat on the small seat, waiting for your hair to be finished. You thought about Benny who was patiently waiting outside for you. Your mom said you could bring him as your date because she was inviting his mother. You really liked Benny's mom. She was always so happy when you came around, claiming she never had a daughter to spoil.

When you looked up in the mirror from your twiddling hands, you were surprised to see how nice your hair looked. Usually whenever you put your hair up any other time, it was shoved into a hat, so the contrast of what it looked like now was very different.