Pool Hunny // Benny Rodriguez

12.

Benny.

Caroline was here. But Emmy was gone for the weekend and we didn't have tutoring so....
I frowned, "Am I being punk'd?"
"Haha." Caroline replied direly, "I want you to take me with you to the Sandlot today."

I snorted, "that's funny. What do you really want?"
She rolled her eyes at me, "I'm being serious you moron."
"Did your Dad put you up to this?" I asked sceptically.

She groaned, "do you always make things this difficult? Isn't it possible that I just want to spend time with you?"
I shot her a pointed look, "I must have stupid written on my forehead. What's going on?"

She scowled, "my stupid father brought his stupid girlfriend over and I don't feel like being manipulated today."
I raised my eyebrows surprised, he hadn't struck me as the type. "Is she actually stupid or Caroline stupid?"

She scoffed affronted, "and what the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"You have a tendency to exaggerate." I told her making her glare at me.
"She's actually stupid. Now will you take or not?" Caroline demanded.

I shrugged, "don't you have any other friends who's plans you can latch onto?"
"Would I be here if I did?" Caroline replied crossing her arms.
"Fair enough, I'll be right out." I told her before letting her inside and going upstairs to my room.

I banged my head against my bedroom door, why the hell had I said yes to that?

It didn't take me long to get finished and we were at the Sandlot twenty minutes later, they all shot me confused looks, "what the hell is she doing here?" Ham asked frowning.

"Something about her dads girlfriend." I muttered, "she doesn't want to play anyways, so base up block heads!" I called to everyone else.

Caroline made herself comfortable in the dug out while we started to play, she looked bored as hell. But I also knew she was too stubborn to go home.

I pitched the ball towards Kenny who hit the bat against it with a loud crack sending it flying in the direction of the dugout.

Caroline let out a shriek and practically threw herself on the floor moments before the ball crashed into the wall where her face had been.

We all sucked in a breath and watched her face to see how she would react. She looked absolutely furious. Caroline grabbed the ball and threw it as hard as she could at Kenny.

It sailed through the air before slamming into his stomach making him double over and stumble back. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" She started shouting at him.

But I was to busy thinking about how well she'd thrown the ball to listen to her angry yelling. Caroline had perfectly pitched that ball, better than any of my friends, maybe even better than me.

She scowled at me when she saw me staring at her, "take a picture Rodriguez, it'll last longer."
"Where did you learn to do that?" I asked surprised.

She frowned, "do what?"
"Pitch." I replied, "that was amazing."
She shrugged, "I've done better. Besides my Dad is a Major League Baseball manager and I'm his only kid, of course he taught me how to play."

That hadn't really occurred to me if I'm being honest. Caroline didn't seem the type to like or play baseball lest one of her nails get chipped, I guess I was wrong.

"If you're so goon then why don't you play?" I asked her.
She shrugged, "first of all I'm a girl so you'll find little leagues aren't all too inviting. Second I'm just not that big a fan, yeah it's fun but not the every day kind. It always has the same outcome doesn't it?"

Baseball, boring? Never.

"If you say that then you're clearly not as good as I thought, because no one with real skills calls baseball boring." Ham interrupted.
Caroline rolled her eyes, "please you're just jealous because we both know that I could beat you with my eyes closed. I could beat any of you."

"Bullshit." Bertram said crossing his arms, "there no way you'd beat all of us, you might have played as a kid but we've been playing everyday since we were four."

I wasn't too sure he was right though. Especially after seeing that pitch. But riling Caroline up was fun, and I was interested to see how this would pan out.

"If you're so sure Caroline, then why don't you give it a try? I'm calling you out on your bluff, let's see how good you are." I called over to her.

A smirk that I knew all to well bloomed on her lips, "you're on Rodriguez, and I'm going to kick your ass."
She grabbed one of the bats from the dugout before going into the batting square, "alright, so who wants to go first?"

True to her word, Caroline crushed Ham. He looked absolutely shocked when she hit a home run on her first try. It didn't matter who tried she beat them, even in the pitching department she was fantastic.

Finally, it was my turn.

I grabbed the ball from Yeah-yeah, "knock her dead man." He muttered annoyed.
I winked at her as she stepped back into the batting square. "Ready for this winning streak to end Baker?"

She laughed, "as if. Do your worst."

I pitched the first ball and Caroline swung her bat hitting it with a smacking noise. We watched as it rolled off the bat and landed outside of the field. "OUT!" Ham yelled throwing it back, "try again!"

I pitched again and the same thing happened, and then again and then again. We couldn't seem to break the cycle. Caroline sighed, "let's switch this clearly isn't getting anywhere."

I nodded throwing her the ball and my mit, she threw the bat at the same time and caught them both. We swapped positions and I watched her prepare herself, she grinned smugly at me before pitching the ball at lightning speed.

I swung but it was too slow, the ball landed snugly in Yeah-yeah's hand. Caroline made a face of mock surprise, "would you look at that? You struck out! Who would have guessed?"

I rolled my eyes amused, "you talk a big game. I have two tries left."
She smiled, "it's very arrogant of you to assume it'll go any different then now."
I grinned back at her, "it's very arrogant of you to assume that it won't."

There was a bang behind us, "hey you two! Quit flirting and get on with it for the love of god!"
We both glared at Kenny, "shut up!"
I nodded at Caroline who pitched the ball, this time I was ready though. I hit the ball as hard as I could and it went flying over the wall.

Everyone started booing. Oh my god I was such an idiot. Caroline made a confused face, "whats wrong with them? that was a home run."
I shook my head, "we lost the ball now though. There's a dog on the other side of the fence of that abandoned lot and if we go over then it'll mail us to death. Now we have to wait until our parents give us enough to buy the next ball."

A smile played on her lips like she was contemplating saying something. She reached into her pocket and pulled out ten dollars. "Think of it as your prize for winning." Caroline said, "the ball is on me."

I shook my head, "I can't accept that."
"I can." Ham told me as he took the bill from her, "thanks Baker."
She nodded at him, "welcome. I have to go now but thanks for taking me along. See you at school."

With that she turned on heel and left her blonde hair fluttering in the breeze.

Caroline.

I smiled to myself as I passed Mr Mertle's so called abandoned lot. I had considered telling Benny that he was being ridiculous and that Mr Mertle and his dog were totally fine. But then it occurred to me that I didn't want to. It was funny that they were scared if something so trivial. And I was feeling spiteful because he had beat me.

Besides the Tenner would last them a while. As far as I could tell baseballs weren't exactly expensive.