what if → Benny Rodriguez

chapter 16 | anything for you

July 5th 2019

I WAS STANDING at second base watching Benny start to run as he realizes he hit a home run, nothing out of the ordinary. as Benny passes second base, he pecks me on the lips, smiles and then keeps running.

"are you guys going to do that every single time?" Yeah-yeah says with a disgusted face.

"yeah," DeNunez says, "i know i'm the one who kept encouraging you guys to get together, but seriously you need to give it a rest." everyone laughs at that.

"guys, you have no idea how long i've waited to be able to do that." Benny smiles at me.

"it's been 14 years, to be exact." i smile back, then take my hat off and fan myself with it.

"can we take another pool day?" Squints asks, "this heat is unbearable."

i wipe sweat off my forehead. "i couldn't agree with you more."

Benny lets out a sigh, "how about tomorrow?" we didn't play at all yesterday because you guys wanted to wait until the night game."

"okay," Timmy nods in agreement.

"yeah i could get behind that." Bertram says, and everyone turns slowly to look at him.

"what did you just say?" Kenny eyes him.

"i said i could get behind waiting until tomorrow for the pool." Bertram repeats, and everyone starts laughing except Kenny, he stays serious.

"dude," DeNunez shakes his head, "please don't ever say that again."

"okay let's switch it up." Benny draws us back to the game and tells us to switch positions. i go to bat with ham while Benny takes Ham's position as the catcher.

as i'm waiting for Kenny to pitch while he warms up again, i can feel the sun frying my skin. i try to shake it off because i don't want to seem like a wimp, but i can feel my body shutting down.

i swing at the first pitch, and miss. i shake my head and try to focus again, but my vision starts to blur. i'm really not sure how much longer i can go on in this heat.

i swing at the second pitch and..

CRACK!

the ball goes flying into the air and almost into Small's glove, but he misses it and it falls onto the sand giving me just enough time to make it to second.

i run across first base and lock my eyes on second, determined to make it. i see Smalls getting ready to throw it to Bertram out of the corner of my eye so i make a split second decision to drop to the sand and slide to second.

it worked! i made it there barely in time. i place my arms on the ground while trying to get my feet beneath me so i could stand up, but my arms become weak and they collapse causing my body to fall and hit the sand.

"hey are you okay?" a voice i assume is Bertram echos above me.

"y-yea i'm fine." i sit up.

Bertram reaches his hand down and i grab it so he can pull me up. "do you need to take a break?" he asks.

"what? no." i insist, "i'm completely fine!" i lied.

Bertram looks unsure, but doesn't say anything else. When Ham hits the ball on the first pitch, my vision is too blurred to see, but i can clearly hear the ball come in contact with his bat. so i start to run towards third base. after hitting third base i decide to go for home, not really caring if i made it or not. i just know i need to get water and shade asap.