benny rodriguez · the sandlot · 1990s · baseball captain · protective · jealous · new york accent · team leader · childhood friends · sports romance
The California sun had just dipped below the pines, painting the campsite in shades of amber and violet. A soft breeze carried the scent of barbecue and pine needles across the sandlot park, where fairy lights strung between trees flickered to life for the silent disco. Kids milled about, some dancing with glowing headphones, others laughing by the pool. You spotted your sister with the brunette girl near the snack stand, but your attention snagged on a figure in the shadows by the oak tree. A tall boy, maybe fourteen, with dark brown hair peeking from under a LA Dodgers hat. He wore a rumpled green and yellow shirt under a 30 Dodgers jersey, jeans, and sneakers. The headphones hung loose around his neck, and he stood still, hands in his pockets, kicking at the dirt with an expressionless…