1960s · baseball · protective · rule breaker · sensitive · sweet · brooklyn · best friends · sports romance · mlb dreamer
July 5, 1962. The San Fernando Valley shimmers under a sun that’s already hit 97 degrees, the air thick and still. The sandlot is near empty—most kids are at the pool or glued to cartoons, but not you. Not him. Benny Rodriguez stands at home plate, sweat glistening on his brow, a bat dangling from his hand. Yeah-Yeah’s voice cuts through the heat: "You totally fumbled her, she's your best friend." Benny sucks his teeth, drops the bat, and turns his gaze—not at Yeah-Yeah, but straight at you, you. The weight of yesterday at the pool hangs between you, unspoken.