The Best Things Come to Those Who Wait

(Prologue) Chapter 1 Taylor's POV

Today my friends Liz and Ali from boarding school were coming over at 8:00 am; they were staying the day, night, and the next day. I woke to them almost pounding my door down so I hurriedly brushed my teeth, put my hair in its usual ponytail, and put on jeans and a t-shirt, not really looking at what I was wearing.

I had just started at the Pepperson; all girls' boarding school, of which I had to stay for four years, year round. That meant Ali and Liz had never seen me out of my uniform or been to my new house. When I opened the door there was the usual jumping and squealing, mostly from Liz. When I was about to bring then upstairs, Ali asked "but your name isn't Rodriguez?" with a confused expression.

I looked down at my shirt and laughed. I was wearing one of my friend Benny's old jersey's he had left at my old house; I must have put it on without thinking. It had 'the Sandlot' stitched in front and Rodriguez on the back. One day, some years before, Benny decided to add 'the Jet' in black sharpie and it still stays to this day, right under his last name. I decided to tell them about Benny and the rest.

"I'll show you why!" I brought them upstairs to my room in which I have the 'Hall of Fame' as Ham likes to call it, probably because it's mostly filled with his pictures. The 'Hall of Fame' is a wall in my room, in which I have a bunch of photos, there's a picture of the gang (me, Benny, Squints, Bentraham, Yeah-Yeah, Ham, Tommy and Timmy), a bunch of pictures of me and Benny from Ham's photography phase, many pictures of the gang and photos of Ham, Benny and I.

"Back in Grasonville I was on a baseball team called the Sandlot. I was friends with all the guys but my best friends were and are Ham, short for Hamilton, he's a red-haired catcher who's a loudmouth with no control over his temper, like you Liz,"

"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?" she yelled getting angry.

"Nothing, Anyways, Benny my other friend is a tan-skinned, brown-haired, amazing baseball player who is an incredible hitter and runner, hence his nickname 'the Jet' after the time he pickled the beast, which is another story for a different time. Back to the subject, Ham, Benny and I have been best friends for as long as I can remember. Maybe it was when Ham was making fun of me in kindergarten because I was a 6-year-old, baseball-playing girl. Benny made him apologize and after a show of brute strength, (Benny beat Ham up) Ham said sorry. We've stuck together ever since.

"Sooooo, do you want to Mrs. Benny Rodriguez?" asked Ali flirtily, elbowing me.

"No, No, No," I said repeatedly feeling a blush spreading across my cheeks.

"You DO! You're blushing, and you denied it one to many times! You're not the best actress Taylor." Liz implied butting in.

"Yes I do like Benny but never tell him or he'll laugh in my face!" I relented.

"Alright, alright" they said.

"Swear!" I insisted

"I swear." They intoned. That caused us to break into a laughing fit.