Just a little oneshot, about that Saturday comment that Mattie made when the boys asked her to play in Tommy's spot.
I don't own anything in connection to the Sandlot except for Mattie and Toni.
Mattie's POV
I tried not to make a sound, since Toni was still recovering, as I pulled my mitt out from under my bed. I crept down the stairs, freezing if anything creaked, but nothing happened. Toni shuffled in her sleep and I shoved my feet in my sneakers and tugged on my jacket before grabbing Toni's bat, it always stood in the umbrella stand, and hurried out the front door. The bag of baseballs were already hanging on the handlebars of my bike, so I adjusted my hat before sliding on, and headed to the Sandlot.
Narrator's POV
The sun was barely up when Wings and Ryan rode down the small pathway to the Sandlot. They slowed down as they got closer, hearing annoyed groans and muted curses. Ryan's eyes got wide at the amount of curses and they carefully stacked their bikes near the dugout before peering out.
"Holy-" Wings cut off as Ryan elbowed him. He was expecting someone like Wok or Roll or DP to be here, with those words, but it was quiet, little Mattie Jones, also known as Heats. She was throwing the baseball up and swinging at it with her bat, but something was off.
"What is she doing?" Wings whispered, as they peered through a convenient little bush near the dugout. Ryan rolled his eyes and gave the older boy a look. "Alright, I know what she's doing. But I felt like I had to say it." The jumped as something smashed, and they looked back out to see Heats throwing the baseball bat at the fence in anger, before storming over to the dugout. She kicked the bat barrel, empty of bats for once, and sat down on the bench, angrily rubbing at her eyes.
"Stupid bat, stupid ball, stupid me." She muttered. Ryan and Wings exchanged a look before Ryan winked and shoved Wings out of the bush. He tripped, falling head first onto the dirt in front of the dugout, and Mattie leapt back. She wavered, losing her balance, before tipping backwards over the bench and hitting the wood.
"I'm sorry." Wings scrambled up and over, holding out a hand. Mattie sat up, rubbing her head, and cracked open one eye before accepting the hand up. Wings pulled her up and sat down, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "Sorry again." She shrugged and they descended into silence. Mattie didn't know what to say and her face was burning from being scared like that. Adding to the fact the boy she fancied sat inches away, their shoulders nearly brushing, and she was sure her face looked like a tomato. Ryan winked at Wings before disappearing.
The silence was overwhelming and awkward until Mattie broke it, muttering something. Wings leaned in.
"Sorry?"
"I asked if you could help me?" She said louder, looking away. "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want…But I need- I mean, it would be nice…Uh…" She trailed off, blushing, and stood up. "Never mind. I should get going." She picked up her cap and Wings jumped before holding her wrist.
"I can help." He said quickly. "With like, how to stand and how to hit it, you know?" She blushed at the contact but nodded and he picked up the bat before walking to the home plate, beckoning. Heats trailed after him unsurely and bit her lip as he handed her the bat, holding it awkwardly.
"Okay, you have to actually hold it, not like that." He said, adjusting her grip. "Now c'mere and stand how you would normally stand if someone was pitching to you." She stepped up to the plate, held the bat at the ready, but something was still off.
"No, your arm goes about here, and your leg should be further spread out, and turned in." He said, lifting her arm and nudging her foot out with his own. "Uhh, this isn't working." He sighed and she straightened up, looking down.
"Sorry." She muttered, rubbing her neck sheepishly. Wings shook his head; his cheeks faintly pink, before biting his lip.
"I have an idea…" He trailed off and she looked at him questioningly. He swallowed and finally worked up enough courage to move behind her. Heats gave true to her name and her face burned a fiery red as Wings loosely held her hands to the bat, his arms encircling her. She gulped audibly as Wings' knee knocked against her own and her heart beat faster and faster, threatening to jump out of her chest, as he adjusted her foot with his own.
"Does that feel better? Uh, not that way." He asked. She jumped as his voice vibrated through her shirt and he chuckled. "Sorry. But does it? Like, what's the word, more proportionate? I don't know, I'm not good with teaching." Heats shook her head, blushing, and he grinned.
"Okay, so if someone is pitching a normal ball, you-The most important thing to do is keep your eye on the ball." He said. "Take a few practice swings, like this." He slowly moved her arms, nudging her knee as he moved their arms through in a swing. "Try that." He slowly let go of her hands and stepped away and, as much as she didn't want to, she felt slightly…odd after he left. Then, his words registered and she jumped, her face flaming, as he chuckled.
"So like this?" She asked, swinging through slowly. He nodded, lifting her elbow a little higher, before judging.
"Yeah that's it. Try swinging a little faster." He instructed. Mattie nodded and swung harder, before jumping as Wings yelped, throwing himself to the ground as the bat flew over his head in a deadly spin.
"Not that fast." He shouted, pushing himself back up to get the bat. She flinched back, chewing on her lip, as he turned around and jogged back.
"Sorry." She murmured, taking the bat and clutching it to her chest. "I should go. I'll probably end up hurting you or something." He smiled, shaking his head, and stepped forward to tug the bat from her grip. She shook her head and pulled it back, making him stumble forward. She blushed and looked down shyly and he smirked, tilting her chin up.
"You won't learn by quitting." He said. "Baseball's more than just talent." He quoted Benny and Tommy and Mattie giggled softly. "So I think you should try again and if you knock me out, just give me the kiss of life." He winked and stepped back as she blushed before stepping up to the plate again.
"Try swinging a bit faster but remember to keep a hold of the bat." He said. She swung again, but not as fast, and the bat only slid a little bit out of her hands. She turned around, her face lighting up like a Christmas tree, and he held a thumbs up before bringing his other hand out from behind his back and her eyes widened.
"I may not be as good a pitcher as you or Timber, but any idiot can throw a ball." He said.
"You're not an idiot." Mattie replied quickly before blushing furiously. He laughed before throwing the ball up in his hand.
"Thanks. But seriously, do you think you can hit it?" He asked. She shrugged hesitantly and he winked.
"Too bad, because I'm going to throw it." He said, getting into position. Mattie scrambled to stand how Wings had taught her and he nodded before throwing an easy ball. She weakly swung her bat, her eyes screwed shut, and Wings held back a chuckle as the ball nicked her bat. She jumped and he loped towards her, barely holding back a smirk.
"You're supposed to keep your eye on the ball Heats. That means keeping them open." He called. She nodded awkwardly and held the bat ready again.
"I'm ready." She said as he jogged back to the pitcher's mound. He nodded and threw it again. This time Mattie kept her eyes on the ball, and open, but she missed.
"Oh, I'm never gonna get this!" She said, throwing the ball back to Wings.
"Yeah you will. Third time's the charm eh?" He replied. "You ready?" She shook her head and he grinned before throwing the ball again. The ball cracked against the wooden bat but flew over the foul line. But Mattie didn't care.
"Oh my gosh! Wings, that's the first time ever, I've hit a ball." She cried, dropping her bat. He grinned and jogged over, holding out his hand for a high five. But she surprised him by launching herself into his arms, beaming brightly. He stumbled back, wrapping his arms around her waist, before turning a shade of red that would put Heats to shame, as she kissed his cheek. She leapt back, hands covering her mouth, and took off out of the Sandlot. Wings stood, dazed, before picking up her bat, as the rest of the gang emerged from the various hiding places. Timber lowered his tall frame from a tree while Wok and Roll shed the branches covering them, and all of them crammed around Wings, teasing and whistling.
"So you and little Mattie eh?" Tommy asked, elbowing Wings in the side. Wings said nothing but his cheeks tinged pink and Two-ton howled with laughter. But Wings didn't move until Wok flicked his ear.
"Wings has the hots for Heats!, Wings has the hots for heats!" He sang as Roll joined in. Wings came to life, throwing his mitt down, and giving chase to the two. But, given that their enemy was Wings, of all people, they didn't get very far.
