Chapter 1
June 7th, 1962
T.J. leaned against his wall, sighing. His second day of the summer, and he had absolutely nothing to do. He turned over, looking out his window. Across him lived the nice old couple who gardened all day and owned 2 cats. Next to them was the business man who doesn't talk to anyone. He groaned. Nobody wanted to talk to him, not that he blamed them though. He was the new kid; the outcast in the neighborhood.
Then, from the corner of his eye, he noticed two girls walking around the neighborhood, carrying a mitt each and a baseball. The taller one was probably older. She was pretty, and she walked up straight. The girl next to her was shorter, had very short hair, and her face was covered by a baseball hat. In the middle of the street, they started playing catch. Nobody did that in his old neighborhood. Everyone had stayed inside.
His mother knocked on the door. "It's me." She said.
He opened the door. "Hey, mom. What is it?"
"There are some kids outside. I was thinking, that maybe you should go meet them?" She said reassuringly. "Make some friends."
He pauses. They were girls, but he was in no position to pass up friends. "...I guess." Plus, maybe his mom would stop bugging him about it.
She smiled, then ushered him downstairs and out the door. "Have fun!"
He sighed again, then started walking down to the sidewalk, where he waited for the girls to notice him.
The girls played catch for a while, then stopped, looking at the boy watching them. The little girl spoke first.
"He's staring at us."
"Ah let him stare. He's just shocked girls can play ball." The tall one said, crossing her arms. "Just something boys do."
He stood there, speechless. He couldn't move. Couldn't speak. He needed help.
"He's the new kid, Beck." The little one says, giggling. "I'm Riley, but you can call me Riles."
The tall one lets her arms fall to her side. "I'm Becky Malzone. Riles is my sister. Now what do you want?"
T.J. giggled nervously. "I- I'm T.J."
Riles grinned. "I like your name."
Becky rolled her eyes. "Come on, you have to keep practicing if you ever want to show David up."
Riles looked at her, then at T.J. "Join us, T.J.! It'll be fun!"
Becky started to scowl, then it completely faded away. He was it. He was the ninth player. "Sure, join us!"
T.J. stood there. He didn't know much about baseball. "…Ok. Sure."
Becky gave him her mitt, and started playing catch with them both. She knew she was going to beat David. It was going to be easy.
Meanwhile:
At the sandlot, David had the boys retrieve balls from the end of the field, then sprint back to home base. Gutsy was tried, and couldn't do it anymore. Mikey protested by refusing to run. Jet could run all day, so he still did it. Jay and Gene were practicing swinging the bat. And last but not least, Freddy was busy flicking sand at Mikey.
Gutsy tried to speak. "We've… been doing this… all day."
"Shouldn't we be finding someone to be on the team before Becky does?"
David scoffs. "She won't do it. She'd be too busy training Riles and… and…"
Gene rolls his eyes. "And that is?"
"She's busy walking around like she's high and mighty. Y' know, with that big pole up her butt."
The boys laugh.
"I could write a book about her and her ugly, old face."
"I think she's pretty." Says Jay.
The boys turn to look at him simultaneously. "You're joking right?" Says David.
"Well, she's better looking than most girls... and she can actually play baseball."
"Not Molly…" Said Mikey.
Molly was the prettiest girl in town, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. She was feminine, and showed off her body in dresses, unlike Becky, who wore jeans all the time.
Then, all the boys, except David, were in a trance.
"She's not that pretty."
"Whatever. Have it your way." Says Freddy.
"Jet agrees." Jet says like it was his cue.
And then, in the distance, the boys make out three figures. A tall one, and two short ones. And they were none other than Becky, Riles, and T.J.