Hey guys, here's another chapter and it's my longest one so far! This one is another time skip so everyone is all grown up. Disclaimer: I have a song in here that an OC of mine is "writing" but it's an actual song: When We Were Young by Adele. I DO NOT own the song nor did I create it. I wanted to feature it because I feel like this song fits the theme of this story perfectly. I'll start putting the songs that are included in the chapters below just in case anyone wants to go check them out. I've also tried to keep all the songs realistic in terms of historical timing, the only exception is the Adele song. Disclaimer: I don't own The Sandlot or any of the Sandlot characters. I only own my OC's. Enjoy!
Late Nights and Bright Lights
TIME SKIP - 8 YEARS
I took off my heels with a groan before I started to unlock the door. I had just gotten done with a gig and an argument so I was tired and hungry. When I opened the door I noticed the lights were on. "You awake!?" I shouted as I walked in with a couple of bags of McDonald's. "Yeah! Just give me a second!" I heard him reply. I tossed my shoes as I placed the bags on the counter. "What'd you bring me?" Ham asked as he walked in with a towel over his shoulder. "A big mac, extra cheese." It looked like he had just gotten out of the shower since his hair was wet. He went through the bags and grabbed his stuff. "Rough night?" He asked right before he adjusted his white shirt. "You could say that. I just had to fire our manager!" I grabbed a fry and nibbled on it with a frown. "What happened?" He asked before he took a bite. "I found out he was stealing some money from our charity donations! I finally found out about it and told him that The Melting Pot was done doing business with him. Now I gotta figure out how much he stole and make up the money. What an asshole!" I shoved a few more fries in my mouth. "Who steals money from charity?" I shrugged. "I guess assholes do." I reached in and grabbed my big mac and took a giant bite. "Well, at least you found out now rather than later. You're better off without him." I nodded my head in agreement. "How was your night?" He then turned around and lifted his shirt to show me the new bruise of the week. "Ooooh, that looks bad!" I admitted while still chewing. "Yeah, it is. But it got me so many numbers!" I couldn't help but smile. The Great Hambino always got numbers. After high school, Ham really got into wrestling, so much that he's now one of the most famous wrestlers in North America. I, on the other hand, am still in the music business. We released our first album a few years ago and it did well. We kept releasing music and here we are; nothing major just yet but we're getting there."Mmm! I got a call from Smalls and he has a request." I raised an eyebrow. "A request? For me?" He nodded his head, "Yes, he wants to know if you'll sing the national anthem at the next game." I almost choked. "What? No way!" He quickly passed me my coke and I gladly took a sip. "He put in a good word for your band and they want to schedule a meeting. I was shocked. Smalls was the sports commentator for the LA Dodgers. Even though our band was slowly making our way up into popularity, this would put us on tv! This would be huge! "I gotta call him!" I looked down at my watch: 1:30. "Maybe you should do that tomorrow, considering it's the middle of the night." He was right. "Ooh if this works out I owe Smalls big time!" We continued to eat and chat for a bit before he decided to go to bed. I ate the rest of my meal on the balcony and watched the city lights. Ham and I decided to be roommates since we had gotten very close after high school. I had stayed in touch with all the boys but Ham and I stuck together for some reason. I rolled back my shoulders and tried to get comfortable. Performing always took a physical toll on me since I had to wear uncomfortable clothing and shoes all while dancing and singing. I reached underneath my shirt and unhooked my bra. I sighed in relief as I pulled it off and threw it to the ground. The best feeling in the entire world. I leaned back and propped my feet up on the ledge while still munching on my fries.
I pulled over my guitar and started to strum a random tune. It had been years since the last time we were all together. All the memories from my childhood started flooding back. "When we were young, when we were young..." I then lost it. "Maybe a potential chorus?" I asked out loud to myself. I got up and leaned over the ledge with a sigh. Singing the national anthem would mean I would get to see Benny. Out of all the boys, he and I had talked the least, well besides Bertram. Whenever our band finished an album I would send a record with a personal note to all the boys. So, not talking but at least something to still connect us. I knew I had to do better, but at least it was better than nothing. I watched from afar how all the boys did with their lives. Benny The Jet Rodriguez certainly made a name for himself. There wasn't a kid from our town that didn't know his name or his story. Whenever he would make the paper, I made sure to scrapbook it. I had made it to a couple of games of his but never went to go speak with him. In all honesty, I was scared. In our senior year of high school, I had realized that I loved him. I mean, I loved all the boys, but I was in love with him. But of course, he was getting somewhere by playing ball. I would have been a distraction. The words his father had told me one night before a big game that had never left my mind since then. Deep down I know I still love him, that's why no relationship has ever worked out for me. I tried so hard to get rid of that feeling in my stomach when I would see him or even think of him. What always got me were those eyes of his, how they always made me want to stay. Also, the little touches he would do when it was just me and him. I remember, there was this one night that I had almost kissed him. But I didn't. It was probably for the better. I'm sure he had plenty of women to choose from that would keep him occupied. There was no way I could compete.
I had woken up and the first thing I did was give Smalls a call. He seemed pretty happy to hear from me and we had scheduled a meeting for today. I had called the band and it seemed like I was going to be the only one able to make it to the meeting. Which was fair, it was our day off and we were all pretty beat after last night. Later in the day, I drove to the Dodger Stadium, which wasn't that far from where I lived. I went inside and was met with Smalls, public relations people, promoters, and coordinators. I ran over and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. He hugged me back and laughed. I pulled away and saw that big smile on his face. "Hey! How are you, Scotty?" The people around us just watched with smiles. "I'm doing great, how have you been doing miss rockstar?" I chuckled. "I've been doing pretty good myself, thanks for bringing up my band." He then introduced me to his fellow staff members. All of them seemed nice and were interested in The Melting Pot's music. One thing led to another and suddenly my band was scheduled to perform the national had decided to take me to his office after the meeting. I ran over to a chair the moment I spotted it. "Quite a view!" I said as I plopped down and leaned over to admire the field. "Yeah, never gets old." I looked over and saw our group pictures of when we were kids. He also had a few prized balls on display. "Look at you, a Mr. Mertle in the making." We both chuckled and I started to fiddle with his pens. "So, how has he been?" I asked knowing he knew who I was referring to. "He's been awfully busy, but overall good." Those two had stuck together like peas and carrots, kind of like how Ham and I did. "I bet, it isn't every day you make it to the major leagues." He stared at me. "What's wrong?" I asked. "I've been thinking lately, about when we were kids. A lot has changed." I nodded my head. "Yes, a lot has. Did you hear about Squints?" His eyes widened, "Yeah! What is it? Baby number four or five? I lost track after the third." We both chuckled. After high school Squints married the girl of his dreams, Wendy Peffercorn. They did not waste time in the baby-making part! "What about you? Have you found a special lady in your life yet?" He shook his head. "Not yet, but I'll let you know when I do. You?" It was my turn to shake my head. "You already know, no man can handle me!" We both laughed and then it got quiet. "He misses you." I scoffed. After all the notes and albums I had sent him I had never gotten anything back. "Does he truly?" He got down and sat beside me. "He does. The other day we were talking about high school and I brought you up." I leaned over to him. "And what did he say?" He shrugged. "I should reach out to her." I raised an eyebrow at him. "I have yet to get a call."
Days had passed and before I knew it the day had come and I was nervous. Was I nervous about singing in front of a crowd of 56,000? No. Was I nervous about seeing Benny? Yes. We had rolled our equipment on the field and I was front and center with the camera on me. "Singing our national anthem is Robin along with her band The Melting Pot!" Smalls said through the intercom. There were some cheers before it got quiet. I took a deep breath and started:
- "Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!" -
The crowd roared and I couldn't help but smile. I then gave a little bow before the camera was moved away. I was then escorted off the field by a few guards, which was quite fancy in my opinion. The players had been lined up with their hats off during the song but were now clapping. A few whistled and called me as I walked by but I ignored them. I waited for the rest of my band and we all celebrated in the party box. We all clanked our cupped beers together with laughter before taking a sip. "This is the coolest! I can't wait to do some more of these. Especially with the best food in the world!" Luke shouted as he eyed over to the hot dogs and hamburgers. I giggled as his eyes widened when he realized there was cotton candy as well. "You said it!" Henry said with a smile. "Did you see all those players, Robin?" Joanna asked while wiggling her eyebrows. "I might need to get well acquainted with them after the game." She said as she winked at me with a little shimmy. I nearly spewed out my beer. "Be careful, Joanna! I heard they hunt in packs." Gabriel added. "This must be my lucky day." She replied with a smile. Oh boy, if anyone could get a man in a matter of minutes, it was Joanna. She was the smoothest girl I had ever seen. She was also the busiest member of the group if you know what I mean. She had so many stories and she always included the details. "Did you get a glance at Benny?" She asked as we walked over to grab a hot dog. "No, I didn't," She then nudged my shoulder. "You should, he looks handsome!" She said with a wink. "Yeah?" She nodded her head. "Oh yeah, go talk to him after the game. I'm sure he would want to spend some time with you." I shrugged. "I don't know, Joanna. Don't you think I would be pushing my luck?" She gasped loudly. "Robin! How dare you! You're wonderful, Honey! Don't you forget it for a moment." I couldn't help but smile. "He would have to be the absolute dumbest person on earth to turn you away." I hope she was right.
It was the Giants vs the Dodgers and the score was close. I watched it intently in the last quarter as both teams played. That's when my focus was on Benny. I had my hands folded together and listened to Smalls commentate. All of a sudden the ball was hit and Benny was stealing home. I stood up and watched in amazement at how fast he could run. The crowd roared again and I jumped up and down in celebration. The Dodgers had won. His teammates ran over to him and grabbed him in happiness. I watched as he ran towards the crowd and looked up. He then gave a thumbs up to someone before running back towards his teammates. Joanna clapped her hands together, "Looks like I'm gonna be real busy tonight! Robin, Honey, there's gonna be a party afterward. We have to go." I guess it would be a good time to go see him. "Okay," She then pulled out her phone and dialed away. "Who are you calling?" I was confused. "My sister, I'm gonna have her bring us some clothes to wear for the party." Oh boy, when Joanna meant clothes she meant risque clothes.
"I don't know about this, Joanna!" I said while trying to tug my tight dress down. It had been a few hours of hair and makeup later and we were heading into the lion's den. She had me wear this little black dress that was a little too short for my taste. "Don't worry you look great, Honey. If you're worried that the guys might be all over you, leave it to me. I'll take care of every single one of them." She wore a short white dress that had a diamond-shaped opening on her stomach to show off her flat midriff. She then grabbed my hand and pulled me along to the giant mansion in front of us. "How did I end up here!?" I asked in a panic. "Thanks to me!" We were greeted by a very tall man standing outside the door and Joanna smiled up at him. "Benson! Glad to see you!" He smiled at her. "I'm glad you were able to make it." He then opened the door for us. "Right this way, ladies." She gave him a wink before pulling me in with her. "I'm gonna have to see him later." She whispered with a smirk. There were tons of people talking and dancing around and suddenly I felt very small. "Where to first?" I asked searching for his face nervously. "Hmmm, how about we go get a drink to loosen you up a bit?" I nodded my head. "Okay, good idea. And then?" She pulled me with her as we walked through the crowd. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Relax." She said as she patted my arm gently. She was right. I needed to relax. We walked over to a table that had platters of food and glasses of champagne. She handed me a glass with a smile, "Nothing wrong with a little bubbly." She grabbed one for herself as I still looked around. We clinked our glasses together and we both took a sip...er gulp… Her eyes widened as she watched me down the whole thing. I swallowed the last of it before placing the glass back on the table. "You feel better?" I nodded my head. "I think so," I tried to give her a convincing smile but she just looked more concerned. Why was I so freaking nervous? It would be one thing if I was professing my love to him after all these years, but I was just gonna say hi and maybe catch up with him. Nothing too major! "Would you care to drink another with me, Sweetheart?" I heard a deep voice from behind me. Judging by the look on her face he must have been quite a looker. I slowly turned around to a broad chest, I looked up to see nothing but a jawline that could cut anyone and dimples that could compete with mine. "Actually, how about we share a drink, Dear?" Joanna shoved me out of the way with a devilish grin. He seemed to be much more enchanted with her and smiled at her. She gestured for me to go on and I gave her a nod of thanks. I made my way through the swarms of people uncomfortably searching high and low. I was just about to check the upstairs when I caught a glance of a familiar build. He wore a casual black suit that fit him well. I cocked my head and slowly made my way over to the figure. He was standing with a few guys who were all laughing and I saw the side of his face. It was him. I quickly made my way over to him just to hear "Benny!" A pretty busty blonde ran over to him and I whipped around in the other direction so fast I almost lost my balance. I hid behind a marble pillar and watched them from afar. She seemed giddy because she was bouncing up and down with a smile. Maybe I shouldn't go to him just yet, maybe I should just wait it out? That's when Joanna slid in front of the blonde, "Benny Rodriguez!" She said as she looked around. "Shit!" I whispered to myself. "Joanna, hey!" He hugged her and I turned around. This suddenly got awkward and I knew I had to go over there to smooth things over. I was no chicken. I straightened myself up. "How have you been-great! Have you seen Robin yet?" That was my cue. "Hey, aren't you the one who sang the national anthem today?" A lady in red asked me. "Oh, yes." I answered. She then smiled. "I thought you sang it so beautifully! Please go sing something up on stage." She grabbed my hand and dragged me behind her. "Wait!" I shouted but was ignored. She brought me over to a huge separate room that indeed had a stage along with performers already there. "Hey! This girl sang the national anthem at the game! She's got a great voice, have her sing a song!" She shouted over to the current singer who was currently drinking a bottle of water. "Oh, well sure thing, babe!" He said with a smile. "Actually I need to-" I was quickly silenced as I felt a couple of hands lift me onto the stage and was handed the mic. "Here, ya go! Ready whenever you are." I watched as the crowd below me gather their attention to me. Well, the show must go on.
- "Love, love will keep us together
Think of me babe, whenever
Some sweet talking girl comes along singing her song
Don't mess around, you've just got to be strong, just stop
'Cause I really love you, stop
I'll be thinking of you
Look in my heart and let love keep us together." -
I noticed that Joanna came running in and made her way up to the front. She gestured to my feet, I quickly took off my heels and threw them to her. She caught them with a smirk while shaking her head. I couldn't help but shrug as I continued to sing.
- "You, you belong to me now
Ain't gonna set you free now
When those girls start hanging around talking me down
Hear with your heart and you won't hear a sound, just stop
'Cause I really love you, stop
I'll be thinking of you
Look in my heart and let love keep us together.
Whatever." -
The crowd seemed to get into the song because everyone was watching me and dancing along.
- "You better stop
'Cause I really love you, stop
I'll be thinking of you
Look in my heart and let love keep us together
Whatever, ba-ba-ba-ba-ba, whatever
I will, I will, I will, I will." -
After I finished the song the crowd burst in cheers and applause. I gave a little bow and turned around to the band and gestured to them for another round of applause since they were terrific in catching on. "Thank you!" I told them all before I made my way off the side of the stage. I had hands jut out for me in assistance. I got a lot of compliments and pats on the back from oncoming people. I tried to thank them all and make my way over to Joanna. "What happened!?" She asked in laughter. "I left you alone for five minutes and suddenly you're up on stage performing!?" I shrugged sheepishly. "You know how my luck is, I always end up in weird situations." She then bit her lip. "Well, it's about to get weirder." I was about to ask her what she meant but then he appeared in one swift motion. "Well if it isn't the Rockin' Robin." He had that smug smile on and his eyes twinkled from the lights. "Benny…" Joanna handed me my heels before saying, "You kids catch up, I gotta date with the sasquatch. Will you be okay if I go?" I nodded my head, "Yeah, go have fun." She then sashayed away. "You know how to make an entrance." He said with a chuckle. "I was kind of forced to, the people here are friendly but boy are they touchy." He then offered me an arm. "Come on, how about you get some air?" I took it with a raised eyebrow. "Got something up your sleeve?" He shrugged with a smile. "Guess you'll have to find out." He led me upstairs to a large balcony. I was surprised to see it empty since there were people everywhere. "Awfully quiet out here," He nodded his head. "That's what all the guest rooms are for. Why go out on the balcony when you can have some comfort and privacy?" I then gave him a look. "Been to a party or two?" He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. "That's what happens when you make it to the majors. I'm sure you've had your fair share…?" He looked at me for reassurance and I slowly nodded my head. "Yeah, kind of," I then looked away. I've been to plenty of parties that had loads of making out, snorting coke, splashing beer around, and loud music. I was usually the loud music though. "You sang great out there on the field today. And earlier downstairs." I smiled. "Thank you." I brushed back my hair as he cleared his throat. "So, how's the family been? The twins are still in elementary, right?" I nodded my head. About a few weeks after I had found out about Mom's pregnancy the doctor told her she had not one, but two babies to be expected. It was a major shock to everyone, mostly to me because I had gone from being an only child to the oldest in a matter of months. Although, I will admit that Francisco and Jessica were the cutest babies I had ever seen. "They're all good and yeah 4th grade. I visit home every once in a while. What about your folks?" I asked with a smile. "They're all good too." It got quiet for a second and I quickly asked about his career. "Yeah, it's crazy but it's everything that I've ever wanted. Playing baseball for a living, traveling the country, have a huge support system, and meet some great people along the way. What more could a guy ask for?" I nodded my head. I was happy that he was living his dream, not everyone was so lucky. "What about you? Surely the life of rock and roll is something amazing to wake up to every day?" I scoffed. "Yes, I've learned to expect the unexpected." It then got quiet and it somehow got awkward. I couldn't help but laugh. "What's so funny?" He asked, confused. "How did it get like this? We used to stay up late all night and have talks about baseball and conspiracy theories and here we are, struggling." I sat down on a bench nearby and dropped my heels. "Yeah, I remember those conversations. We used to stay up for hours. Remember when we would go to that one grassy area and just watch the stars?" I nodded my head. "I miss those days. Life was so simple." I turned to look over at him. "Hey, you wanna get out of here and go back to my place? I'm sure Ham would love to talk to you for a bit." He seemed to perk up a bit. "Hell yeah, let's go."
We had called a taxi and were sitting in silence on the way over. "So, you and Ham?" I looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. "Are you two….?" I quickly shook my head, "No. I love Ham, but he's my brother. That's why we're roommates." He nodded his head and didn't question me any further. That was such a weird question, I hadn't expected that coming from him. When we got to my door I could hear music playing. "Hmm, I guess he's got a date tonight," I said as I pulled out my key and unlocked the door. "Hammy, I'm home!" I sang out as I walked in on him spraying cologne down his pants to Elvis playing in the background. "Perfect timing! Tell me how do I look-" He looked up at us and dropped his cologne bottle. "Benny!?" He then rushed over and grabbed Benny's hand and patted his back. "Good to see you, man! Congrats on winning today." He said with a smile. "It's good to see you too, and thanks." I gave them a little time before I walked into his room and turned off his record player. I found a navy blue coat hanging up on his door that matched his shirt and pants and grabbed it off the hanger. I turned off the lights and shut the door behind me; I picked up the cologne bottle off the floor and placed it on the coffee table. I then walked back over and handed his jacket to him. "Thanks, does it look good?" He asked while gesturing to himself. "Of course, now get out of here! Don't make her wait!" I said as I pushed him out the door. "Wish me luck! See you guys later!" I shut the door behind me and smiled at him. "He go on dates a lot?" He asked. "Oh yeah," I replied as I walked over to the kitchen and flipped on the lights, "Can I get you anything?" He shook his head. I, however, grabbed myself a bottle of water from the fridge. As I opened it up and took a sip, he watched me. "You still love me, right?" I spewed out my water into the sink since I had accidentally inhaled it from that startling question. "I'm gonna take that as a "no"." I raised my hand and shook it. I collected myself the best that I could as I stood back up and patted my mouth dry. "Of course I still love you, we've been through so much together, Benny. I thought you knew that?" He didn't meet my eyes. "You….you didn't go after me like I thought you would. I know that you keep up with all the others. Smalls always let's me know when you send him a postcard from touring, or when you send him a new album. It wasn't much of a stretch to think you do the same for the others. But when I didn't get anything, it hurt. I know I shouldn't have expected you to do all the work, I could've easily picked up the phone and called you at any point. But, I noticed something in our senior year. You didn't talk to me the same way you used to. It was so confusing. Did I do something wrong?" I was a bit confused. I did try to reach out to him by sending him stuff but he never bothered to respond. At least that's what I always thought. "Benny, I sent you a record every time The Melting Pot finished an album." He looked up at me with confusion written across his face. "What?" I walked out of the kitchen and turned off the light. I headed over to the couch and sat down; I patted him to sit down next to me and he slowly made his way over. "I guess, you never got them. I didn't send it to you personally because I wasn't sure where you lived, but I always sent it to your parent's house and had instructions for them to send it to you." It made sense now. His Dad wasn't gonna have me distract him. He sat down and shook his head. "That doesn't make any sense though, why wouldn't they send them to me?" I guess I should tell him, if not now then never. "You mentioned earlier how senior year I was acting differently towards you? Well, here's why."
- Flashback Starts -
I was brushing out my hair in the restroom mirror as Mrs. Rodriguez called out, "Alright, let's go! Robin!?" I was just finishing up, "Listo!" I replied. I turned around and was about to head to the front door but was stopped by Mr. Rodriguez. "Lo siento," I replied since I bumped into him. "Robin, you're here?" I nodded my head. "Yeah, I'm coming with you guys to the game." He gave me a weird look. "You getting dolled up better not cost us the game." I was taken aback. He said with a slight aggression that I had never heard before. "No sir, not getting dolled up just getting ready." He scoffed. "You and I both know that isn't true. I know you get all pretty just for him." I could feel some sort of dread sink into my stomach. "I'm not blind, I can see how you two look at each other. You're both kids, don't get yourselves involved with something neither of you know about. After all, you've got your singing career and he has his baseball one. Focus on that; you would just be a distraction. Do I make myself clear?" I wanted to say something, anything to tell him off, but I couldn't. "Yes sir." He patted my shoulder with a smile. "Good, come on. We've got a game to catch."
- Flashback Ends -
His eyes were focused elsewhere with his leg rapidly bouncing up and down. "Benny…" He stood up. "I cannot believe my Dad would do that. I sighed as I watched him pace around. "I trusted him and he….a distraction!?" He turned around and looked down at me. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. His eyes averted mine as he shook his head. "It's okay, Benny. Mira, estamos aqui." I stood up and slowly approached him. "Es mi culpa. I should have known after all this time." He looked up at me and inched towards me. "You were never a distraction. I know this isn't enough but I'm so sorry." He reached up and lightly grazed my cheek. Our eyes bore into each other as if one of us was going to disappear. He reached behind my head and pulled me into a hug. A much-awaited hug. I slid my arms around him and inhaled. He smelled so good and oh had I missed this feeling. He kissed the top of my head gently as he held me close. I could feel all doubts and worries melt away as hope planted itself back into my stubborn heart. I pulled back and gave him a smile. "What shall we do now since we have a lot of time to make up for?" I asked with a wink. "I've got a few things in mind." I cocked my head. "Please don't say parties, I don't think I can handle anymore spontaneous performances or heels for the rest of the week." He threw back his head in laughter. "You're too much, Robin!"
Translations:
Listo - Ready
Lo siento - I'm sorry
Mira, estamos aqui - Look, we're here
Es mi culpa - It's my fault
Songs used in this chapter (I don't own any of these songs and had no hand in creating them):
When We Were Young by: Adele
The Star Spangled Banner written by: Defence of Fort M'Henry
Love Will Keep Us Together by: Captain & Tennille