"You spit on a boy."

"Boy? Don't try to make it seem like I spit on some helpless 3 year old, Adam is older than me and also a lot bigger."

Coach O'Nial was angry and it was evident with how red his face was. "You know you have a lot of attitude for someone who is on very thin ice on loosing their job."

I slumped in my chair and sighed, knowing that my attitude wasn't going to get me very far if I continued on. "It doesn't matter how old he is, you are technically a superior and you spit on him."

"What about what he did to me and Benny?"

"I understand what he did but he's claiming that it was an accident, and is easily played off as such. You spitting on him wasn't an accident, Toni." He fell into his own chair pinching his eyes together. "You represent the school now, what you did was seen as unprofessional and almost abusive." I kept my mouth shut about that. "I don't have much of a choice since almost everyone is claiming that you have an anger problem, as well as a drinking problem."

"What?" I snapped forwards in my chair. "I was sober."

"Which probably isn't your best argument. If you blame it on alcohol it's just some kind of drunken action, if you say you were sober then you have rage issues."

"What about me driving home? won't someone have something to say about that?"

He sighed. "Look Toni, no matter how you spin the story, I still have no choice but to demote you."

"Demote me how?" I wasn't sure how lower in the ranks I could get, I was already a girl with no influence.

"You're officially equipment manager only, which means during tryouts and practices you set everything up, collect balls, watch clean up and go home. You also get water and-"

"I'm not going to be referred to as a water girl."

"Toni-"

"These guys already don't have any respect for me, and you're going to make me fetch them water and pick their balls up for them?"

"Respect is earned Toni, not just given. You want more influence, you have to pay your dues."

I didn't say anything else, there was nothing to say, I had spit in Adam's face and I had to suffer the consequences, I was just pissed off that Adam was getting off.

I left his office in a huff pulling the door open and storming out, nearly hitting a student as I did.

"Hey!" Kenny called after me as I stormed down the hallways, I had almost forgot him and Benny had been waiting for me. "Sunshine what happened?"

"I'm a fucking water girl now, that's what happened." I snapped, fists clenched I marched down the hall and towards the large stairs that would lead me to the main corridor of the school and

out to the parking lot.

"What about Adam?"

"Speak of the bastard." Benny hissed, I looked up from my shoes to see that Adam was making his way up the staircase, a embarrassed look on his face as he saw me.

"Toni, can I talk to you.'

Benny answered for me. "No."

"Look I'm sorry okay?"

I rolled my eyes, "if you were sorry you wouldn't have told O'Niall that you tripped me by accident and that my spitting at you was nothing but a fit of rage."

"It was an accident. Toni I'm sorry I was really drunk, I don't even remember two nights ago."

"So that's my problem?"

"I get stupid when I'm drunk."

"And for some reason that didn't come up in conversation with the coach did it?"

Adam looked down at his shoes as if he was being reprimanded by his mother for spilling soda on the rug, he looked almost childish. "I'm really sorry, but he promised me he wasn't going to fire you. Baseball is all I have, if I get banned from tryouts I have nothing. I panicked, and I am truly really sorry."

I walked past him then, he sounded sincere but I was too angry to accept his apology at that moment but he stopped me, grabbing my arm.

"Hey don't touch her!" Benny snapped, and Adam let go like I had burned him.

"I'm sorry, Toni really I am."

I rolled my eyes and turned to face him fully. "It doesn't matter Adam, not only did you get me demoted from my job by provoking me, you also made me look like an idiot in front of everyone trying out. You made me a bigger joke than I already am." I continued walking then, the next cut was being made and the list was going to be put up at 1 o'clock. They at least shared that much information with me, everyone else would be notified at one thirty that it was up to avoid the mass crowd of angry teenagers.

It was 1:06 and we were practically running to the field when we arrived in Benny's truck.

"I don't think I've ever been this nervous." Benny said, he was practically jumping out of his skin.

"What about when Squints almost drowned?" Kenny asked.

"I was more nervous about what Wendy was going to do to him. But I guess you're right, this is a close second."

The list was posted on the back of the dugout, I didn't blame Benny for being nervous he had a lot less time to impress the coaches then anyone else did, there was going to be a major cut and then Benny was going to be heading into the final tryout before the exhibition tournaments, that was when he was going to really shine.

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when I saw Kenny's name first on the list, It meant that I had to look through all the names to find Benny's it wasn't in alphabetical order, and my heart rate leapt more and more as I scanned through the sea of names.

"Oh thank God!" Benny yelled throwing his fist in the air. I managed to breathe out when I saw his name, second to last on the list of names, right before Adam Annex.

There were a few more that I recognized and a few that I could only assume were still here because of Daddy's money.

"Congratulations." I said giving them each a hug. "I'm glad you guys are sticking around."

"You know, we should go back to the Valley for a day or two, you know before the guys go off to school." Benny said as we walked back to the truck. "Kenny you should come too."

"You better fucking believe I'm coming, I'm still pissed at you for going without me."

"Me?" I asked when I saw his finger pointed at me. "You're the one who moved away."

"My parents made me."

"If I recall every single one of us offered to hide you in our basements, and you still went."

"Shut up." He laughed. "Anyways, yeah I'm definitely coming. When?"

Benny shrugged pulling his truck door open, "I'm thinking after tryouts, you know before school starts."

"That reminds me, have to told the coaches what you want to apply for if you get on the team?"

"They don't have an automotive program here." He shrugged. "Maybe architecture."

"Benny you hate math, how are you going to do that?" Kenny asked jumping into the back."

"It was just a thought. I was also thinking Sports Science."

"I could see you going that." I said. "But you know it probably means learning about another sport other than baseball."

"Men have a natural ability to understand any sport." Kenny stated from behind us. Benny started the engine and pulled out of his spot and towards the road.

"Then how do you explain Smalls?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"How does anyone explain Smalls, Smalls is a rarity, an outlier."

Benny placed his hand on my knee catching my attention. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"You accept your offer yet? To Social services?" My silence was his answer. "God damn it Toni, why not?"

"If I accept the offer I'm going to be stuck with Clara for who knows how many years."

"It's a two year course."

"I can't live with Clara for two more years Benny."

Kenny leaned forward in his seat. "So what do you plan on doing? Benny's gonna be here for at least two years Sunshine, what are you going to do in that time?"

"I'll save up from working here and then move out or something when I turn 18 like I planned before."

"How cheap do you think apartments are? I know you're not making enough to live on your own Toni, you only work a few hours a week."

"And when the season starts I'll be working more."

Benny cut in then. "So why not move out, work and all that stuff and go to school?"

"Benny students are only allowed to work so many hours. I have a part time employment right now, but I can work as much as I want. If I'm a student they'll only let me work twelve hours a

week. That means I can't go to games or tournaments, I can only make the practices and would even have to leave early for some."

"It's your education. What do you plan on doing when this is all over? You won't have a college degree."

"I can go to college at any point."

"But-"

"Benny." I snapped. He shut his mouth quickly and glanced at me from the corner of his eye. "The only thing that matters is getting out of that house. I'm seventeen and look what she did last night."

"Whoa." Kenny said jumping in. "What happened last night?"

I didn't want to tell him, Kenny had a temper, he always had and although I hadn't seen it since I got to Florida, something told me that it hadn't gone anywhere.

Kenny was also kind of wasn't a realist, he saw things as they should be and not how they are, in his mind the cops would be called, I would be taken away from Clara and move in with him and everything would be okay.

But things didn't work that way and it would be one hell of a time trying to convince him otherwise.

Benny unfortunately did it for me. "She threw a vase at her."

"Huh?"

"She threw a fucking vase at her." He repeated.

"Why?"

"Kenny what reason could she possibly have that would justify throwing a vase at her?"

I cut in then before Benny got too heated up.

"She was mad at me for not signing up for school yet. A letter stating that I only had a week or two left to confirm my offer arrived and she wasn't too happy about it."

"So she threw a vase at you?"

"After a few minutes of yelling and name calling yeah. It's not like it hit me, it hit the wall "

Benny's hands tightened on the wheel so his knuckles turned white. "Tell him the rest." When I didn't say anything he turned to look at me, and said through his teeth. "Tell him." I had been hoping that Benny would leave the rest out but of course he didn't.

"I cut my leg. She pushed me, I fell onto the broken glass and I cut my leg."

"Christ Sunshine, we should just-"

"We're not calling the cops." I said instantly. That conversation seemed to die quickly, because they didn't say anything else, I watched out the window as the houses flew by. "Wait where are

we going?" We were on route to Kenny's house.

"Dropping Kenny off."

"Why? I thought we were going to eat."

"We are." Benny confirmed.

'Sorry Sunshine." Kenny said. "Benny kicked me out of our lunch plans, he wants time alone with you."

Benny smiled at me, and despite it being a very sweet gesture to have some time alone with me I knew that there was going to be an extensive conversation about something. We had been dating for years and it was rare for us to have time alone and we had been completely fine with it, the only time he demanded time alone was when he had a serious conversation in mind, and even then Smalls occasionally joined in.

We let Kenny out outside his house and we took off. I had only seen Kenny's parents twice since I was here and the first time they weren't too sure who I was.

Couldn't blame them, we all loved Kenny's parents but they were a bit on the strict side of parenting, Kenny said that they liked us a lot but we did give them plenty of opportunities not to, like when we busted open Kenny's cast making him hit baseballs with it.

They clicked when they matched then name to the person and were super welcoming but since I hadn't seen them in a few years I was worried that my antics were still fresh in their mind.

Benny turned avoiding town, "What the heck are you doing? Town is that way."

"I know." He said simply.

"Then where- Benny are you insane?"

"What?"

I recognized the houses as we turned again. "We can't go to my house."

"Well we can't go to Kenny's and I want to be alone with you."

"Why do you insist on doing this? Every time there is even the slightest chance of getting caught, we get caught."

He smiled at me, "It makes it more fun."

"Benny, we are not going in that house, Clara-"

"Clara went out of town for two days."

"How in the world do you know that?"

"Because when I was picking you up today she had a suitcase with her and a blonde woman was picking her up. Plus I saw the note on your door this morning."

"Clara left a note for me?"

"No, for the mailman. It says not to bring the paper for the next two days because she's gone."

I rolled my eyes at that, Clara and I didn't speak and it's not like she bragged about me around town being her step daughter but I would think she would at least mention she was disappearing

for two days. Then again maybe not.

She had a habit of doing this kind of thing, we fight something happens and I don't really see her for a few days, kind of her way of getting out of it I guess.

"You didn't mention it?"

Benny shrugged. "I thought you knew until you started yelling at me."

"I wasn't yelling."

Benny only smiled, his smile meant that he knew that he had won whatever kind of encounter this was, my attitude had disappeared and to him that was a win.

When we walked into the house, Clara indeed wasn't there, and there were no notes anywhere to indicate that she was missing.

"Maybe you should report that she ran away." Benny joked as we entered the kitchen.

"I'm not getting into anymore trouble with the police."

"You're hiding a fugitive at this very moment."

"Will you stop it with that? You're not a fugitive, the police aren't even looking for you anymore. What did your parents say when they heard about that anyways?"

Benny gave me a quizzical look. "You think I told them?"

"I thought they might understand considering they know how insane Clara is."

"Well, I didn't tell them, no need to really, its not like the poise showed up at my door looking for me." I shoved him away from the fridge he was blocking, he laughed as I rummaged through the fridge.

"What do you want to eat?" I asked changing the subject.

"I'll eat whatever you make."

"Wait what? You're not going to help me?"

"No?"

"You take me to my house instead of out, just so I can cook?"

Benny took a seat at the kitchen table his grin never faltering. "I took you here to be alone. But this is your house and I am the guest."

"You're a terrible boyfriend." I wasn't too sure what to make, considering there was rarely food in my house I could usually get quite creative, but with Clara being on this perfect mother stride, there was actual choice, and it was hard to make one with so much choice.

"You still like burnt toast?'

"You're making me toast?" I threw the bread back in the cabinet deciding it wasn't the best choice. "I'm not judging I was just asking." He laughed.

"I'll make mac and cheese."

"Fancy." I ignored him and attempted to measure out the macaroni into a pot before beginning to grate cheese, it had been about a minute of preparation when I felt Benny's arms slip around my waist, and his hot breath on my neck.

"What are you doing?" His response was the press of his lips along my neck, and fingers slipping under my shirt to stroke my stomach. "Cooking turning you on?"

He smiled into my neck and continued his assault, as much as I was enjoying his advances I shouldered him away from my neck. "You can't just force me to cook for you and then distract me."

He turned me around, ignoring me and leaned down to kiss me, tongue snaking its way into my mouth, fingers burning my skin, and body hard as he pressed me against the counter.

"Mmmmm." Benny groaned into my mouth as my hands slid up his chest and into his hair.

"Do you want to eat or not?" I asked against his lips.

"Hmm, mac and cheese isn't really what I'm hungry for." His kisses were demanding, needy, and absolutely perfect.

Quickly I gave in, the food forgotten temporarily as his hands slid along my hips and found the warmth of my back beneath my shirt, his strong body holding my in place as his lips trailed down my neck to my collar bone and pushing away the fabric of my shift from my shoulder.

"You know you're just proving Clara right by attacking me in my kitchen." I joked, a breathy sigh escaping my lips as he worked his magic on my skin.

"Shut up." He muttered before crushing his lips against mine.

And just like that we were rushing, our shirts forgotten on the floor, belt undone and hands griping at anything we could get ahold of.

Benny's hands wrapped around my thighs pulling me up to him so I could wrap my legs around his wast.

His lips broke from mine to attack my throat again, my hands tangled in his hair as he carried me up the stairs and into my bedroom.

"You know." Benny said as he dropped me on my bed, crawling on top of me. "This time theres no one we have to worry about interrupting. We can take our time." He whispered huskily into my lips as he kissed me again.

"That's why it was so fast last time." I joked with him, "You were rushing?" Benny shot up to a seated position glaring down at me.

"What a terrible thing to say to your boyfriend. You know I could just leave." His smile and his ranging teenage hormones told me that he wasn't going anywhere.

"Come here." I laughed pulling him down by his neck to meet my lips once again.

But Benny was right this time there was absolutely no risk of someone walking in on us, and we took full advantage of it.