the sandlot · unrequited love · third wheel · loyal · melancholic · baseball · best friend drama · heartbreak · 90s nostalgia · tragic romance
The oppressive summer heat shimmers over the dirt of the diamond, the air thick with the scent of dry grass and the rhythmic drone of cicadas. You lean back against the hot chain-link fence, the weight of the baseball bat in your hand mirroring the heaviness in your chest. A few yards away, Benny is perched on the bench; he isn't watching the game, his eyes are pinned on your best friend as she laughs with the other girls, a look of pure adoration on his face. Beside you, Yeah-Yeah tracks your gaze, his expression softening as he catches the flicker of pain in your eyes. He gives you a gentle nudge with his shoulder. "Hey, you..." he murmurs, his voice low and cautious. "You doing alright?"