After pitching yet another ball to Benny in the sweltering June heat, Ham decided to complain.

"C'mon Rodriguez! We've been at this forever! I'm cookin' over here! Let's go down to the diner, please! I'm beggin' ya!" groaned Ham.

Benny snorted. "Okay, okay. Let's go guys."

The gang grabbed their bikes and started peddling down towards Cherry's, the local Diner. Cherry's wasn't always called that, it's old name was 'Aunt Paula's All-American Diner', but then the old owner decided to paint the place a sickly shade of Pepto-Bismol pink, and the name stuck.

The sandlotters soon made their way over to Cherry's, and trudged to their usual pink vinyl booth in the back, by a record machine that matched everything else in the diner. Bertram took out some change and deposited it in the machine, picking "Burning Love," by Elvis.

While waiting for the ancient, false-toothed waitress to come over, Benny noticed some girls in the corner booth, arguing quietly. Benny recognized them easily enough. Not only were they in the same grade as the boys (going into the ninth), but there had been a big scandal over them in the past year.

The girls had quit softball because they didn't think it was challenging enough, and tried out for the boy's baseball team. Though they were pretty good, Coach Daniel just laughed in their faces, which started a huge girls vs. boys feud in the neighborhood.

The girls called themselves the 'Sure Hits'. There were three of them in total. There was Petra Demitri, a loud, rather nerdy, girl with a mousy brown bob and rectangular purple-rimmed glasses. She was a short-stop. Then there was Lily Tomkins, a sweet hippie red-head with a flower constantly tucked behind her ear. She was a great outfielder, something the sandlotters never had enough people to have. Lastly (but most definitely not least), there was Elle Samuels. She was the best of the three (a pitcher), and pretty good-looking too. She had long, wavy, hair , that looked dark blond in the sun but light brown in the dark. She had tan skin and was slim. Tall, about 5'5, almost as tall as Benny himself.

When she noticed Benny eyeing them, Lily nudged the Sure Hits and said something excitedly. Petra grinned but Elle started shaking her head furiously. The girls groaned and started trying to reason with her. Grudgingly, Elle nodded.

Benny shrugged and went back to his menu. After deciding what to get, he noticed the Sure Hits walking over to the sandlotters. "We've got company, guys," muttered Benny under his breath to the team. They looked up.

Elle crossed her arms in front of herself and set her jaw. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Um, it's Benny, right? You guys play on the sandlot on Wagon Avenue?" she asked hesitantly. The boys all nodded slowly, as though responding to kindergarteners. "Well, I'm Lily. And this is Elle and Petra. We play ball too, at the empty lot on Madison Street. Or we did anyway. Their selling it, and we really need a place to play. And we were wondering... If we could play in the sandlot? I mean, we're not asking to be on the team or anything, but we do need a place to play, and we won't cause any trouble!" she finished quickly.

Ham opened his mouth to protest, but the sandlotters quickly clamped hands over it before he made on ass out of himself. The team got into a quick huddle.

"I say we let them," said Benny. "Their good, and like she said, they're not going to cause any problems."

"But their girls!" whined Ham.

"Exactly," said Squints, snorting.

The sandlotters turned to the Sure Hits. "Fine," said Benny, looking Elle right in the eyes. "You can come over now, if you want."