Chapter 11
“And you said you got that money from where, Scottie?” Mama asked with her hip pushed out and a hand on it.
I was sitting at our chipped table eating pancakes, bacon, and eggs.
After Kane had dropped me off, I caught up with Vani and he took me to the nearby grocery store.
Mama was at work, but I made sure when she got home that there was food in the refrigerator.
When I woke this morning, the scent of breakfast being made had me hopping out of the bed.
“A basketball game,” I said between chewing the pancakes.
Her tired eyes narrowed on me.
“A basketball game? Scottie, you’ve been playing basketball for years out here. Since when does money get involved.” She pointed the spatula at me. “All money ain’t good money.”
I groaned. “I know, Mama. I know.”
“Who got you doing that, huh? Vani?”
Groaning again, I palmed my face. “What do you and Kane have against Vani? What has Vani done that was so bad that everybody think he’s just this bad person? He’s always looking out for me.”
“Oh, I like that Kane kid. We on the same page. Just because Vani look out for you, Scottie…that don’t mean nothing. You don’t know what else he does when you’re not around him. I know his uncle. Believe me…I can tell when the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
I dropped my fork, the clatter against the plate loud in our small kitchen.
“Wait, did you say you like Kane?” The words came out before I could clamp my mouth shut.
Mama nodded. “He seems like a nice kid. Not because he buys you things, but because he seems really genuine with how he moves with you, Scottie. It seems like he kind of likes you.”
My face contorted and I knew I was making a really ugly face.
“Like me? Me and Kane are just friends. Nothing more than that.” I snorted. “Don’t ever say that again.”
“He seems to have sense, and that’s why I don’t mind you running with him.” She sighed out, as she sat down with her own plate of food.
I was still stuck on her saying she thinks Kane likes me.
She met Kane maybe once or twice, therefore, how could she even see something like that.
He doesn’t flirt with me. If he did, I would have been punched him in his mouth.
We chill like we’re homeboys. We chill like I chill with Vani, and she’s never said that about Vani. Mama was tripping.
Kane hadn’t texted me today. He had to still be salty about how I was sticking up for Vani. Yeah, Vani could be a hot head, but he was still my friend. Just like he would stick up for me, I stick up for him. Kane was out of line and if he wanted to be stubborn, I will too.
I was back in bed after cleaning the kitchen and taking a shower.
My body was sore from playing ball. I’d placed four hundred dollars in a box under my bed.
I wanted to save enough to where me and mama wasn’t living paycheck to paycheck.
If I could help her every month with a few bills, I would.
That’s why I needed to know when the next basketball event was.
If I had to do it without Kane, then I would have to .
Who was I fooling? We won because of Kane. I couldn’t do this without him.
Sighing in a long breath, I moved my thumb to my messages and clicked on his thread.
Me: Hey.
The three bubbles didn’t pop up quickly like they usually do. Every time I text Kane, if he wasn’t sleep, or away from his phone, he’d respond right away. Five minutes passed. Ten minutes went by. Nothing.
I called him. I never call him.
Still no answer.
“I know he isn’t that fucked up about yesterday,” I mumbled under my breath.
I sunk in deeper in my bed with the box fan blowing in my face. Normally, I’ll have it cut off to dave on the electricity bill, but it was climbing to eighty degrees and I could help mama with that bill now.
My phone rung as I was drifting off to sleep.
“You called me?” Kane answered. I could hear the wind whipping through the phone.
“Yeah… You busy?” I asked, turning to my other side.
“Just left church.”
“Oh.” I clamped my mouth shut. “My bad.”
I heard the clicking of his turn signal.
“You good. You needed something?” Kane asked.
I bit down on my bottom lip. “I was just seeing if you were mad.”
Why do I even care?
Kane snorted out a laugh. “Mad? What is there to be mad about, Slim?”
I shrugged as if Kane could see me. “I…I was just checking. What are you doing now?”
The wind started whipping again.
“In the car with my mom.”
“Invite her to dinner,” I heard his mom say. My eyes ballooned. “I’ll make sure your father is on his best behavior.”
Kane cleared his throat.
“Do you want to come over to eat dinner, Slim? I know you heard my mama,” Kane mumbled.
“Tonight?” I managed to squeak out.
Kane chuckled. “Yeah, man.”
“Oh…ok.”
“I’ll be by to get you later.,” he said.
“Ok,” I replied, and then ended the call.
Kane was at my house at 5 p.m. Mama had gone to work an hour earlier, full off the left over food I had for her from the steak house. Depending what Kane’s people had for dinner, and how kind they were, she might have another plate waiting for her when she clocked out.
I’d chose blue jeans, a nice graphic Spider-Man shirt from Wal-Mart that I’d gotten last year, and even though they didn’t match, the shoes Kane had bought me.
My edges were swooped. I never cared to do them. I did them tonight. Mama had some perfume she’d gotten from the dollar store. It smelled decent so I pumped a few sprays on my clothes.
The ride was quiet between us two except for Kane playing his rap music. The wind whipped through the car since he decided to let all four windows down.
“You nervous?” Kane asked, as we grew closer to his home. I kind of remembered the way.
“A little,” I replied honestly. “I don’t know how your dad is going to act.”
Kane shot me a look before putting his eyes back on the road. “I don’t either,” he uttered. Kane ran a hand through his curls. I don’t know what drove me to reach over and pull a strand, just to see it bounce back in place. Kane shot me another look, his bushy brows pushed up this time.
“Sorry,” I laughed.
Kane shifted in his seat, and I wasn’t sure if he was uncomfortable now or what. I’d never did anything like that before.
“It seems like he kind of likes you.”
I shook that out of my head, turning toward the window. I jumped when I felt one of my locs being pulled. Kane was grinning when I turned to him. A wide smile spread on my lips, and I faced the window again, putting my wrist to my mouth to cover it up.
Kane is the first person besides Vani that wanted to hang out with me, and he isn’t even from the same side of town I was.
Sometime it had me wondering if there was a motive behind it.
Like, did him and a few of his friends make a bet to see if Kane could pull me or something?
Nah, Kane wouldn’t do anything like that.
That’s what I tell myself. Kane’s been so nice to me, I sit around trying to make shit up in my head to make it seem like he was a bad guy.
Moments later, he was easing into their circular driveway. My hands began to sweat. I wasn’t worried about his mama since she was the one who had invited me. It was his very opinionated father that had my skin prickling.
“I won’t let him disrespect you, Slim,” Kane told me in a low tone, as if reading my mind. “I promise.”
“Okay,” I mumbled. I unbuckled my seatbelt and opened the door when Kane opened his.
The door to the house opened, and a thin, pretty, Blasian woman stepped out with a smile plastered on her lips. She wore a dress shirt and wide leg pants which I couldn’t understand because Mama cooked comfortably in an old t-shirt and shorts.
Kane waited for me to round the front of his car and then we walked side by side up the steps. Kane looks nothing like his dad, because he was his mom’s twin from the tight eyes, curly hair, and the medium golden skin tone.
“Hello,” she spoke. “I’m JaMika.”
“Hey,” I said with a small wave. Her tight eyes flew to Kane. `
“Her name is Scottie, Ma.”
“Are you named after your father?” she asked.
“My mother,” I answered. “Her name is Scottland.”
Kane’s mom nodded and then stepped back to let us inside. I wiped my hands on my jeans. Their home smelled of food being cooked, and cleaning products. I heard moving around in the kitchen, so I figured Kane’s mama wasn’t the one doing the cooking and I for sure knew it wasn’t his dad.
“The cook is finishing up. We’re having soul food tonight, Scottie,” his mama beamed and I swallowed down the laugh that was itching my throat.
Kane lightly shook his head. “I hope you love collard greens, smothered pork chops, homemade mac’ n cheese, cornbread.
I think she’s also making a banana pudding. ”
“Yes, ma’am,” I answered through a sputtered laugh. “I do.”
“Good. Good.” She turned to her son. “Go show her where she can get cleaned up and you two come to the table. You father should be down soon.”
Kane playfully pushed me in the direction of the hallway. “C’mon, Slim.”
“Slim?” his mama called out as we began walking.
Kane chuckled. “That’s her nickname, Ma.”
I cackled. “Soul food?”
Kane just shook his head, a grin playing on his lips as he led me to the bathroom that I already knew was there.
"Your mom seems… nice," I said, my voice feeling too loud.
“She straight. She just doesn’t have a backbone when it comes to my dad at times,” Kane uttered.
I nodded as if understanding. I didn’t, and it wasn’t my place to comment on it.
We washed our hands and then I trailed Kane to the dining room. My feet stopped when I noticed a man at the table. Dark skin with broad shoulders. He was still in his suit, his tie loosened. His eyes glided up to mine.
“Michael, this is Kane’s friend, Scottie. Scottie this is my husband, Michael,” Kane’s mom introduced. “Y’all sit.”
“Um…hi,” I said, with a real lazy wave.
His dipped. “Good evening, Scottie.” It was a dry, forced greeting but I shook it off.