Chapter 11 #2
I sat down in the furthest seat away from him. Kane snickered lightly. I’m glad he found this amusing. It wasn’t like I was afraid of his dad or something. I just didn’t want to have to read his ass too badly if he tried to get under my skin because of where I live.
Mrs. Stone joined us at the table. She patted her husband’s hand. I chewed on my inside cheek. I could never be a wife like that. Him as a husband would get on my nerves. No wonder Kane was never home.
“So, you’re the ball player from Love Heights, and the same one who went to jail with Kane that night?”
“Umm…” I started.
“Really?” Kane grunted loudly.
“Yeah, I was one of them, but I didn’t do anything,” I told him. My eyes narrowed. Neither did Kane.”
Mr. Stone stoked his goatee while eyeing me. His gaze didn’t even drop when the cook began bringing plates out and placing them before us. His wife cleared her throat, but he ignored her.
“Thank you,” I told the cook, remembering that I do have manners because my mama taught me. The cook smiled at me and shuffled off.
I didn’t touch my food yet, because no one else had. Mrs. Stone blessed the food and when Kane touched his food, so did I.
“Are you ready for prom next week, Kane?” His mama beamed as she chewed.
Kane shook his head and replied, “No, but I guess I have to be, huh?”
Mrs. Stone turned to me. “Kane is taking his girlfriend to prom.”
Kane’s head reared back so fast, I thought it had unattached. “Kayla is not my girlfriend, and you are making me take her to prom. Don’t forget to add that part.”
Mr. Stone wiped his mouth. “Watch your tone, Kane,” he warned, sternly.
I continued nibbling cutting my pork chop and chewing it. The food was really good to go to waste. Kane going to prom with whoever Kayla was, was not my business.
“Are you going to your prom, um…”
“Scottie,” Kane mumbled, reminding her of my name.
“Scottie?” his mom finished.
I shook my head and let out a “No, that’s not for me. I’m a junior anyway.”
“It’s for junior and seniors, but I see that’s not your thing. Do you dress up?” she asked. Her neatly eyebrows were raised in what I guess was supposed to be polite curiosity.
“No. I don’t go anywhere where I have to dress up. I don’t wear dresses or bows,” I said in a very flat tone.
A small smirk played on Kane’s lips when I glanced his way. He knew when he brought me over here that I could hold my own. I wasn’t a disrespectful person, especially to adults, but don’t get nothing twisted…I don’t let anyone slide by disrespecting me either. They better ask Conley.
“I bet you’ll be really pretty,” she continued.
“I’m not a doll,” I advised.
“She’s already pretty,” Kane said.
My head slowly turned in Kane’s direction.
I think all of our eyes were on him in shock.
The air in the room went from tense to frozen immediately.
My heart did a weird stutter against my ribs.
Kane was looking down at his food, chewing and moving his fork around as if what he just said was normal to him.
It was not. I wasn’t used to anyone calling me pretty except my mama of course.
“Kane… I’ve never even heard you call Kayla pretty,” his mama gasped.
“Why do you keep bringing Kayla up? Me and her have nothing in common, ma. Literally nothing.”
Mrs. Stone dabbed at her lips with her napkin, her movements precise. “I wasn’t saying you weren’t pretty, Scottie. You are. Are you growing dreadlocks?”
“Locs,” I corrected her, “and yes.”
“What are you doing after your senior year, Scottie?” Mr. Stone asked after not saying anything for a while. “Are you able to pay for college?”
“Dad…” Kane grumbled.
“I can ask what I want. Stay in a child’s place, Kane.”
My eyes stretched, wondering if Kane was indeed going to stay in a child’s place.
I just sat here, feeling like I was caught in the middle of a damn hurricane.
I wanted to disappear. I wanted to tell Kane that he didn’t have to go to bat for me with his parents, but a small, selfish part was thrilled that he was fighting for me.
Only Vani and Mama have, and now Kane was.
I shrugged. “I’m hoping for a full ride basketball scholarship.”
Mr. Stone’s brows rose. “Are you that good?”
My lips parted to respond, but Kane beat me to it. “The best out of her school, just like I am but you know that only from reading newspaper articles.”
“Do you have a backup plan, Scottie?” Mr. Stone asked, basically disregarding what Kane had said. That made me shudder. It also made me angry.
“No. I know what I want and I know I’m going to get it, but…Why don’t you go to any of your son’s ball games?” I asked, sticking a piece of meat in my mouth.
Mr. Stone’s right cheek twitched, and I could see his jaw clenching from biting down on his back teeth. I’d struck a nerve, but what made him think he could ask me questions and I couldn’t?
“I work,” he gritted. “That’s why we have this nice house.”
“Do you support Kane’s love for the game?” I continued. I sipped my sweet tea but kept our eye contact.
Mr. Stone cleared his throat. “I support my son in everything, but basketball is a waste of time.”
“He could get drafted in college and go pro. How is that a waste of time?” I challenged. “What if that’s something that he wants to do?”
Kane was looking down at his plate, but that smirk still was on his lips. he was enjoying this.
“That’s something for my family to discuss,” was Mr. Stone’s response.
“Doesn’t sound like a supportive parent to me,” I muttered loud enough for him to hear.
“I think it’s time for you to leave,” he said coldly.
“Fine with me,” I smacked, pushing my chair back and standing abruptly.
“I’ll take you home, Slim,” Kane said, standing up with me.
“She can catch call for a ride,” his dad grunted.
“No, she cannot,” Mrs. Stone chirped. “Kane will take her home. She is still a teenager for goodness sake, Michael. Go, go take her home, but wait until I fix her a plate to go since she didn’t get to finish.”
“I’m okay,” I told her. It would have gone to Mama, but I didn’t want shit else from the Stones.
Mrs. Stone sighed. “It was still nice meeting you, Scottie. Kane is very fond of you.”
“Nice to meet you too,” I told her and turned to walk to the front. I didn’t have anything else to say to her husband.
In the car, Kane busted out laughing, slapping the wheel with his hand. “You handled that good, Slim.”
I snorted with a shake of my head. “I feel bad for you.”
“Fuck you and that square nigga got goin’ on?” Vani asked as we sat in front of his house that he shared with his uncle. We were side by side on the steps. Vani was smoking his weed while I scrolled through Facebook just because.
My head rose from phone as I turned to Vani, the same time he blew smoke out and ended up right in my face. I coughed, waving my hand in front of my face.
“You gon’ give me a contact high, Vani.”
He chuckled, thinking the shit was funny.
“Answer my question, Slim”
“Vani, I don’t have to answer shit, but to ease your mind, ain’t shit going on with me and Kane. We friends. That’s it,” I said with my face scrunched up. “Why?”
Vani toked on the blunt and blew the some out in the other direction this time. “I was just asking.”
“You asked for a reason, so what is it?” I quizzed. I picked up a small rock and tossed it.
“It ain’t shit,” Vani said, shrugging. “You just been hangin’ wit’ ole boy a lot.”
“Because he wants to hang out,” I nonchalantly responded. “You sound jealous, but you be doing your own thing, Vani…whether you with a hot tail ass girl or in the streets. You should be happy I have another friend.” I cackled lightly.
Vani cocked his head to the side. “Yeah, you may be right. He a good dude. He ain’t trouble like I am. I know if some shit happens to me, you’ll still have him.”
My brows furrowed. “Why would you say some shit like that, Vani. Nothing is going to happen to you.” I swung my whole body to face him. “Are you in sort of trouble or something, Vani?”
He opened his mouth, then closed it. Instead of answering me, he stood, dusted the dirt off the back of his jeans and stepped off the steps.
“Nah, Slim, and even if I was…” His voice drifted off for a moment. “…it wouldn’t be nothin’ you should worry ‘bout. I’ma be good in life and after.”
“Why the hell are you even talking like that?” I screeched, jumping up. “Vani if something is going on…. go to the police.”
Vani guffawed in his fist. “Slim, be fuckin’ for real. Me and police don’t even go together in the same sentence.” He laughed some more like this shit was hilarious. It was creeping me out. “Lemme walk you home, Slim.”
My heart was pounding against my chest. Something told me that Vani wasn’t telling me everything. It was something about how he talked. His tone. It was as if he wasn’t worried about whatever trouble he was in.
As we walked home, we didn’t talk. Vani walked with both his hands in the pockets of his Adidas pants, the unfinished blunt tucked behind his ear. I walked with my hand in front of me, tangled with one another. That uneasy feeling not leaving my chest.
We were halfway to my house when a dark car came zooming towards us. When the headlights cut off, I knew it was about to go bad.
“Run, Slim!” Vani hollered, pushing me.
My right ankle twisted, but through the pain, I took off between two houses.
I turned around to see if Vani was behind me because all I heard was my feet on the gravel.
When I did…and I wished I hadn’t because now it would be stuck to me forever…
I saw Vani reach behind him, but before he could pull anything out, gunfire rang out and his body violently thrashed around before his body dropped.
I covered my mouth to keep from screaming, but the warm tears fell down.
“Vaniiiiii!” I screamed. “Vani get up!”