Chapter 13
Ayear later…
“I’m graduating, Vani,” I whispered to the headstone.
My fingers traced the sharp, cold letters of his name.
The date of his birth date and death was carved right below, a permanent reminder of that horrible night.
The grass around the stone was sparse. Vani hated flowers, but I brought him some anyway.
It was a small bouquet of sunflowers. He was probably talking shit right now with a scowl on his face.
“I know you’re proud of me, Vani. You should’ve graduated last year, but I kept going for you…
for the both of us. It was hard.” I shook my head slowly from side to side, nibbling on my lip to keep the tears away.
“I kept playing ball because one day, that’s gon’ be my out…
for me and mama. She’s still been working like she normally does, but this year, she found her way to most of my basketball games.
” I took a breath and licked my lips. “I still play streetball…me and Jalen. Two other guys from his team joined us since Kane went off to college. He went to a university out of state. If I were him, I would have too, but sometimes I feel like he left me.”
After Vani’s funeral, I rarely saw Kane.
His parents put their foot down, scared Kane would lose his life, too.
Kane turned eighteen the day after his graduation and then we started hanging out a little again until he left.
We text each other every few days. He was in Louisiana at LSU doing him— basketball, classes, parties, and probably girls.
I pulled my knees to my chest, resting my chin on them. The wind whirled around me. The high school basketball team hoodie kept me from freezing. It was early March.
“I got a full ride, Vani. The coach from Law Grove University been on me hard…she wanted me real bad. It’s still close enough for me to visit mama, but to be honest, Vani, I don’t want to come back here.
You… You’re not here and we were my best friend for real, no matter how bad people saw you.
Whatever you did…I still don’t know. They did get justice for you, Vani.
Two guys from Dreamview ran down on you and they got life without the possibility of parole.
Two young guys…seventeen years old. It took a detective from Dreamview—June Butler, to solve your case.
I even found her on Facebook and thanked her personally. ”
My phone vibrated.
Kane.
Kane: I’m home for spring break. Got time for me?
Standing to my feet, I place a hand on Vani’s headstone. “See you later,” I told him. It was never goodbye.
I let him hug me now.
As soon as Kane noticed me walking to the court, he light jogged over and wrapped his arms around me, picking me up, my ball falling out of my hands.
“Dang, I missed you, Slim,” he uttered. He put me down and stepped back to glide his eyes over me. “You get taller?” he quizzed with a smirk.
I put two fingers together. “A little. Why are you here for spring break? Don’t college kids take trips in groups or something? Party?”
Kane’s jaw clenched and he wagged his head. “You know I don’t care for that type of shit, Slim. Plus, I had to lay eyes on you…make sure you good.” He picked up my ball and began bouncing it, crossing it under his legs in the black Nike windbreakers that snapped at the sides. “You hair looks nice.”
Winning money from the streetball games, I found a woman that loc’d my hair and made her own hair growing oil. My hair was full and neat.
“Thanks,” I replied, running my fingers through them. “I’m okay. I was visiting Vani when you texted me.”
Kane stopped bouncing the ball. “How do you feel?”
I looked away. “It doesn’t get easier.”
“I know, Slim. Let’s get a game going. I didn’t come all this way to not whoop your ass.” Kane smiled, showing all pearly white straight teeth.
Grinning, I rolled my eyes. “Boy, please. My threes are lethal now. I do not play around. Let’s go!”
Cackling, Kane passed me the ball unsnapped his pants.
Blue ball shorts were underneath. He stayed ready.
Kane was talking about me, but he’s grown a lot since I’ve last seen him, and he had more hair on his chin.
His hair was cut shorter, but still had that curly top.
I couldn’t deny how cute he was. It wasn’t that boyish cute.
I shook my head to get rid of those thoughts. Pulling my hoodie over my head, I pulled my rising shirt down. When I peered back at Kane his eyes were on my body—again.
“Ready?” I questioned, squinting at him. We tossed our clothes on the nearby rusted bench.
“Yeah,” he huffed, running his hand through his curls. I followed him to the court. Kane began bouncing the ball on the court, the familiar thud echoing in the quiet park. It was the sound that had been the soundtrack to our friendship.
Kane bounced passed to me, letting me know it was my ball. I dribbled, watching him. His cologne wafted through the air. I faked left, then crossed back. The ball left my fingertips, a perfect arc toward the hood.
Swish.
One-zero,” I said my voice flat.
“Aight,” Kance chuckled.
When he got the ball, he drove straight to it, using his body to block me out and made a shot.
“One-one,” he exhaled.
We played like that for what felt like hours when in reality it was just thirty minutes tops. It was just the sound of us breathing hard, our sneakers on asphalt, the rhythmic bounce of the ball, the clang of the rim, and the swish of the net. It was a tie game. 11-11. I had the ball.
Kane was behind me , my back to his front.
He was a little too close. I could feel him breathing down my neck.
Dribbling hard, I backed him under the hoop.
Kane was stronger than me, but I was quicker.
Spinning, a move I’d been practicing a lot, I created just enough space to get off a shot.
The ball rolled around the rim before dropping through the net.
Leaning over with my hands on my knees, my chest heaved, I’d won.
“You got better. A lot better,” Kane said softly. “Hungry?”
I shook my head. “Not really.”
“Can we go hang at your place? I know Mama misses me too.” He smiled, picking up the ball.
“Don’t call my mama, mama, boy,’ I laughed, “and you said too like I missed you.”
Kane shoved me. “You did.” We grabbed our clothes. My body was still hot to put the hoodie back on so I tucked it under my arm, and snatched my ball from Kane. “I missed you, and you missed me.”
My heard did some weird shit like hammer against my ribs. I couldn’t even find something smart to shoot back. I just pressed my lips together. We walked side by side to his car…a new car. The black Bentley was a graduation gift from his parents.
“I guess we can hang. Grab you something to eat.”
Mama was home and she was very excited to see Kane.
He parked his car right in front of the house.
That night of his prom when he left his car in front of my house, it was untouched the next morning.
It was said that word went around that it wasn’t supposed to be touched.
That he was Vani’s homeboy. That meant something in the hood.
Kane and my mama talked for a bit before she was off to work.
Kane sat at the table eating his fish and salad while I showered.
The hot water washed all the weird thoughts I was having about Kane.
I could admit those feelings in this tight space and under this water spout.
I couldn’t look at him like this. I wasn’t even interested in…
anyone. He was just cute, I told myself. Nothing more.
When I came out, wrapped in a towel, Kane was walking down the hallway. I froze. My feet wouldn’t let me run back in the bathroom. His eyes met my probably horrified ones. His eyes swiftly rolled over me and then he looked away, jaw tight. I saw his Adam’s Apple bob.
“My fault,” he muttered. He turned and strolled back to the front and I scurried to my bedroom, locking the door behind me.
After drying off, I pulled on some loose sweatpants and a sports bra, then pulled a wrinkled shirt over my head.
I removed the hair tie and shook my locs.
I glanced at my appearance in the mirror.
I never just looked at myself and wondered if I was pretty.
Mama said it all the time of course, but I was her daughter and I looked just like her.
Kane was on his phone when I came back out, he didn’t even look up when I rounded the couch and plopped down beside him. I pulled my legs to my chest.
“You want to go do some fun shit tomorrow?” he quizzed.
“Like what?”
“We can go to the zoo or arcade,” Kane suggested. He still wouldn’t look at me.
I nodded. “Okay. While you’re heeeere, you want to do a game in Dreamview with me?”
Kane groaned and ran a hand down his face. “I wasn’t trying to, but if you need me, Slim…I’ll do it.”
I nodded. “I do need you. Jalen said one of the guys can’t do it.”
“I gotchu just to make sure you safe. Dreamview and nothin’ to fuck with.”
I giggled. “You cuss so bad now.”
Kane grinned. “Really bad.” We laughed. “When you go to LGU, the streetball gotta stop, Slim. You gon’ be on the right path for the WNBA.
I cocked my head to the side with a lil smile on my lips. “You think I’ma go pro?”
Kane smacked his lips and squinted his eyes with his head reared back. “Do I think you going pro? I know you are. They’ll be crazy not to have you, Slim. You’d do some damage for any team you on, bro.”
I looked down at my knees, still smiling. It felt good to know someone else believed in me that wasn’t my mama.
“What about you? Still thinking about the NBA?” I asked him, pulling my knees closer to my chest and wrapping my arms around my legs.
“Hell yeah. That’ll be crazy,” Kane exhaled out. “That would be neat when we both make it.”
“Yeah, because we will,” Kane said softly. His eyes bore in mine until I darted my eyes away.
“Um… so tell me how college is. Tell me everything,” I whispered.
Chuckling, Kane tossed his head back. “It ain’t much to tell, Slim. For real. I go to class, practice, and the gym. I’ve been to a few parties. They be crazy wild.”
“Your parents still track your every move?” I asked jokingly.
Kane frowned and my heart made some weird fluttering. His facial expression was hard, but cute. There goes that word again.
“Hell no. I turned that shit off.” Kane sat up and stretched his hand out. “Lemme see your phone.” This time I frowned, but I handed it over to him after unlocking it. “You can have my location and I’ll have yours.”
I snickered. “I don’t need you to keep up with me, boy.”
Kane nodded. “Yeah you do. Plus, when you go over to Dreamview without me, I can have peace of mind that you’re okay. Vani’s gone, Slim. I have to watch over you now.”
I swallowed a lump in my throat at the sound of Vani’s name rolling off of Kane’s tongue.
I hate to admit that Mama and Kane were right.
Vani was in some sort of trouble and I could have been killed along with him, but at the end of the day…
Vani was still my friend. I miss him so much.
After talking to his uncle, he admitted Vani was in the streets heavy and that it would eventually catch up to him… and it did.
Hugging my legs tighter, I fought my tears back. Vani was a sore subject, and even mama knew that.
“Okay,” I finally whispered.