Page 23 of Love & Streetball

“People don’t know how to act over there either,” Kane commented. “Some deserve to get punched in the face every now and then.” His eyes fell on me, and my heart began thumping a frantic rhythm against my ribs. If she knew I’d punch someone, she’d be dragging me back into the apartment.

“Yeaaah, but I’m not picking anyone else up from no county jail. No later than ten, Scottie.” She kissed my forehead, which made me cringe.

Once we were in his Maybach, I relaxed.

“Your mama is laidback,” Kane stated, pulling away from the curb.

“She can be a lil’ extra sometimes.”

“Ain’t all moms extra?” he snorted.

I glanced over at Kane with his fresh fade and crisp lineup. He was wearing a red and white striped Ralph Lauren Polo shirt and blue jeans that were creased to perfection.

“Your parents know you’re on this side?”

“Nah, but they’re out of state for the weekend. They’re attending some ball. They not worry about me when they get around those other rich folks. They’re more worried about fitting in, especially my dad. What made you come hang with me tonight?”

“To get my mind off losing the game,” I honestly replied. “Where are we going anyway?”

“My crib.”

I looked over at him. “Are you out of your mind?”

“A little bit,” he replied with a chuckle.

I snorted through my own chuckle, shaking my head. “You are insane.”

“I can have friends over.”

I cocked my head to the side. “Oh, we’re friends?”

Kane smiled real big and scratched the side of his face. “Yeah, we’re friends, Slim. I like you. You coo’. Is it a problem to be friends?”

“No, it’s no problem, but I do want you to tell me about this streetball where I can get money. I need to um…help my mama out somehow. She has a lot on her plate right now.”

Kane’s smile faded, replaced by a look of serious consideration.

“I don’t know why I even mentioned it. These niggas hate to lose, Slim,” he said.

“I’m sure. I hate to lose, too. Maybe one or two games won’t hurt.”

Kane exhaled roughly. “Maaan, you’ll get addicted, especially when you win, and you take home the prize. You won’t know when to stop.”

I peered out the window briefly, noticing we were in a neighborhood where these houses were humongous. My eyes grew bigger and bigger each time another came into view.

“You don’t know,” I finally uttered. “I’ll know when to stop. I just need you to tell me when and where, and I’ll go by myself.”

Kane turned right and eased into the driveway of a house that could be on the cover of a magazine. It made some of the houses around it look like dollhouses. It was a sprawling two-story structure of dark brick and glass. The manicured lawn was a deep, impossible green, and the spotlights lining the house made it glow against the darkening sky. I just sat there, my mouth slightly agape, a fly could zoom in. My eyes were trying to take it all in.

Kane killed the engine, breaking me from the trance I was in. He opened his door, and I followed his lead. I trailed Kane up the stone walkway. He unlocked the massive front door and pushed it open, stepping aside to let me in. The moment I entered, my breath caught in my throat. I’ve never been inside something this beautiful.

The entryway had a floor made of actual gleaming marble that stretched back toward a grand staircase, and a chandelier that looked like it was made of a million tiny crystals hung from a ceiling so high, it felt like it was in the sky. It smelled like lemons and money.

“It’s just a house, Slim,” Kane said, tossing his keys into a bowl on a table in the hallway.”

“A damn palace,” I grunted.

Kane sucked his teeth. Of course, he didn’t think twice about his home because he was used to it. Me? I’ve never been invited to a house like this before in my life. Just like inside his car, I felt like I didn’t belong here. Like I was too dirty for it. I watched Kane come out of his shoes, and I did the same, leaving them on a mat not far from the door.