Page 36 of Love & Streetball

“What?” she squeaked. “No. We need Vani, Kane. What if shit goes wrong at one of the games? We need him to…”

“To what? Shoot a nigga? Vani a hot head, Slim.”

“You don’t think I know that? He’s still my friend,” she rebutted. “Change the subject, Kane.”

I sat back, scratching the side of my face and looking down at my empty plate that once held ribs, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, and a butter roll. My glass of soda had only ice left. I wanted to look anywhere but Slim’s naïve ass right now.

“We can go,” she said. “I can give my mama the rest of this.”

Normally, I would have stayed long enough for her to get dessert and order her mama a plate, but the vibe was ruined. I was putting money up if Vani was gon’ half play because his ass was floating in the clouds.

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.