Page 41 of Love & Streetball

“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!”

12

“Are you not going to dance with me?” Kayla whined, with a hand on her hip. “It’s prom, Kane. We’re the prom king and queen.”

I shook my head. “Nah, I ain’t feeling it.”

Ever since I woke up today, I’d been in a bad mood. My dad had a barber at the house at eight this morning to cut my hair, then I was able to go back to sleep for a couple of hours before it was time for me to shower, and dress for prom.

They had a very dramatic prom send off that I did not ask for. I could have done without all that shit. Kayla and her parents came over, and I was forced to take pictures with her. I wore a fake smile through it all. I would rather have a basketball in my hands right now, and my feet on a court than to look Kayla in her face with all that clown makeup on. She overly did it and her mama should be ashamed for letting her come out like that. Shit just wasn’t cute at all.

“Go dance with your friends or another dude,” I told her, waving her off as I used my other hand to dig my phone out of my tuxedo pocket. I sent Slim a message, asking her what she was doing right now.

Kayla had shuffled away with an attitude. I jumped up on the stage and sat on the edge, away from everyone. The music thumped around me. I already knew when I got home, my mama would be waiting because Kayla had probably already told her own that I wasn’t entertaining the shit. I was here like they wanted.

Jalen: Bro! Vani got shot!