Page 46 of Love & Streetball

“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.

14

“I’ve never been to the zoo,” Slim admitted as we were leaving. She gushed at every animal and reptile she saw. Her favorite was the giraffes.

Walking with my hands in the pockets of my joggers, I told her, “Well now you can say you have. What else…what else haven’t you done that you want to do?” I quizzed.

“A lot,” she laughed. “I haven’t done a lot of things, Kane.”

“Let’s find something to eat and then figure out what else you want to do,” I told her.

I looked up at the sky. It was midday, but the sky was darkening. It was going to rain in a few. I could smell it.

“You’re going to spend your whole spring break with me, nigga?” Slim smirked.

“Maybe. I ain’t doin’ shit else.”

Right when we hopped in my car, the rain started pouring down.

“What the old folks be saying?” Slim laughed, putting on her seatbelt. “We needed this rain.”

I snickered and started the car. The windshield wipers instantly came on.

“Food?” I queried, looking in Slim’s direction.

She was really a pretty girl. Her locs were longer now and pulled into a half up, half down style. Slim’s body was filling out and I could tell she tried to hide it.

“Stop looking at me, Kane. That’s weird.”

I snapped out of it and my head swung back forward. She’d caught me staring at her. I had to laugh at myself.

“You weird,” I mumbled, pulling out of the spot I was backed into. “You want to eat or starve?”

Slim rolled her eyes with a smile on her face. “You wouldn’t even let me starve if I even asked you to, nigga. I’m down to eat whatever you get.”

We would have to hit the drive thru since the rain wasn’t letting up. We were in an are where food places were up and down the street we were on. I decided on burgers as I drove, and pulled into the drive-thru.