Page 51 of Love & Streetball

Slim turned her head to look at me, her eyes bright and happy, the stress from the loss earlier finally gone. In that moment, with the TV flickering across her face, she was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. My laughter died in my throat. All I could hear now was the sound of my own heart.

Her smile faltered a little as she noticed the shift in my mood “What?” she snorted out.

My eyes dropped down to her plump lips and I just had to. Fuck the consequences. I’ll walk away with a black eye or two.

Leaning in, I pecked her lips. When she didn’t move fast enough, I let them linger against hers. My eyes opened to her wide ones. Slim pushed me back.

“What the fuck, Kane! What was… Why’d you do that?! She squealed out in disbelief.

“I…”

No other words came out. Slim wiped her mouth over and over as if I’d just given her something. I did it. A smile spread on my lips and on my heart.

“Fuck you smiling all goofy for, nigga? Don’t you ever put your lips on me again!” She hollered, scooting further away from me. “I’ll fuck you up !”

“Damn! Was it that bad?” I teased her.

“Unwanted!” Slim balled her fists up. “ I swear I’ll fuck you up, Kane. You crossed the line.”

I smacked my lips. “So you don’t want to be my girl?” I cut my eyes at Slim who sat that with a horrified expression. It was comical.

“Nigga what?!” Slim shook her head forcefully. “Boy, take your ass home. You’re doing too much.”

I ran a finger over my lips with a big grin on my face. “My bad, friend.” I didn’t move though.

“Don’t ever do that shit again.”

“Aight.”

And that was that.

15

That nigga put his lips on me.

That. Nigga. Put. His. Lips. On. Me.

I stood in my living room staring at the door after Kane finally dragged his weird ass out of the house at three in the morning when the last Bad Boys movie went off.

That was my first kiss…if that’s what you wanted to call it because I definitely didn’t kiss him back and there was no tongue involved. I almost vomited thinking about swiping spit with Kane.

“It seems like he kind of likes you…”

Mama’s words came right to the forefront. Loud and clear. Was she right all this time? I just thought she was just being mama, seeing things that weren’t really there, but then I really thought about it. Kane does spend all of his time with me when he could be anywhere in the world right now for spring break with the kind of money his family has. He could be on a beach somewhere surrounded by the bad bitches. But no, he had come home to be here with me. Why?

I wasn’t girly. I didn’t come from money. I didn’t dress with expensive threads. My hair wasn’t hanging down my back with the longest weave. I didn’t care about earrings or makeup. I barely remember to rub on lotion somedays. I was just…Slim. Scottie.

What was that kiss about?

As much as I wanted to text Kane and ask him what the hell his problem was, I chose to go to my room and let it go. He’ll be gone back to school in a few days, and I’ll be finishing up my last few months of high school. We were strictly friends. I didn’t even ask for that. He just really came out of nowhere and forced his ass in my life. My brain was so conflicted, I had to press my fingers on my temples and massage them.

Even if the kiss was more…I wouldn’t no a thing about kissing him back. I don’t know anything about being someone’s girlfriend. I don’t know how to be soft or how to let a nigga care for me. All I knew was how to survive, how to ball, and how to keep my head above water.

Wait, Scottie. I had to pump the brakes on myself. Why would I even think about being Kane’s girl? That was so weird. I didn’t have anyone to talk to about this except my mama and that was weird too.

In bed after handling my hygiene, I thought about what it would be like to actually be Kane’s girlfriend. Two ball players. Two different colleges. He didn’t bring it up, but I was sure Kane was knocking a few females down at LSU. He was an athlete. Hoes love athletes. Athletes loved the hoes.

Either way…it was just a thought that quickly disappeared as my eyes closed, dragging me into a restless sleep filled with confusing dreams of basketball, and soft, stupid lips.