Page 65 of Love & Streetball

Kane guided my arm backward. “Keep your wrist straight. When you step forward, swing your arm and let the ball go. Don’t force it.”

I followed Kane’s instructions, releasing the ball smoothly this time. It rolled down the middle of the lane and knocked down seven pins.

I jumped and threw both hands in the air. “Yeaaaaaah!”

On my second roll, I knocked down two more. One pin remained standing, but I was still proud of myself. This was actually fun. We were having such a good time, we stayed for at least three hours. Kane won all the games, but I was getting better and better each one. All I had to was work on my form. I tried copying Kane because his was perfect. He had to almost drag me out of the bowling alley, promising before we both went back to school, we’d come back.

My mama did the best she could with my birthdays even though it would just consist of a small cake used with her food stamp card and taking me to Goodwill or another thrift store so I could pick out one thing, but Kane has given me the best birthday ever. I didn’t need a trip out of state or the country. He knew me. He knew all it took for me to have a lit ass birthday was to have fun. I didn’t need anything else. I didn’t even need the shopping he did for me. I didn’t give a damn about material shit. I just needed my favorite person.

I watched as the tall building pass as Kane drove. He wasn’t driving toward the projects. There was no telling what else Kane had in mind tonight, but a yawn slipped out before I could catch it. From the perimeter of my eye, I saw Kane glace at me.

“Sleepy?” he asked.

“A lil,” I answered, yawning again. Kane lightly snickered.

“You want to take a quick nap and then go out to eat?”

I peered out the window again. “Where are we going? You passed the projects minutes ago.”

Kane slowed down and turned into a road that led to a newly built hotel. My stomach clenched.

“My are we here?” I asked.

Kane smiled without looking in my direction. “You said you were sleepy.”

“What’s wrong with my bed?” I sat up straight and looked out the window at the nice hotel. It was very nice and appeared very expensive.

“It’s your birthday, and I’m tryin’ to spend the entire day with you. Even if that means taking a nap. Get out.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks.

You’ve fell asleep with Kane plenty of times, Scottie, I said to myself, but tonight just felt so different. I couldn’t shake that feeling.

“I…I don’t have anything with me, but the clothes we got from the mall.” I was still sitting in the car. Kane didn’t respond. Instead, he shut his door and rounded the front of the car. He opened my door.

“C’mon, Slim,” he mumbled. “I’m tired too. You actin’ all scared to be with a nigga.”

I smiled and held back a laugh as I stepped out of the car. Kane used to talk somewhat proper. Okay, not proper-proper, but he didn’t talk all niggerish before college. I liked this Kane. That tattooed covered nigga that put a bitch in her place behind me. Vani would be proud.

18

For Slim’s birthday, I went all out for the hotel room. I paid a decorator to do her thing; she had complete control as long as it came out nice. I had been planning her birthday for weeks. I wanted everything to be perfect because Slim deserved it. I took her hand as we walked toward the entrance. She kept dragging her feet, forcing me to slow down. I had bags from the trunk. Unbeknownst to her, I had everything she would need tonight—pajamas and her toiletries.

Check-in was quick and the woman behind the desk handed me two key cards.

“Everything you requested has been taken care of, Mr. Stone.”

“Mr. Stone?” Slim chuckled.

I smirked, reaching out to pinch her waist. She moved back, laughing. Shaking my head, I looked back at the clerk and said, “I appreciate it.”

We headed toward the elevators.

“What did you request?” Slim quizzed.

I pressed the button for the twentieth floor once we stepped inside. Slim moved into the corner and folded her arms over her chest.

“What?” I questioned.