Adaeze

13

I finished my last class and was about to head to the gym.
But I got a phone call.

"Hello?" I answered.
"Koda?" Adaeze said.
"Yea."
"Where are you? I'm done for the day. Are we leaving?"
"Uhhh...Can you do me a favor?" I asked.
"Yea."
"Can you come with me to the gym for a bit? I'm just gonna shoot around for a little and then we can go." I told her.
"Okay. Where is that?"
I forgot I never showed her the gym because I figured she didn't need it.
"Where are you? We can just walk together."
"I'm walking towards the library. I just left Morgan hall."
"Alright stop at the library, I'm coming."
"Okay."

I started heading in that direction. It was on the way to the gym anyway.

~~~

"So first day went smoothly?" I asked her while we walked.
"Yea. In my second class there's another girl from Nigeria." she stated.
"Really? That's cool."
"Yes, but we are not from the same place. And she doesn't have a host family. She sleeps in a dorm room."
"Why didn't you choose to sleep in a dorm?" I wondered.
"Oh, her family moved here when she was 15, she was already in America. But I wanted to experience the country a bit too and not just go to an American school. And if I was in a dorm room, I would be mostly by myself without a ride to and from places or any knowledge on the area. And I will be here for longer than a school year. Eleven months, so once the school year was over, I'd be homeless."
"Oh a calendar year! Not a school year." I realized.
"Yes."
"Hm."
"Why, are you upset I'm not leaving as soon as you thought?" she teased.
I snickered. "No, of course not."
"Good. You'd hurt my feelings."

"Why did you choose this state?" I asked her.
"I looked up each university and the city it was in that my school allowed me to study abroad at and I decided completely on which city I thought was prettiest."
I laughed.

We made it to the gym and I opened the door for her.

"Oh wow..." she stated.
"What?" I asked.
"It's very big." she said when she saw the stadium.
"Yea, D1 gyms are a pretty big size because they get so many fans."
"How will you know I'm there?" she asked.
"What do you mean?"
"It's for a lot of people. And very big. How will you know I came to see you?"
I snickered. Cute. "I'll look for you. Or you can just come see me after the game."
"Okay."
"Come on."

I led us to the locker room so I could put my stuff down. I forgot to bring shorts but I didn't wanna just put on my practice uniform so I'll stay in sweatpants and struggle I guess.

"Sit right here." I said and pointed at the bench outside our locker room.
"Okay." She sat down and I walked inside.

I put my bag down then grabbed my water and finished drinking what was left of it before tossing the bottle in the trash.
I went to find our ball cart then went through it for a good one to use.

I started leaving the locker room and heard voices.

"That's cool as fuck. So you're here all year?"

I looked.

Chris, Jaylen, Marcus and Matthew all stood around Adaeze talking to her while she smiled up at them.

"What's up, Ko!" Marcus yelled. He came over with his hand out.
"What's up, man." I said and dapped him. Then the rest of them.
"You about to shoot?" Jaylen asked.
"Only for a bit. Then I gotta take her home." I stated.
"You know her?" Chris asked.
"Yea. She's gonna be livin' with me for a minute."
"What?" Jaylen snickered.
"Cause she not from here." Marcus explained.
"But why she didn't get a dorm?"
"I'd rather live in somebody house than a fuckin' dorm room. At least you get a bedroom to yourself and his people probably cook."
"You right." Jaylen agreed.
I dribbled while they talked about it with each other.

"Yall know coach gonna change the practice schedule once he get everybody classes."
"I want that shit to stay in the morning."
"Probably conditioning in the morning but we definitely doin' drills in the evening."
I sighed and shook my head while I kept bouncing the ball between my legs one after the other.
"That's not terrible."
"I gotta study though." I spoke up.
"Study between classes." Chris stated.
I grabbed the ball and faked throwing it at him.

Jaylen held his hands out and I tossed the ball to him.

He did a jog to one of the goals then shot it.

"How tall is he?" Adaeze asked.
"6'8." Marcus answered.
She took out her phone and I already knew what she was doing which made me laugh a little to myself. "Wow." she stated after converting it. I looked at her and she was looking at him while he kept shooting around.
I subtly walked a few steps forward. And blocked her view while staring at the floor.

This is just where I felt like standing. Better lighting and stuff.

"And where are you from again?" Marcus asked.
"Nigeria." she answered.
"That's dope. Your accent is pretty as fuck."
"Thank you." she smiled. "Um...Where is the restroom?"
"Through that little hallway on your right." I told her.
"Thank you." She got up and started walking over there.

I watched all of their eyes follow her.
"I gotta go to Africa." Marcus stated and Chris laughed and shoved him. "And she livin' with you?!"
"Until next August." I answered.
"Bro, she bad as hell." Matthew laughed and dapped me up.
"Put me on." Marcus instructed.
"No." I scoffed.
"Why not?!"
"Cause I don't want to." I shrugged.
Jaylen came back and tossed me the ball.
"Cause he want her." said Chris.
"I didn't say that." I responded.
"He want who?" Jaylen asked.
"Shorty that was sitting here." Matt answered.
"If you don't want her then put me on." Marcus dealt.
"I'm not putting you on." I stated and casually dribbled between my legs again.
"He want her." Marcus agreed.
"I didn't say that."
"If you don't want her, I'm gonna talk to her. So speak now or forever hold your peace." he stated.
"He don't even know what to do with all that." Jaylen said about me and they laughed.

I saw Adaeze coming back.

They all got quiet and Marcus slapped Jaylen on his arm to watch him spit game.

"Say, you never told us what your name is." Marcus told her.
"Adaeze." she answered.
"Adaeze. That's pretty."
"Thank you."
"You got a boyfriend, Adaeze?" he asked.
"Not yet."
I stared at the floor.
"Not yet? What does that mean?"
"It means I'm going to have one soon."
"Who? He in Nigeria?" Marcus asked.
"No."

So I was right. She wasn't flirting with me.

I felt soft hands grab my arm.
"This one."
I looked at her holding me then picked my eyes up to look at the guys who just stared.
I'm equally confused.

"You want Koda?" Matt asked.
"I might." She shrugged then sat back down.
You might? YOU MIGHT? What does that mean?!

"You boys are half an hour early!" Coach shouted as he came in.