𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇.

seventeen.

Cause either way I was going.

"I don't remember but either way—"

"This game is a rivalry game and shit too. It's our two hoods so it's always a fight or some bullshit every year. I don't want the twins out there for that."

"Watch your mouth first of all. And second of all, I know how to handle myself and my kids."

This that shit I be talking about.

"Do what you want just don't have my siblings in harms way. Because I can't be tryna' watch and make sure ya'll straight. I gotta focus on the game."

"Since when did you get so self centered and blunt?"

"Me? Self centered?" I scoffed, feeling my body heat up and heart start to beat fast because I was getting madder and madder by the second.

"Neno, how bout' you go make sure the twins outfits are out the dryer for tomorrow." Essy glared at me, picking up on the fact that I was starting to lose it.

Being called self centered after doing nothing but watching her damn kids and putting them before me on and off for the last eleven years really aggravated something within me.

I hated when she came around because she was like this each and every time. It's like she would forget all the hell that she put us through and call us crazy for acting on it.

"No, Emanuel. Stay." My mother said in a harsh, demanding tone.

She not scaring nobody though.

So for my own sake I walked away. I went into my room, locked the door, and said the prayer that I would always recite when I was stressed. It was a short one that I had learned from my grandmother but I never knew where she had learned it from.

I never heard anyone else say it nor had I ever heard it used in a church sermon. But she had taught me it and it always helped me.

"Lord please guide me through my troubles. Grant me peace of mind and strength. Remove everything that is causing me stress."

...

            "Pass the damn ball, Eliott!"

I sat on the bench watching the game that was unfolding in front of me with my arms crossed, laughing here and there.

We were playing my homeboy Woo's school and it was safe to say that they were beating our ass. Woo had dunked on several of our players several times and we were down by thirteen in the fourth quarter.

"Stop trying to shoot that shit! That's not your shot damn it, pass the ball!" Coach Lee jumped up and down frustratedly causing me to laugh.

I had a hell of a first quarter, gaining us most of our points. But after that Coach took me out and I  had yet to get placed back in. It was like this each and every time. So this time I figured to just make a joke out of it.

"Put number eleven back in!" I heard a voice come from the crowd. I looked up at the stands to see my mother on her feet yelling.

Sit down lady.

I kept catching myself looking up at the crowd mainly because I wanted to make sure my siblings were okay, but I was also checking for Kacie. She told me that she would be coming and so far I could only see Kha.

It was a lot of people in the stands but trust if Kacie was up there then I would've seen her.

"Travel travel travel." I nodded my head to the cheer that the cheerleaders were doing after a travel was called on the opposing team.

They cheers bout' hard as hell.

"Emanuel, you're going in." Coach Lee sighed, making me roll my eyes with a groan.

Now this nigga wants to put me in and expects me to save the day because we're getting our ass kicked. If he would've just kept me in all the way then we would've been in the lead right now.

I pulled off my basketball warmup, exposing my number eleven jersey, and got into the game immediately busting ass. It was like a switch instantly went off whenever I was put in.

Not even tryna be cocky.

By the time that I was in it was the fourth quarter and our team was able to make it and only be down by two points with eight seconds left. The tension was high and literally everybody could feel it.

We were competitive all the time but especially today.

"Pass the ball!"

Even though Eliott hated the fact that he had to do it, he passed me the ball and I dribbled it up to half court and shot the most outrageous three pointer of my life. I was a hundred percent certain that it wasn't going to make it in but to my surprise, it did.

I shot the game winner.

I looked up at the crowd to see everyone jumping around and screaming especially my family. I then looked over at Kha's area and still saw no sign of Kacie which led me to believe that she had missed the entire game after she had told me that she would come.

Ight bruh, where my wife ?????

...

𝐚/𝐧: i cannot write basketball scenes for the life of me yall like pls.

where our girl kacie out tho??? missing our man game and shit smh.