Loving the Game

* Back At It *

• Deshawn's POV •

Even though it felt like a lifetime, the week was over. Which meant no more of wearing this stupid thing around my ankle. It was absolutely the worst experience of my life so far, well a close 3rd. All week all I could do was be with Bri (which wasn't bad), sleep, and hustle around the Windy City with T-Rock.

T-Rock and I had been friends since 1st grade and we still are and I can't say that about a lot of niggas. Everybody on the west side called him T-Rock anyway because that was his street name but his real name was Taj Washington. We were neighbors growing up. People would hear his sisters and mother call him T-Rock and it stuck even though nobody knew how he got that name.
Taj and I were almost complete opposites though. I was still in school : he preferred to stop at high school. I wanted to get a good paying job : he was fine with working at the tattoo shop for the rest of his life. I didn't want to sell drugs forever, it was only temporary : he saw it as the only thing there is to do.

"You been hiding out," Taj told me as he lit the end of a joint as we sat on his front porch. He still lived in the projects, too. A place I swore to myself that I didn't want to see again once I left the house. A place I wanted my family out of too.
"Nah just been putting my head in the books. Almost done. Got one more month till I graduate." I told him.
"Damn my nigga how many times you tryna walking across that big ass stage?"
"As many times as possible," I joked.
"We miss ya black ass around here you know?"
"Yea I miss y'all too. I just don't miss living like this." I said looking around.
T-Rock frowned up at me and pointed the rolled up weed at me," I know you going pro and shit but don't forget what made you. These streets made you and me."
"Yeah they made me do some things I'm not proud of."
T just shrugged," So. Ain't nobody perfect."
"True," I nodded taking a hit of my own weed.
"What them college hoes like? They bad?"
I laughed,"I wouldn't know."
"What you mean? You ain't getting none of that ponanie?"
"Don't start man," I chuckled," I'm focused."
"Nahh nigga you just droughting. Don't tell me you got them bubbly nuts!?" Taj said scooting away from me on the staircase.
"You can miss me with that. I just been laying off like I said. I'm really paranoid now since a bih almost had ya boy trapped."
"You lying homie?"
"Swear on everything."
"Who!?"
"Remember that girl I was dating, Ashleigh? Her."
"Damn. That chick was hella fine. Yeen got to worry bout me hitting if she pulling those kind of tricks out her sleeves."Taj joked.
"It's cool though. I'm not guilty. I got a new girl anyway." I blushed.
T-Rock patted me on my back," that's my boy. What she like?"
"She's...different. She really low key with it and she a goodie."
Taj cut his eye at me,"You serious?" I nodded. "No girl like that want you," he scoffed.
"Why not? I'm decent."
"Yeah that's just it. You decent. I hope you ain't putting none of your feelings into this. Hope you understand that this is just gone be a short term thing for you cause no good girl will be able to take a nigga like us home and we be accepted. Know that."
I looked down at my kicks because that never really came across my mind. If things did really get really serious between us would she even let me meet her folks? Is she at least willing to knowing that I deal and all. That I come from a totally different background than her?
"You ain't think about that did you D-boy?" Taj asked taking a hit.
I shook my head and ran my fingers through my curly hair," I guess not, but what if they different too? By the time we get to that stage I'll be done made it big in the NBA."
"Skeletons don't stay in the closet," T reminded me," and secrets don't stay in no hollow grave."
I sat there silent not knowing what to say next cause even though T was only 2 years older than me I respected his advice. He was like a big brother to me. He taught me everything I know and he usually wasn't off when it came to advice giving either.
"Aye but do what makes you happy too. You know they killing us everyday out here if we ain't killing ourselves. You see what they did to Lil Redd, got only one life broski."Taj reminded me.
I took another hit of the blunt and sighed," Yeah you right. I should go though I got practice for the first time since last week when I had my injury and I need to be on time with it."
We gave each other our signature hand shake.
"You want to get some of that hard to move in the streets for me before you go? I hear it sells good with the Caucasian kids on campus. They use it to stay up late so they can study for them tests and shit."
I thought about it because I really needed to. I was really good at paying my tuition and I was only a little over a thousand dollars behind and two weeks of pushing the product would allow me to be done and only have to worry with student loans which was minor in my case.
Then I thought about Brianne. I told her I would stop eventually when I was for sure getting my contract with the NBA and all. But I never did say I was stopping right now.
"You know what...gone and get me some. I'll move it." I said nodding my head.
"That's what I'm talking bout," T-Rock said going in the house to get the product.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Practice didn't start for another 30 minutes but I was already shooting some hoops in the gym by my lonely. I wanted to make sure I wasn't rusty (which I wasn't). It was like I ate, slept, and breathed basketball since Taj took me to see the Bulls play against the Lakers when I was in the 8th grade. Ever since then that's all I wanted to do and that's what I did. Since I was a Chicago native it was only right that I liked the Bulls anyways. Especially since the GOAT aka Michael Jordan played for them too. I told myself if I did make it pro that the only people I wanted to draft me was the Bulls. It was my dream to play for them, and the way things were going for me I just might. But I also had other franchises looking for me to be there pick as well and they wanted to put my face on their merchandise. They were very convincing so far that I even debated choosing some of them, but I knew what I wanted.

"Deshawn Harris," Coach Howard's voice boomed with emphasis on my name as he came in from the back of the auditorium.
"Coach," I yelled back as I pulled up for a three. The same thing that knocked me off my feet last week. "You're here early," he stated walking over to me.
"Yeah, just warming up," I told him.
"You never stop moving do you?" He asked folding his arms," Like a true captain"
I shook my head," I can't."
Coach laughed and shook his head at me,"You know this is it. Championship is not too far away. Neither is graduation."
I stopped bouncing the ball and turned to face him," Don't remind me."
"Ya know I've always considered you to be the son I never had," coach Howard informed me. Coach and his wife only had girls. Five of them to be exact and only two of them were actually interested in the art of basketball. "And I wanted you to know that...when it's all said and done...when you play you're final game on this floor," he said stomping on the hardwood," if you need anything...anything at all... Me and Mrs. Howard will be hear for you if you need it."
"Thank you. I appreciate that, and everything else. You didn't have to give me this captain spot or even a shot to earn a place on this team." I said with a deep gratitude.
Coach shoved his hands in his pockets," I didn't do anything. You. You earned this spot, and everything else. From this point on you earn everything, nobody hands you anything. Ever. Unless they're handing you a pay check and their middle finger," Coach smiled at his own humor. I laughed," Understood."
All of sudden the rest of my teammates came rushing me. They all began a thunder clap once they noticed I was back in business. All I could do is smile because this basketball stuff was heaven on earth for me. Coach blew the whistle," Alright...today all orders come from no other than Mr. Harris, test him and see does he still got the juice." Rakeem came over and pat me on the back," Welcome back Downtown D."
"Yeah we missed you," Trey said sticking his fist out to give me a dap. I pondered on doing it back but I did. Like Taj said life's too short to be holding petty grudges anyway.