The Girl Next Door

~52~

"I like my girls just like I like my honey..."

Two weeks later...

Kehlani Parrish

"Check," I bounce the ball to Robyn and she passes it back.

"Aye, aye!" Ciara shouts from the corner of the three-point line.

I pass the ball to her and spin around Robyn. I run towards the basket and she passes the ball. As I jump to place it through the hoop, Zendaya comes in and swats the ball away. I fall to the ground, sighing in rejection and stand up.

"Oooh!" The crowd groans and I shake my head, wiping the sweat from my brow.

"Get that shit outta here, girl!" Zendaya says, hopping past me.

I groan and take my defensive stance. I look around at my team- Ciara, Keke, Britteny, Diana- and make sure that they are in their place.

"Mark up!" I yell. The crowd roars in my ears. It's the hottest basketball tournament of the summer: The Oakland Classic. Everyone and their extended families come and watch for the hottest chosen players to play for twenty thousand dollars. Split that amongst five players, that's four thousand each. I'm determined to get the money. That's all it's about.

"Lani, ball!" Diana claps. I walk past the half-court line and pass it to Diana who passes it across the court to Britteny. Britenny drives to the hoop and makes an easy lay-up. The crowd cheers as Robyn checks the ball in. The score is 19-18 in our favor. One last play and one team will advance.

Robyn passes it to Solána who begins to do a little shake and bake on Diana. For a girly girl, she really knows how to play basketball. Being the head of the cheerleading squad, she surprised everyone when she showed up.

Once Diana falls to the ground, Solána passes the ball back to Robyn and I make my way to her, squatting with my hands out. She smirks at me and I prepare myself for the trash talk she's been giving me for the whole game.

"Back again, daddy?" She asks, dribbling up to me.

I gulp and try to calm my speeding heart. I decide to not let her get to me.

"Aw, lookie the little baby. Shaking and shit. Don't you wish that's how I got you? Shaking and sweating... all over your body?" She asks, sticking her tongue out.

That was enough to make me freeze for a moment and she takes that moment to step back and shoot a three over my head. By the time I recover, her team is swarming around her, cheering loud as hell.

"Bro!" Seimone charges up to me," what happened?"

"Sh-sh-I-"

"She let her dirty talk her into freezing up," Solána says, rolling her eyes.

Diana begins laughing,"really? Where your silicone balls at, Parrish?"

I shake my head,"whatever."

Shaina comes up to me, looking as fine as ever.

"Hey idiot. Good game," she says, smiling. She hands me a bottle of Fiji water and a bag of chips.

"Ugh. You're so dumb," I roll my eyes playfully and kiss her on the lips,"thank you though."

"No problem baby," she says, holding her arm out for me to take.

I roll my eyes again at her corniness and hook my arm with hers and we walk off the court. Robyn breaks away from her team and comes up to me,"hey, good game."