Page 57 of Kove and Xiah
My group cheered because they thought she had me shook but I let her pass to give her a boost.
“I almost made you fall,” she sang when she stepped in front of me again.
“You did. That’s what’s up.” I lifted my hand and offered a high five.
“Okay, campers. We have ten minutes of free play before we pack up to go home,” one of the administrative staff members yelled from the doorway of the gym entrance.
All the kids got hype as hell, running in all directions toward the bleachers and basketball goals. They were always ready to try and show off the skills they learned from us throughout the day and this was their time to shine with no one critiquing them.
Jabari approached, smiling while shaking his head. “You know I saw that shit, right? You got kids burning you on the court, Kove? That’s not a good look.”
I smirked and shrugged. “I’m training them, so that’s proving my skills.”
“Nah, that’s proving your D ain’t shit.” I laughed and started collecting the balls my group left behind, loading them onto the rack. He grabbed the last two then we sat on the bleachers, watching them shoot.
“How you feel about the season?”
“Shit, I’m straight. Rowe been in your ear too?”
He shook his head. “Nah, I haven’t talked to him but I don’t give a damn about any of that. You show up out there and we’ll run that shit. We all have stuff to work on.”
“You’re the face of the team, so you can say that. Meyer has just as much respect with the front office as you so he can too.”
He nodded, leaning down to grab a ball that rolled our way. He lifted it and sent a chest pass to one of the older kids who immediately turned to shoot but came up short.
“Ay, follow through. You didn’t have enough strength behind it. That shot was lazy,” I yelled his way.
He nodded, received a pass from the kid posted up under the goal, and delivered a follow up shot with better form and follow through. It went in. All net.
“See,” I praised and he nodded, taking off down the court.
“You know we wanted you three years ago,” Jabari said, glancing my way before he focused on a group playing two on two under one of the side goals.
“Yeah, I know. Shit just didn’t play out for me like that though.”
“Why did you go overseas?” He had his eyes on me again.
“Some shit went down that I needed to step away from.”
“Gang?”
I nodded. Jabari was a Lord. He kept his distance from it but that was who he represented. He knew my life because he lived a version of it.
“You good on that now or is it something that can come back to you?”
“I’m good on it.”
“Aight,” he said nodding before he added, “But if it ever becomes a problem, let me know and I’ll do what I can. I have some favors I can call in. We’re not just a team. The Royals are a family. It’s not the same as the ink you’re wearing but pretty damn close. We look out for our own. We stand by our own and ain’t shit gonna get to you without going through a wall of blue jerseys first.”
I turned my head in his direction and noticed his expression was serious. I nodded and extended a closed fist to him, which he met. “I appreciate that but I’m good. The only thing connecting me to my past mistake is in safe keeping with my blood and the person who got dropped wasn’t respected enough for anyone to care all these years later.”
He nodded in understanding. “Aight, just know the offer stands. Whatever you need, I’m here for it and the team is too. We protect our own. Now let me get my ass up out of here. I’m trying to get in as much time laying up under my wife before the season starts.”
“You better go get your son because I think he’s crushing on ol’ girl and she’s feeling him too the way she’s kissing all over his face and shit.” I pointed across the gym to where one of the older girls was holding Jamari. His little ass was damn sure grinning all in her face.
“Yeah, he really thinks he got game.” Jabari shook his head.
“Ain’t no think to it. He got her wrapped round his fingers, fam.”
