Basketball is Not Life

Chapter Thirteen

The starters were lined up at the door; Parker, Larry, Marshall, Raymond, and Devon. It was an excellent-looking lineup, and they were all waiting for me.

"Boys, isn't this a little silly? It's just pizza."

"When you have to be on your best behavior, just pizza; sounds like ten shots of kroevo," Raymond said, winking at me like usual.

"Whose car are we taking?" Larry asked. I had my purse and my keys; I had only driven my new Range Rover a handful of times since the university was nearby and the groceries were purchased by Parker. Parker would ask if anything sounded good, and then I would email a list of ingredients to his school email.

"We can take mine," I said, throwing the keys to Parker, who caught them midair. We exited into the garage when the comments started.

"This is your ride?"

"I think I went to heaven."

"Dude, how did we not know you drove this?"

Larry spoke up last, "How did you get this?" Larry always seemed to be the last one to speak. We had a friendship in a creative writing class when he showed up. He would sit by me for the first five minutes until he made eyes with someone he was impressed by. There had been a few blow-ups at him as well that I enjoyed watching unfold. I would giggle, and he would roll his eyes at me as if the girl who was yelling at him had no right to.

"Graduation present from my dad," I said, embarrassed hearing the words come out of my mouth. I didn't want them to see me like how I saw Parker at times; a spoiled brat. But the more I got to know Parker, the less the word brat defined him.

Parker looked over at me, our eyes meeting for just a second. He got one story out of me tonight.

"Now you are making more sense, Renner," Marshall said, getting in shotgun calling me by my last name.

Parker stopped and glared at him. "Get in the back."

"It's fine. I can sit in the back; I'm the smallest." I said, touching Parker's shoulder as I stepped around him.

"Or you can just sit on my lap," Raymond said.

"Shut up, Raymond, unless you want an elbow to the face," Parker said, his mood obviously changing.

"Chill; I was only kidding."

Georgio's car ride was a quiet one until Marshall turned the volume on and blasted music. I was happy for the distraction; I could see Parker's eyes in the rearview mirror, and I knew he had been looking for mine.

"Tina Tina Tina; Darling, we want your best table and your best pizza tonight," Raymond said; I had been around him enough to know he talked to all women the same. He acted like everyone he spoke to was a prize, and now Tina, our hostess, was on his radar. She blushed a horrible scarlet color, her whole face turning into a tomato over his words.

She sat us in the back room in the back corner; it was the most privacy we were going to get in a pizza joint. A few families starred while we sat down, and I knew that the Fab Five of Michigan was being recognized.

They ordered five different pizzas for the six of us: pepperoni, cheese, cheeseburger, taco, and the house special, which had black olives. I would be passing on that one. Parker heard me say that I did not eat black olives, and I swear I could see him organizing it under his things I know about Ren folder. He even had me referring to myself as Ren.

"So what does your father do to be able to afford a car like that?" Marshall, the one who was the most excited about the car ride tonight, asked.