The basketball diaries - Leonardo DiCaprio fanfic

50

"Laura."

I turn at his voice. I want to get away from him but there is no idea in running. Where am I supposed to go?

"I was stupid, I shouldn't have said that." Jim speaks.

"Why would you want me to kiss you?"

"I don't know. But it came off wrong so can you please just forget about it?"

"Okay."

I stand still as he walks up to embrace me. I press my forehead into his warm chest and listen to his heartbeat. Jim pats my back and when he lets go he forces me down onto the grass with him.

He fidgets with the bracelet I gave him. "I really like it. I should give you something- oh, and about the surprise I was talking about. It's basically just if you want to follow me on tournament up to Springfield. I thought we could be just you and me for a while. Have our own hotel room... Just think stuff through and- and just so you can forget about freaking Nancy because I'm cut off with her."

"Springfield?"

"Yep."

"Nancy won't be there?" I chuckle.

"Only you."

"And we will- we can be all alone?"

"Mhm. No parents or friends sneaking around."

My face flushes red and I laugh happily. "Yes. I'm definitely coming. How are we gonna' travel up there?"

"Well. I am actually supposed to travel with the rest of the team in the tour buss but I was thinking you and I could take our own cab so the rest of them won't figure out you're coming along. Mickey'll just tell everybody about it."

"Yea, we can have this as our own secret. I don't think Aaliyah would like me hanging out with you either."

"Nah..."

I lean over to Jim and press my lips against his soft ones. Gosh! It feels like ages ago we did this!

He sighs against my mouth and kisses me back carefully before pulling his tongue through my lips.

"Jim." I breath and break the contact.

He is blushing a bit.

"I want you to know that, um- what you and I used to do, and how we did it, it was wrong. We did it for the wrong reasons and I want you to know that I'm not that person anymore."

Jim nods. "Okay. Yeah, that's fine. I get it."

We sit in quietness for a while until Jim's breath suddenly hitches.

"Alright, we should get out of here."

"Okay?"

"Look. There's a cop there. They have these new putt-putt motorbikes."

"What does it matter if there is a cop?"

"I have fucking cocaine on me and they always gotta bust every single kid they see."

"You shouldn't do cocaine anyways." I huff as we both stand up.

"Meh."

He grins and we both wander off, back towards his place. I can't believe Jim and I are going away for some time. Just him and I! Of course he's there to play ball, but still!

.

School is even more boring now that I know what I'm missing not being with Jim. I wish we went to the same school but that's never going to happen.

Anyhow, it's difficult keeping the secret about "us" away from Aaliyah. It feels so wrong not telling her but I promised Jim we would keep it a secret for everyone's best. Aaliyah wouldn't let us be together. She worries about me too much. She would think Jim will hurt me and bring me into the world of drugs again.

"So what are your plans now for the little holiday?" she asks me at the end of the day.

We're walking through the corridor towards the exit. I have my hair put up in a messy ponytail and I'm wearing on of Jim's red t-shirts.

"Nothing in particular." I shrug but my face blushes. I am leaving New York City with Jim, that's what my plans are.

"Good! Because I was thinking we could ask Mickey and the boys about us joining them to their tournament to Springfield!"

"What?" I cough.

"Yes, they're all going, Jim, Pedro, Neutron and all the others!"

The color drains from my face and I want to slap her hard and tell her to forget about that idea. I am the only one who's going! Not her, Nancy and the other stupid girls! They will ruin everything! And with they I mean Nancy.

"I don't know... it sounds quite boring to me."

"No. It'll be fun. We're living at a fricking hotel girl. Free food, everything."

"No... it sounds unsafe to me."

She looks at me with a mouth hanging open in pure confusion. "Stop with your Christian nun-shit. We're all leaving, with or without you."

I swallow hard and look around at the street as if Jim will come running and solve the whole situation.

"Alright." I finally sigh.

"It's gonna' be mucho fun baby, don't worry."

No, it's going to be extremely boring. Jim and I won't be able to sneak away at all without the others noticing. Nancy will probably take the opportunity away from me and end up sleeping with him again. Over and over until I loose count.

Aaliyah takes the two of us straight into Central Park without telling me the fact we're apparently going there to see the boys. As far as she knows I'm not friends with Jim so I don't really know what she's thinking but here we are.

"What are y'all boys doing? You look tense!" Aaliyah chuckles.

She's right. They're standing here, right on the path between two fields. Their tall basketball frames stand out from the surroundings. Jim's eyes go round as they spot me. I give him a short smile but he doesn't respond it. Maybe he feels like it's too risky?

"Ya' know that fucking motorbike cop who busts people for smoking grass and shooting dope and all? Yeah, he got fucking hustled the other night." Mickey snickers.

"Holy hell! How?"

Now it's Jim who speaks up. "Some cats we know tied a real taut metal wire across a dark path and hoped to cut the man's fucking head off."

I inhale a sharp breath and put my hands over my mouth.

"Did they succeed?" Aaliyah asks in excitement.

"Nah. Cus' they have these windshields on their bikes you know?" Jim says. "It fucked him up anyway though, it knocked the bike out of control and he took a bad spill and busted a leg or some shit."

I'm standing there, terrified while the others just keep chuckling as if it's all a big funny joke.

"Anyways boys." Aaliyah speaks up. "We've decided that the whole gang will follow y'all to Springfield. You think you can talk Swifty into bringing us with in his station wagon?"

"Ya' no problem bout' that." Mickey winks.

Jim stands quiet on the other hand. He gives me a disappointed look.

"You're bouta' see a whole different league of trouble on this trip." Mickey grins which makes my stomach churn.

Thank you for all the amazing support❤️❤️ PS: the little story about the motorbike cop is taken straight from Jim's diary.