Against the Universe

03 • grover

"You fucking prick."

I ignore the harsh words spat in my direction. "That's 16."

Seth Igwebuike is about 17 feet tall and has been playing basketball longer than I have. He's the one who convinced me to start playing back in secondary school. But whenever it comes to the lawless version of 21 we came up with 4 years ago, it's like he's jinxed.

He shoots from the 3-point line, and we watch for what feels like an hour as the ball tauntingly circles the rim, then falls off to the left.

"WHAT!" Frustrated, he runs a hand over his buzzcut.

"Sorry," I say, not really feeling sorry. I grab the ball and get ready to throw it. "Guess you're just unlu—"

Seth smacks the ball back down before it can reach the hoop, and it hits me in the face. Hard.

I stagger backwards from the impact. My face stings with the pain, my eyes watering. Seth doubles over as he descends into a laughing fit, but my ears are ringing so loud I can barely hear him.

"I think you just permanently changed the shape of my nose," I mutter, and he laughs harder. "Where'd the ball go?"

He continues cackling for about another minute, meanwhile I recover from the world's quickest and cheapest rhinoplasty. Seth is still sobering up as he points to all the way outside the court. "It's ... it's over there."

How the hell did it get so far away? "Can you go get it?"

"Kill yourself."

The expected response. I head out to retrieve the ball.

"What are you doing?" Seth yells when I turn to bring it back. "You have to score from there!"

"Are you insane?" I'm a million miles away from the court. "I'm not LeBron James."

"Pussy!"

I sigh. I'm glad Bree isn't with us right now, because she definitely would have backhanded him for that. And me, for not speaking up about it.

Squatting down, I start doing the mental calculations. Come on. You're secretly a physics nerd. You should be able to figure out the force and trajectory needed to make this.

But it's so far away. Maybe I should aim for Seth's face instead.

Is it possible to get both? Two birds, one stone.

The ball goes flying.

Nah, that's wishful thinking.

The basketball goes straight through the hoop. It takes me a full minute to register my miraculous victory.

I throw my arms up, and I'm all of a sudden uncomfortably aware that I've sweat through my hoodie. I refuse to take it off though, which is why I don't play so much anymore.

"I. AM. GOD!" I'm walking on air as I head back to the court and begin to grab my stuff.

Seth is fuming. "You haven't won yet."

"I've won now and forever," I dismiss him. "You are no longer worthy of being in my presence."

I check my watch. 3:02. There's a text from mum reminding me to pick up my brother from school. I've got exactly 28 minutes.

☽ ☽ ☽

Benjamin is 9 years-old, and a smartassed little shit. He's the polar opposite of what I was like at his age. I wait for about five minutes at the school gates with the other older siblings and parents before he finally rounds the corner with his group of friends.