The Forgotten

II.

By the way it was looking, this party was going to be the party of the year. It still was a week away, but everyone was anxious as hell. It was the talk of the city, all over Instagram, Twitter, etc.

It was known that me and my niggas ran our school though, me, Keith, Reef, Keyon, Eric, and Sean, or our basketball team's main rotation. I ran point, Eric played the 2, Keith ran small forward, Keyon was power forward, and Reef played center. Sean was the 6th man for Keith. At this point in the season, we couldn't be stopped. We were 7-0, and the way we won our games was getting us attention nationwide already. You could already figure that with us being the niggas around here, all the girls would be on us...you're right. However, I never did anything with them, as you know I attend a predominantly white school, and for some reason I'm not attracted to them. So I just played it lowkey, and kept to myself.

The Friday before the party came, and it was game day. I was ready to get out there, and do my thing, you know? Get me feeling good before I go to this party the next day. We were playing our rivals, Mogadore High. Now these niggas, were the epitome of trash, from the students to their fans. To top it off, it was at their court. Me and my boys knew that in order for us to win we were going to have to play a perfect game, or the refs would cheat us out of our win.

We got to their school, the atmosphere was already hot...I could feel the tension of this. In the locker room our coach talked to us before we went to go warm up.

"Alright boys, listen up. I know that you know how important this game is, there are scouts out there and this game is getting coverage statewide. I want you to go out there and play a perfect game, don't let the fans get in your head, or the players. I know they're going to say some things that might tick you off, but make them pay by blowing these country bumpkins out the water. Now bring it in."

When I heard that, that put me in the zone. I was out for blood this game, and everybody could see it. As soon as I stepped onto that court, it was over. I was about to go off, I gave Keith that look, and he knew that I was going to put the team on my back tonight. I went to get a little Gatorade, next thing I knew, it was time for the jump ball.

We won the tip. It fell to Keyon and he immediately passed it to me, it was on. I dribbled up court, got through two defenders and lobbed it up to Reef, who easily slammed down the oop. I looked over at their fans and indicated that the game was already over. Boy was I wrong.

The whole game we kept going back and forth, back and forth. We would start pulling away, then they would just come right back into the game. I looked up at the scoreboard, it's 71-71 with 3 minutes left. I wanted this win bad, everyone could see that. I was coming up court, and wanted to prove a point. I sized up the defender, looked dead in his face, and pulled a 3. All net. I go back down court as if it never happened, waiting for their offense. The kid I'm defending comes up the court, and I start d-ing him up. We ended up in the post, and as he turned around to shoot, he swung an elbow at my nose. In my head I'm like, "Is this nigga serious?" But I paid it no mind. That was until this happened: I got back on him because he missed the shot, and as he came off a screen, he shoved me to the ground. I look up at the ref, and I didn't get a call. I took this into my own hands.

I got up, and pushed him back, he flew. The ref's whistle went off almost immediately, he hit me with a technical foul. The kid got up like he wanted to fight, and he did. He swung at me, I dipped that shit, and hit him with a little two piece. That was before Reef came and restrained me. I got thrown out, and the game was still close.

I sat in the locker room awaiting the final buzzer, and when it sounded, I saw my team come back in, quiet. I looked around, and I didn't even have to ask. We lost. And to make it all worse, I was suspended 3 games for the fight, my coach told me.

I put that behind me for then, and began to focus on this party tomorrow.