Stay in Your Lane | Lonzo Ball

Chapter 13

Four Days Later

Lonzo

The week had flown by with classes, homework and practice. We had a big game tomorrow against Michigan. Izzy and her squad would be taking on the Wolverines as well that following Sunday. It made for a great weekend of basketball in Westwood.

In the midst of both of our schedules, Izzy and I met up every night around ten to get up shots in the gym. I loved our dynamic. We worked hard, coached each other up and pushed each other, but still found a way to have fun. It was something that I looked forward to everyday. I often revisited that dream that had become so vivid in my memory.

When I started remembering the details and piecing everything together I found myself surprised that those thoughts even came to mind. From what I could recollect, Izzy and I were living together and clearly we were married given the diamond on her finger. The oversized Lakers shirt she wore and the fact that I was coming off of a long road trip led me to believe that I was in the NBA playing for the team I had grown up watching. She had on a pair of LA Sparks shorts. Did that mean Izzy was in the league too? Then somehow my dream fast forwarded to us having sex causing me to wake up with stiff as hell.

I don't know why I had that dream knowing that a) I had a girlfriend that wasn't who I dreamed about and b) that Izzy and I would never be like that. I couldn't lie and say it didn't make me feel good though.

A couple of days ago, the UCLA athletics media and communications director reached out to Izzy and I separately about a segment ESPN wanted to film and showcase during this weekend's double header. It was pitched to us as a way for fans to get to know the top guards of men's and women's college basketball who are not only playing for the same college but were from the same high school and town. We both knew it was sparked by last week's events of us shouting each other out on the court and speaking about each other in interviews when asked.

I talked with my dad about it. Mostly everything basketball media wise I ran by him. He was all for it. Any chance I had to be recognized he was pretty much on board. Coach Alford approved seeing it as a way to continue bonding both programs and giving women's basketball the attention it deserved. With the men's program having such a rich history here, the girls often got left in our shadow. Izzy's coach, Coach Close, had also approved which led to ESPN stopping by both of our practices today to get individual footage of us with our teams.

Afterwards, we were both asked to shower, change clothes and hang back for interviews both individually and together. It took about an hour. Our vibe was unforced and natural when we answered questions together. We cracked jokes on each other often and found it hard to keep a straight face.

ESPN catered dinner. We enjoyed that with both of our coaches. A little while later, the cameras followed us to our shooting workout in the auxiliary gym.

Everything wrapped around eleven-thirty. We were both pretty tired but excited to see how everything would come out when it premiered during halftime of my game tomorrow. I wouldn't be able to check it out until afterwards but I'd probably be hearing about it before I left the gym that night.

Since I drove down to the gym today, I offered to give Izzy a ride back to the top of campus where our rooms were.

She sung along with Fake Love that was playing on the radio. Her voice wasn't bad at all. I don't know if she was really trying or not but she could carry a tune.

My phone rang and being that it was connect to Bluetooth it interrupted Izzy's singing session. It was one of my best friends from home, DC. I forwarded his call and sent him a text letting him know that I'd call him when I got back to my room.

DC: ok. Let me ask you this though...you and Daina good?

Lonzo: yeah we good. Talked to her earlier today. She's comin down tomorrow for the game.

DC: Ion know bout all that bro

Lonzo: what you mean?

DC: I'm at the movies with the lil shawty I've been kicking it with and I just saw Daina walk in the theater with some dude.

Lonzo: you sure bro? She told me she was having dinner with her teammates tonight and hanging out there. Tf is she doing in Chino?

DC: idk but it's her bro. I've been around y'all long enough to recognize her.

Lonzo: can you see who's she's with?

DC: nah but whoever it is they walked in here holding hands. They're like four rows down in front of us.

"Zo? Zo! You're gonna miss the turn!" Izzy shouted, grasping my attention.

I reacted quickly enough to make the turn but not as smooth as I liked. Izzy looked at me like I was nuts but I pulled into a parking spot without an issue.

"What the fuck?" I mumbled, continuing to text DC.

"What's wrong?" Izzy said, "you okay, Zo?

"I'm straight. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Um...okay. Yeah."

She grabbed her bag and let herself out. I sat there and kept an eye on her until she was out of my sight. Normally, I'd walk her up but my mind was more focused on why my best friend was texting me to tell me my girlfriend was out with another nigga.

DC: call her and let me see what she does. Just to make sure.

Lonzo: aight

I exited out of my messages and went to call her. She picked up on the fifth ring.

"Hey," she answered.

"Hey, what are you up to babe?"

I did my best to not show anything was wrong through my tone.

"Nothing, just finished eating with the girls. We're headed back to campus now."

"Okay, call me when you get back to your room."

"Okay. I will. Love you."

"Love you too."

DC: she left answering the phone

DC: it's her bro

Lonzo: she just told me she was headed back to campus. Wtf?!

DC: idk bro. You need to check that. She got you out here looking crazy.

I quickly drove over to my room and hurried upstairs, not saying two words to Mani when I walked in. This has to be a joke. Daina wouldn't do me like that. It's not like her to lie. My stomach was in a knot. Anxious for her to call back. I waited and waited. Almost two hours went by without her returning my calls or texts. DC continued to text me during that time, letting me know that he'd try to get a better look when the movie ended when everyone walked out into the lobby.

Finally a few minutes later a picture message came in from him. My heart was beating fast as hell as I clicked on it. I had a gut feeling that something was going to be wrong.

It took me a minute but looking at a picture made it all come together. It was a shot of the back of Daina's car, tag and all that I recognized.

DC: her and dude just got in it, but I couldn't get the pic in time. This her whip though right?

Izzy-Leigh

Not sure if I'm being dramatic or not, but the way Zo just brushed me off wasn't like him. Normally, he'd walk me up to my room and do that whole thing but whatever was going on in his phone had him on a whole different vibe. Maybe he had something personal going on and it was none of my business.

Once up to my room, I showered and got dressed to lounge in bed until I fell asleep. Chat came in to talk about her favorite topic these days, Zo. I had told her about the segment we were filming for ESPN and she wanted all of the details on how it went. It was more fun than I expected it to be. From interviewing together to getting up shots. It was almost like the cameras weren't there. We were being ourselves and enjoying every second of it. It also made me realize not only how much we had in common despite our age difference but how much we meant to basketball in the SoCal area and our hometown of Chino Hills. I was anxious to see how it would all be put together. If you would've asked me about developing a friendship with Lonzo Ball a month ago I would have thought you were crazy but it was actually turning out to be kind of cool.

"I can't wait to see it. It sounds like it was super cute," she said, "this thing between ya'll just keeps getting better and better."

"If that thing you are referring to is a friendship then yes it is."

"I'll let you have it," she rolled her eyes, "stay in denial all you want to. You'll see the light eventually. You two are so into each other."

"Even if I was into someone right now, a relationship isn't in my sight. I have other things that I need to worry about."

"I know you want to win the conference championship, become a National Champion and get drafted to the WNBA but there is a little room in there for some loving in there."

"All of that loving you speak of is just a distraction," I reminded her, "when I was with Nate it was a distraction and a nightmare-"

"That doesn't count. He's a dick."

"Then I look at how frustrated Zo gets with his girl and how he's constantly worried about her and what she's doing. I can't deal with that shit. It's too much. If I have to always be worried about what you're doing in the back of my mind, I don't need to be dating you. I don't have time to be babysitting a nigga."

"Zo wouldn't be like that if you would just tell him that you saw his girl all loved up on Pablo Escobar down to ice cream shop with proof may I add."

"Chat, that's not my place. I told you that."

"But how do you figure that, Iz? You guys are friends and what not. Wouldn't you want your friend to tell you if they saw some shit that had you in the streets looking crazy? I'll answer that. Yeah you would."

Before I could respond to her, my cell phone rang with a call from Lonzo.

"Oooh looks like I spoke him up," she peered over my shoulder, "I'll let you two do your thing."

I laughed as she winked and hurried out my room, closing the door behind her.

"Hey," I answered, "what's up?"

"Are you busy?"

"No, just chilling in my room. You alright?"

"Yeah...I just wanted to know if I could come over. I need to talk to you about something."

I could tell by the tone of his voice that something was off. Whatever it was must be what was wrong when he dropped me off and what he was wanting to come over to talk about.

"Sure. That's fine."

"Cool. I'll be there in 10 min."