Love and Basketball (LaMelo Ball Story)

~15~

"You're in... a gang?" I ask.

"Yes. I didn't want to tell you, cause I didn't want to cause any alarm or raise suspicion."

"That suspicion thing went out the window when you started asking everybody for hundreds of dollars, Terrell." I say, crossing my arms.

"Well, I need the money somehow. If I don't get it soon, then they're gonna kill me and you." He says, making me raise my eyebrow.

"Woah, woah, woah. How did I get involved in this?" I ask.

"Because you're my family too." He says, and I give him a stank eye. "It's true! Maybe I haven't shown it, but I care about y'all. Everything I'm doing right now is for family."

"Lemme guess, you're only in this gang because you wanted to provide for your struggling single mother. You met this skeevy guy on the corner next to some liquor store, and he offered you a chance to help you and your mom, so you took it. Then after a week, so saw that it wasn't the life for you and you tried to leave, but they threatened to kill you and your mom if you left, so now you're only in cause you're scared. After almost a year, you caught a body, and now you're afraid that you're gonna kill someone close to you. Is that about right?"

"Uh... yeah? How-"

"Typical backstory to a guy like you who's in a gang." I say, rolling my eyes.

"So, you not scared of me?" He asks.

"There's nothing to be scared of." I sigh. "You're still the same old guy who walked into my house with his disrespectful ass mama."

"Hey, now."

"How much money do they want, Terrell?"

"Three hundred thousand."

"Jesus, dude, what the fuck have you been doing?"

"Don't ask. Relax, I've already got two hundred thousand taken care of. I just need a hundred thousand more."

"Okay, so how are you gonna get it?"

"Wait, what? From the way you were talking, it sounded like you were gonna help me."

"I would, I really would, but you lied to me, and you put my family in danger. So... until this debt is paid off or the test results come back, I don't really know you." I say.

"Well, know me or don't know me, you need to help me. Your life is on the line."

"Yeah, cause of some guy who's trashy mother dumped him at my house."

"You gonna stop talking bout my mother like that." He says, getting in my face.

"Or what? You gonna kill me? Fuck off, Terrell. I told you, I'm not scared of you." I say, rolling my eyes.

"Naiara, Terrell! The test results are here!" Nat yells.

'Maybe now you'll believe me." He says. "And I'm only telling you this cause I care about your stubborn ass, Naiara."

"I'll only help you if you're my brother. If not, pack your bags and get to stepping." I say, walking out the room.  He follows me downstairs and we walk to the living room.

"Damn, Nai. You got a vein popping outta your forehead!" Zo says.

"You good?" Melo asks.

"Mhm. I'm great." I lie. "So what does it say?"

"You open it." Nat says. I take the letter from her and slowly open it. 

"Why you taking so long?" Gelo asks. I open it a little faster and look at the results, my eyes going wide.