Dribbling my basketball, I pass the ball to my buddy, and he shoots a hoop. "Dang Man!" I yell, the twilight of the evening darkening by the minute.
Two cars pull up, and spill out a family, including a teenage boy. "Yo man!" I call. "Wanna play?" I ask, and catch the ball, then bounce it to him.
The teen catches it, and bounces it back, shaking his head. I jog over.
"Timothy." I introduce myself.
"Ahmeer." He says, and nodds before running after his family, and I the apartment across the street.
I shrugged my shoulders, and drive the ball back over. Dodging another player, I bounce it between my legs and jump, making the shot.
The ball bounces off the backboard, and another player just barely tried smack the ball out of the basket.
My 'team' cheers as we make the score, my friend dribbling the ball just before it's stollen, and shot over our heads onto the basket i was supposed to be guarding.
"Timothy!" My father yells, and I wince.
"Saved by the Bell." My buddies laugh, and throw me my ball.
Holding the basketball, I jog inside, and run up the stairs and to my home. I absent-mindedly twist one of my short dreadlocks between my fingers, tightening it.
"You need to eat your dinner." Mom say, my dad sill at the kitchen window from calling me.
The twins run in, and squeal at the sight of food. Who didn't feed them lunch?
"Timmy! Timmy!" The younger of the twins runs to me, begging to be picked up. I hand her the basketball, and lift her onto my shoulders. The girl balences the ball on my head, laughing as it drops to the floor. I use on hand to catch it when it bounces back up, but my mom raises an eyebrow anyway. No bouncing balls inside.
"So, did you make the team?" My dad asks, scooping some cassarole onto his plate and sitting down at the kitchen table.
"I hope so." I say, setting down my little sister.
"Make her a plate to" my mom asks, wrangling the brother.
"Fine." I say, and grab two plates, Serving them both up.
"Timmy! Timmy!" My sister squeals again, and runs to the table. She sits down after climbing into a chair, and smacks at a spot. "Sit with me." She commands.
"Yes, my princess." I mock bow, and she smiles with delight.
I sit down with my sister, and my father says grace before we eat.
Digging in, I enjoy my food, and listen to the sports game on the TV in the other room. Grandpa doesn't like to move around anymore, and once we finish eating, one of us will go and sit with him while he eats.
I ruffle my sister's curls, and smile at my siblings.
YOU ARE READING
Storm Star
Science FictionNine teens, chosen for some mysterious purpose, the survivors of "the wipe-out" as that day was called. A post-apocalyptic world is all that left. And the aliens who came.
