He was tall, broad shouldered and his brown hair slicked to one side.
"Hey!" he said. "I'm Kody. What's your name?"
Boein stared at the kid. In New York strangers kept to themselves and when they did speak to you, you were taught to run away.
But this isn't New York. The realization stung him. Hard.
"You don't talk much do you."
Boein looked up startled. He had forgotten that the boy, Kody, was still there. He was straddling his bike now grinning.
Boein sighed, stuck out his hand, (because that was what Mrs. Price had taught him to do) and said "I'm Boein."
Kody's annoying smile got even wider, if that was possible.
"We don't get much new people around here." He said, tilting his head to look at the old blue house. "And everybody will be talking about how the for sale sign is gone from your house!"
"Why?" Boein questioned.
"Because that house has been up for grabs since B.C. times that's why."
Boein's eyes widened. "Really?"
Kody laughed. "No! but it has been for sale for a long time. Longer than any of us has remembered."
"Who's us?"
"The guys. My friends." he said. "In fact I was just biking out to the park to play some ball with them. Do you want to come too? We need another player."
"What kind of ball? Basketball?" Boein asked.
"Is there any other kind?"
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Stevens Park was big and grassy. There were two baseball fields and behind them was a playground set. Four basketball courts were at the very end right next to each other with chain nets, the kind Boein liked.
This sunny Saturday morning, the courts were taken up. All pickup games, except one on the southern right court. About eight kids were shooting around, talking, and laughing. That was exactly where Kody led Boein. They parked there bikes at a bike rack a little ways down.
"Hey Kody! who's the little shrimp with you?"
Boein was small. In fact being four feet eleven and a half inches at twelve years old was tiny to him.
Kody ignored him and practically dragged Boein toward the group of boys gathering around the two of them.
"Give me five shrimpy!" the same kid said with a smirk on his face.
"Quit it Jered." Kody stepped forward and grabbed the ball away from him. "This is Boein and he's new here. Stop looking at him like he's an elephant in the zoo and let's play!
At least elephants are tall. Boein thought.
Kody and another guy, DeShaun were captains. Boein was picked last, landing up on DeShaun's team. They started with ball after Jered missed the do or die shot badly, barely hitting rim.
"You check." DeShaun said handing him the ball. He passed to Jered who, sadly for Boein was guarding him. Here's shoved the ball back at Boein and the game was underway.
Everybody was good, especially DeShaun who was the best shooter he had ever seen. Everybody seemed to be having a great time except for Boein. He felt sort of left out and Jered didn't help either. The few times Boein got into the lane, Jered blocked the ball off his face or shoulder. And then the trash talking would start.
"You got no chance against me Shrimpy!" he would yell as he ran down the court. Or "Maybe if you were standing on a stool you might have a chance!"
The most frustrating thing about it was that Jered was right. Boein was the littlest one playing and he was paying for it. Jered seemed to have set a goal for himself to see how many times he could block the ball off Boein's face in one game.
Finally Kody, who seemed to be the leader of the group, yelled out "Game point!" and caught the inbound pass. Dribbling up the court Boein knew that if he could make one good play, get a tip or deflection, maybe this day wouldn't be as bad.
Kody passed to Jered who ripped the ball through with so much force it was a blur of orange. He then whipped the ball to Cade who had turned out could handle the rock for a small forward. Cade's man had gotten caught up in a huge pick by Kody and Boein ran to help. This was his chance.
Instead Cade did a monster ball fake going up on his toes like Chris Mullen did when he still played. Boein was caught off guard, going back on his heels. Cade full out dusted him. Beat him so bad it was pathetic. DeShaun scrambled, trying to get in front. To late. Cade laid the ball in easily. Game.
