Books, Boys, and Basketball: Junior Year

THANKSGIVING

I slept so well that by the time I wake up, people have already arrived at Grams'. Even Drew texts me to let me know he's on his way over while I'm straightening my hair. He's never seen it straight before. I've had curls since I entered the world, and it's time to switch things up a little.

To compliment my new hairstyle, I wear a cranberry red spaghetti-strapped baby doll dress with nude wedge heels. My shoes make my five-foot ten-inch frame at least three inches taller, but even with those three inches, I'm still shorter than Drew's six-foot four-inch frame.

Aunts, uncles, and cousins I haven't seen in ages, or I've never met before, show up at Grams' house. Whenever we had Thanksgiving with my parents, only my mom's side of the family would show up. Being amongst so many strange faces makes me realize just how much my dad kept us from his family.

My newfound cousins greet me, pulling me into hugs, and telling me how much they've heard about me. Drew isn't even here yet, and there are at least five teenagers here. Three girls and two boys. Then there are the little ones. A set of twin toddlers, both boys, and a five-year-old.

"You look like your mom. You're gorgeous like her too," My cousin Charlotte looks me over.

"Thanks," I smile.

"No wonder your dad wants to keep her away from us. He's probably afraid she's gonna hook up with uncle Jon again," my cousin Tabitha chuckles.

Say what now?

Frowning, I ask, "What do you mean?"

"Your mom and uncle Jonny had a thing way back when. She cheated on your dad."

Now there's a continent-sized bombshell if I've ever heard one.

Mom and uncle Jonny?

"Oh my God, is that who I think it is?" My cousin Vyanne gasps. "Isn't that the guy we saw on ESPN?"

The three of them blush like fools, fixing the way they look like Steph Curry or somebody just walked into the building. I turn around to see Drew standing by the front door talking to my cousins Clyde and Dimitri, and a few of my uncles. They're talking to him about basketball, stopping him from making his way over to me.

"Are we related to him? If so, Imma have to make an exception and start dating inside the family," Vyanne eyes Drew like he's the last meal on earth, and she's a starving animal.

"His name is Drew, and he's not related, he's my boyfriend," I tell them.

"Of course, he's dating someone like you," Charlotte scoffs.

"What does that mean?"

"It means you've got it going on, cousin," Tabitha explains. "You're gorgeous."

"Hey," Drew finally makes his way over to me smelling every bit as good as he looks.

"Hey, you," I kiss him on the lips and then introduce him to his newest fan club. "These are my cousins Tabby, Charlie, and Vy."

"How are you doing, ladies?" He hugs each of them.

Vy looks like she's gonna pass out.

"Better now," she beams, eyeballing him extra hard.

The next few hours of our time together are spent with my family tripping over themselves to talk to Drew about basketball, the NBA, and all the publicity he gets. A few times he tries steering the conversation towards me, but it doesn't work. No one wants to hear about a female basketball player. And my family assumes that because I'm pretty I don't know how to handle the ball.