Temptations

V

I really only see Sabrina in class or during the weekend, if she gets some time off. The basketball team has been hitting training camp hard.

I've been hitting the track way more often. We're starting training camp in three weeks.

The yellow and green scrimmage was a few days ago and Sabrina crushed it. She had a crazy three from the end of the press table.

They have a game against the US National Team on the 9th, which is actually tomorrow.

---

I put on my Ionescu jersey over her hoodie that I stole from Sab's closet. I look myself in the mirror one last time.

"Let's do this thing!" I say to myself.

I make the short walk from my dorm to MKA. I wait at the entrance, where there is already a line.

We quickly get filtered into the arena. I find my seat in the friends and family area.

I watch as they warmup and smile at the sight of Sabrina. She looks up into the stands and makes eye contact with me. I wink which draws a smirk from her.

And...

HOLY.

FUCK.

Her smirk could actually make me faint.

I feel my face turn a crimson red.

"Hey, you okay?" A man asks.

"Oh, yeah, yeah. I'm fine." I tell him.

"I'm Eddy by the way." He says. He seems familiar.

"Mollie." I see a flash of recognition come across his face.

"Oh! I know you! Sabrina talks about you all the time!" He says.

Now I know him. He's Sabrina's twin brother.

"Sabrina talks about you a lot. I'm surprised we haven't met before." I tell him.

"Yeah."

---

I ended up meeting Sabrina's entire family. It was a little awkward at first, but we soon got over it.

She had an amazing game. She dropped 30 points on Team USA. Oregon beat them by 7 points. And she made a shot from the bottom of the O at half court.

They have recovery for an hour after the game and then I'm taking Sabrina out for dinner after the game. And I think her family is coming... oh, they're coming.

---

"Where did you grow up?" Sabrina's dad asks.

"South LA." I tell him.

"So I'm guessing you're either a Lakers or a Clippers fan." He says.

I let out a small chuckle, "I grew up a massive Lakers fan." I say with a smile.

"So, what's your family like?" Sabrina's mom asks.

I look over to Sabrina and see her glaring at her mom.

"Mom, I told you that Mollie doesn't really talk about her family." Sabrina says.

Now all eyes are on me.

"Sab, it's fine." I grab her hand from under the table. "My dad raised me and my two brothers. I'm the middle. My mom wasn't really involved in my life. My dad was killed when I was about 10 and some friends raised us. My older brother was actually going to play basketball at Oregon, back in 2012. A day before he was coming here to sign the Letter of Intent, he was shot and killed. My little brother still lives in LA and he's doing okay." Sabrina kicks my foot under the table. Her parents share a questionable look.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that." Eddy says. He shares the same compassion that Sab has.

"It's made me who I am." I say with a tight lipped smile.

After a long, awkward silence her dad asks for the check.

Her parents go back to their hotel and Eddy goes back to his dorm room.

"I blew it, didn't I?" I ask as we walk back to her place.

"My parents like you. But..."

"W-what did they say?" I say.

"They said they knew that you are affiliated with a gang and... and that you are a threat. And that I shouldn't be around you anymore." She says quietly.

"P-please tell me you're lying."

She shakes her head.

"Why does everyone think I'm a threat? I'm not. Just because I grew up in the Projects, thay doesn't mean I'm in gang. Sure I'm affiliated with two, but that's not me."

"I'm sorry." She pulls me into a hug.

I push her away from me.

"Maybe they're right."