Temptations

IX

"Can you stay the night?" Sabrina asks.

"I pretty much live here. I think my roommate is wondering if I'm actually alive." I say.

"True."

"I got a call from Marcus today." I say after a long silence.

"What did he say?" Sabrina asks.

"Alex's trial is starting next week. He also says that there's almost no chance of Alex being found not guilty because there were a lot of witnesses there."

"Are you planning on going?" She asks.

"I probably can't. But if he is found guilty then I will try to go to the sentencing."

"Come here." Sabrina opens up her arms. I roll pretty all the way on top of her.

"You're heavy." Sabrina whines.

"Do I complain when you do this?" I ask.

"I guess not..."

---

I sit in a coffee shop near Gill Coliseum, looking through my phone before Sabrina's gane against Oregon State.

They won their home game against them two days ago.

I set my phone down for a second before it starts going crazy. I pick it up and see this:

BREAKING: Kobe Bryant Has Died In A Helicopter Crash

"No. No. No." I click on it and see that TMZ reported it.

I feel a few tears go down my face.

"This can't be true." I whisper to myself.

Mollie: Sab.

Sabrina😍: I know. I saw it.

Mollie: What can I do?

Read 11:34

"Shit."

I make my way out of the coffee shop and to the arena. I get in line and wait 30 minutes for the doors to open.

Once the doors open, I enter the arena and quickly find my seat. I see both the teams on the floor warming up, but I don't see Sabrina.

She's not playing, isn't she.

Before tip-off, they hold a moment of silence and Sabrina finally comes out of the locker room.

Flashback

"Hey Sab, where are the Oreos?" I yell from the living room. "Sab?" I ask.

I hear a man's voice and get curious. I walk into the living room and see Sabrina is Facetiming someone.

I look on her screen and see my idol, Kobe FUCKING Bryant.

A sound escapes my mouth before I can stop it.

"Oreos are in the kitchen Mollie." Sabrina says.

"Mollie Moreno?" Kobe asks.

"Yep. That's me."

"I remember watching your game film a few years back. You were good, why don't you play anymore?" He asks. KOBE WATCHED MY GAME FILM!

"My brother was killed and he had played basketball. It just reminded me too much of him."

"I'm sorry about your brother." He says.

"It's okay. I found track and I'm thankful for that."

"Keep up thay attitude and it'll take you places." He says to me.

"Thank you. Much appreciated."

End of flashback

After my track meet on December 8th, I got a text from a number that turned out to be Kobe's. He congratulated me on the meet and told me to keep it up. I read that text everyday.

Sabrina tips her head back to stop the tears from coming and that sends me over the edge. Tears start pouring out of my eyes.

This is going to be a long game.

---

"Remember the first day I met you and when I told you about my brother? I said: why do all the good people get taken from the world."

"Of course I remember that." Sabrina says through tears.

"You said: I don't know. I wish I had the answer. I think I found the answer... The good people get taken from us to make us stronger and help us grow."

She starts crying even harder.

"But Kobe and GiGi, out of all people?!" She yells.

"I know what you're feeling right now. The one thing that kept me going after my brother died was the thought of him being disappointed that I didn't carry on after his death. So, play this season for Kobe and GiGi. Make them proud."