𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒕

prologue.

"There you go Lise, there you go," Uncle Manny cheered as his seven year old niece dribbled a small, purple, basketball. She alternated dribbling slower and faster, running towards the basket, and attempted to do a layup, the ball only reaching two metres above her.

Manny chuckled, catching the basketball. "Girl, I'm afraid you're a little too small for that right now,"

They were at the basketball court on July 14th, 2006. The sun shined radiantly that afternoon, almost as bright as Lise's face would light up when she was happy. To Lise, Manny was her best friend. With her dad always at work, she was left with Manny all the time and they usually played basketball.

"Uncle Manny?" she called, looking up at him as he shot the ball.

"Swish!" he called out as the ball came down, bouncing. "Yes Lise?"

"Can I have the ball now?" Annalise pouted, crossing her arms.

"Aight, c'mere,"

Annalise approached Manny, and Manny taught her how to shoot correctly, and although she couldn't shoot anywhere near the hoop yet, Manny was convinced she had some form down.
"You gon' be a star, I'm telling you," he cheesed, proud of his niece.

Eventually, Manny's friends arrived to the court to play a game, and Lise was left sitting down watching the game with one of Manny's friend's little eight year old brother, Malik. Malik and Lise instantly started talking.

"You know, I wanna be a basketball player!" Malik stated to Lise, as they watched the older kids play, sweating vigorously as the game intensed.
"Me too!" she responded.

Malik laughed, as Lise sat confused.

"Girls can't be basketball players." he scoffed.
"Who said that?"
"They just can't play."

"I can." Lise pursed her lips, her hands now on her hips
"Liar, liar! Pants on fire!" Malik sung.
"I bet I'm better than you."
"Mhm! I bet you're not!"

And that's how a rivalry started.

When the game was over, Manny hugged all his friends and gave them little gifts.

Lise and Manny drove home. As they were in the car, Annalise started to talk on and on.

"Why did they get a present from you? Can I have one too?" Annalise questioned.
"Yeah, I have one for you later, okay?" Manny's face dimmed, as if he remembered something he didn't want to remember.

"Can girls be basketball players?" she asked, thinking about what Malik said.
"Yeah, they sure can be."
"Really?"
"Yes, you didn't know?"
"No, I thought they can't."
"Now, who said that?"
"Malik."
"Malik's stupid."

Lise laughed. "Malik is a dummy!" she giggled.

"No, ignore what I just said," Manny said. "I shouldn't have said that. Malik just doesn't know how good of a player you are. And he'll learn when you beat his a- I mean when you beat him in a game of basketball."

"Okay." Lise responded. "Are we there yet?"

"No, not yet."

Lise soon got tired of talking, and stared at the cars passing by.

When Lise got home, Lise hugged her father tightly, as she missed him, and was glad that he was gone from wherever he was before. They all sat in the living room, drinking soda while Annalise sat watching Max and Ruby, her favourite show. She often got angry due to the fact that Ruby never noticed when Max tried to tell her something.

"Man, I gotta tell you something.." Manny said, scratching his head, his hair coily and tangled.

"What is it?" James asked.

"I gotta leave. Actually leave. Like, out of here, leave."

"Oh, vacation. You should've just said that!" James laughed. But Manny wasn't laughing.

"No, not vacation. I'm leaving forever, man."

"Where?" James questioned. "You lyin',"

Annalise snacked on her chips loudly.

"No. And I'm leaving tonight. Like, forever. I know it seems sudden but-"

"Man, you have to be lying. You can't be leaving now. Out of all times you choose-" James yelled.

Annalise stares at the two brothers, as James had started to yell at Manny.

"This is my chance! My chance to get out! Don't you understand?" Manny sighed.

"No, I don't. Why are you telling me this so suddenly?"

"It's a now or never thing. And I need to leave, aight?"

"Okay. But don't come running back to me when things don't turn out well."

James shook his head, leaving the living room. Manny hugged Lise.

"Was that scary?" He asked.
"Yeah," Lise answered shakily.
"Well, just know I love you Lise, okay?"
"I love you too," Lise squeezed him.

He gave her a necklace with a picture of the two together. Another charm on it was a purple basketball, similar to the one Lise owned.

Manny kissed her on the cheek and left.
He was never seen again.