The Game of Love

Ch. 1: The Beginning

Take it easy on me. This is my first story.

Tyra's P.o.V.

     I get up to the sound of my alarm and last night's NBA game stats on ESPN radio. Yeah, don't judge me it's my favorite station. I go to the bathroom and strip my PJs in order to take a shower. I hop in, wash up and then shampoo my long jet black curly hair. (The water felt so good.) I get out the shower, lotion up my sun-kissed brown skin, and brush my pearly white teeth. And no I didn't put on makeup because that wouldn't look right when I'm all sweaty after practice. I slip on my underwear then head to my small closet and pick out a simple white short sleeve t-shirt, Adidas training pants, and my black Nike Elite basketball socks. Afterwards,  I put on my Adidas Adissage slides and pack my basketball duffle bag with my all-red Nike HyperRevs to match the school colors, my basketball shorts, my school training shirt along with my sweat rag.

     I jog out my room of the one-level house I share with my 20-year old brother, Deon. I drop the duffle bag and my backpack down by the front door and head to the little kitchen to make myself some cereal. The TV is on so I know Deon is probably watching cartoons.

        "Hey Sis. Thought you'd never wake up," he greets still watching Spongebob.

        "Yeah, whatever. You going to work today?" And by work, I mean the trap house.

        "Yeah, gonna swing by and sling a few. Why?"

        "I need a few things. So you betta get that paper," I demand taking my first bite of my Frosted Flakes.

        For about 10 more minutes at 7:30am, I finish eating, pack my water bottle in the cooler and put it in my duffle bag. I head out to my grey Chevy Cobalt and drive to school.

        I pull up with 7 minutes to spare before the bell rings. As soon as I walk in, I soak up the usual praise from some people when I helped the Lady Jaguars aka Jags win another basketball game. Jogging to my locker, I get my stuff I need for my first 2 periods and head to Mr. Landry's English class.

        The bell rings as I walk in, "Ms. Stephens, if you're late again, it'll be a write-up."

        I ignore him and sit down in the back where all the corny a** n**gas be hanging out at. They all try to holla every single day but I don't let none of them get to me, I just focus on school and basketball. Been tryna get that basketball college scholarship to get outta here for good. I'm sick of this life.

        1st and 2nd period is a breeze and I head on to lunch.

        "Hey Tyra," my best friend for life, Deja says.

        "Hey." Deja is at least a shade or two lighter than me and is 5'4" while I'm 5'9". Her light brown hair was in a messy bun and her face was lit up with a lot of make-up if ya ask me. She's wearing a lavender pilgrim shirt, with some sort of necklace, faded straight-leg jeans and some brown sandals. She always tryna mimic those celebrity looks.

        "Well, sh*t then, you gotta be like that, " Deja says wit attitude which I ignore. "Anyways, I know you got practice this whole week but I got invited to Tamia's party on Friday night and I want you to come with me."               

        First of all, I hate Tamia. She so full of herself and she been my enemy since first grade. Ugh I just hate that I share the same first letter in my name wit her. "Do I have to come?"

        "Yaaaassss girl. You have to. I hear she gon' have a DJ, the best catering and everybody gon' be there. It's just gon' be the livest party in Atlanta."

        "I don't know Deja." We get our lunch and find a seat in the crowded cafeteria.

        "C'mon Tyra. You never come to a party wit me. Ya know some fine as f**ck n**gas will be there." She does the puppy-dog eyes and pouts.

        "Ya know I'm not the type to be tryna find a man cuz simply I don't need a man."

        "Yeah ya do honey. You can't be always focused on basketball."

        Now she done pissed me off. No one talks about my game like that, I 'ont even care if she is my BFF, no one. "Watch ya mouth now." We end the conversation and eat in silence.

        3rd and 4th period went by quick cuz all I can focus on is the next basketball game. I go to the locker room right after school at 3:00pm before anybody else and head to the gym to warm up. And no I'm not a kiss-up to show the coach that I show iniative, I just really wanna get out of the hood so my game needs to be on fleek. For about 20 minutes the rest of the team and the coach come out and then we warm up, perform calistenics, run drills, scrimmage, and then have free time.

        "Alright ladies, bring it in," Coach Brown gathers us up for our group cheer. "Good job everyone, especially Tyra. I can tell you're putting in extra work." We do the cheer and everybody dispersed murmurring about me, talking about how I'm Coach's favorite. I just shoo it off cuz I know what my motivation is. And I ain't none of those stuck-up, non-talented girls' lil friends anyway.

        "Hey coach," I say gathering up all the basketballs.

        "Yeah, wassup?" He turns around.

        "Is the gym gonna be open on the weekends?"

        He scratches his bald head under his cap, "I don't know." He thinks for a sec. "Yeah I can open it up for ya, Tyra. Aye, keep up the good game, we're gonna need ya." He walks off and disappears in the boys locker room.

        I pack up and go out the back door to go home.

        Deon's car ain't in the driveway which means I'll have the house to myself. I get in, lock up, then fix myself a microwave dinner while doing my homework and watching the basketball game.

        At 10pm, Deon's crazy a- comes in.

        "When you get here?" He asks sitting next to me on the couch.

        "Around 5:30." I put my finished homework in my folder.

        "Oh ok. Here's the paper you wanted. Now that's $500 just for you and Imma put the rest in my safe, ok?"

        "How much is it?"

        "Nonya."

        "N**ga, tell me how much it is, cuz we backed up on some bills." He tells me the amount and I take what I need in order to pay for the overflowing bills.

        I go to my room and fall asleep.

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