We head outside through the front door. The sun is shining from clear blue skies, and our neighborhood is busy with other kids riding down the street on their bikes, and Mr. Perez from next door is out mowing his lawn. It’s a typical California day. On our own driveway, however, Jamie is fighting to snatch a basketball out of Chase’s arms as he hugs it tight to his body. I didn’t even know weowneda basketball. I squint at the two of them through the sunlight, then at the basketball hoop mounted above the garage door that definitely wasn’t there yesterday.
“What…what’s that?” I splutter.
“A basket,” Dad says from beside me, stating the obvious. He moves his arm from over my shoulders and walks across the lawn toward the driveway, but then he pauses when he realizes I haven’t followed. Helooks back at me as I stand in surprise on the porch, and he rolls his eyes, his grin widening even though that should be impossible. “To shoot at, Tyler. C’mon.”
Still confused, I walk over to join him on the driveway, and I linger by his side, chewing my lower lip. “I thought…no sports?”
“Nofootball,” he clarifies. “I don’t want you getting hurt. This is much better.” He dives forward and playfully plucks the basketball straight out of Chase’s arms and out of Jamie’s grasp, then dribbles it to the back corner of the driveway with a smug smile on his face.
“Hey! I was just about to get that, Dad!” Jamie whines, throwing his hands into the air in defeat as he glares at Dad.
“No, you weren’t!” Chase protests. “I was about to score!”
He places his hands on Jamie’s chest and shoves him back a step, and they begin to argue back and forth.
I stand on the edge of the driveway, blinking fast as I watch them, and when I glance at Dad, his features are soft, and his gaze is gentle. He smiles again and then hurls the basketball through the air straight to me. I catch it, barely, getting knocked back a couple steps from the force. I hold the weight of the ball in my hands for a minute, staring aimlessly down at it. Dad’s really letting me play ball on the driveway instead of studying?
“You’re not supposed to hesitate, Tyler!” Dad calls across to me with a small laugh. He nods up to the basket above the garage door. “Give it a shot.”
I look up at the basket, and I don’t even bother to aim, I just throw the ball up into the air and watch as it bounces off the garage door with a clattering echo. It bounces onto the ground, and both Jamie and Chase race to fetch it.
“Ain’t nothing some practice can’t fix,” Dad comments as heapproaches me. Why won’t he stop smiling today? He runs his hand back through my hair, then spins around and joins Chase in blocking Jamie as he attempts to dribble his way down the driveway. “Chase, you’re with me,” he says once Jamie shoots the ball straight over their heads and into the basket. He looks at me, smirking. “Tyler, Jay…good luck.”
I relax then. Dad is happy. It’s a good day. He’s playing ball with us on a hot Sunday afternoon, and I forgot just how much fun Dad can be sometimes. I grab Jamie’s elbow and pull him over to the side so that we can discuss our game plan, and Dad keeps wiggling his eyebrows at me from across the driveway, and I even smile back at him.Game on.
We play for a couple hours. Jamie and I run around, out of breath, dribbling the ball back and forth and attempting to utilize teamwork by occasionally passing the ball to one another. Even Mom comes outside with juice for all of us and eventually gives in and joins us after some begging. She’s on mine and Jamie’s team, but she won’t stop kissing our opposition, so she’s utterly useless.
We’re winning though, but only because I think Dad is letting us. He has Chase on his shoulders as he dribbles the ball with one hand down the driveway, then he aims and shoots the ball straight into the basket. Chase is too tired out to take part, but he does throw his hands up into the air with a cheer, then reaches down and high fives Dad. Mom plants a kiss on both of their cheeks.
It’s a good day. One of the best in a while. We’re all laughing. My brothers are competitively trash-talking one another. Mom’s smile is wide and pure, full of love and pride. Dad is just like the man I used to adore, the same man I know he still is deep down. We’re all happy.
Thisis the family I’m trying so hard to protect.
16
Present Day
I glance between the two cards on the table in front of me and my phone in my hand.
It’s been soooo hot today down at the beach! Just got home. BTW we’re thinking of all heading out tonight. Maybe Venice or the Hollywood sign. Can you take Eden with you and meet us wherever we decide to go? It’s just easier that way.
Tiffani has texted.
I lift my head and glance off into the distance, over beyond the bustling pier. For June, the weather is good. The morning smog burned off quickly, leaving behind clear blue skies and burning sunshine all day. For a Tuesday, the crowds are pretty hectic too.
I’ve been at the beach all afternoon too, but on the south end, the opposite side of the pier. As far as Tiffani is concerned, I’ve been at home all day, and luckily, we haven’t bumped into each other.
Maaaan, sounds good. Mom’s still grilling me about Saturday, but I’ll try make a getaway later.
I text back, and I cringe as I send the message. Lying to Tiffani isn’t anything new, but I still feel shitty every time I do. It’s also risky. She hates it if I don’t even pick up a damn phone call, so she would flip if she knew I was lying to her.
I set my phone back down and focus on the game as cards are dealt and as cash is placed down, even though I don’t really have a damn clue what I’m doing. I’ve been down here at the beach for a couple hours now, sitting around this old rickety table playing blackjack with a couple guys I’ve never met before. They’re older, at least midtwenties, and they’ve been eyeballing me with distrust the entire time. Kaleb’s here too, though he’s not playing because every half hour or so he disappears on a drop-off.
The elusive Declan Portwood is also here. He’s been laying low for the past couple weeks, so it’s good to finally see him around again. Declan wears a very taut expression almost constantly, his gaze always serious, but he’s well dressed and clean-shaven. The gold watch on his wrist shines when the sun catches it. To those who don’t know him, he’s just some rich college student. The rest of us know that he makes big bucks from the shit ton of weed he grows in his attic.
I guess that’s why he invited me here today. To get me in on the circle, to do exactly what Kaleb and these other guys do. So far, it seems pretty straightforward. He’ll sell me his shit, and I do the distributing and keep the profit. I don’t have much to lose. I wouldn’t be here if I did.
“I had an idea,” Declan announces. He finishes dealing the cards and then leans back in his chair, kicking up sand. “How about a little party?You know, a party among ourselves. No strangers, just the people we’re cool with.”
