“Like what, cuh?”
“Man,” True ran his hand down his face. “So much,” he sighed. “Just know you’re the better man so don’t ever let them think you’re not.”
“Shit, don’t feel like it.” Zaire stared past them, watching Meadow switch her little body onto the porch. She was teasing him, calling him in the only way she knew how.
True followed his line of sight and only smirked. “What you thinking, Z?”
“I don’t even know if I want to play on their green anymore,” Zaire mumbled, hating the words that came out of his mouth, but he’d been thinking about it for a long time. He hated the idea of shucking and jiving for those White people as much as he hated Meadow for tip toeing around what she was feeling. He knew it wasn’t love but damn, it could be.
Ray threw his frail arms in the air. “Aww, hell nah,cuh…you too goddamn good to quit.”
“I ain’t quitting…look at it as retiring.”
“Too young to do that too. You got years left in you…at least ten,” True tried to talk some sense into Zaire. "All you need is a redo...new team that’s gonna work for you , clearer head…”
Zaire let it sink in. “I had a hard time getting Ertan. Them muthafuckas ain’t fuckin’ with me like that. All my sponsorships done pulled out. Shit Nike stopped making my shoes and it ain’t even been a month since it all went down. Feels like they all just turned their backs on the cash cow.”
“What you think I’m here for? I want you to win, King…you deserve to win,” True spoke like he was one hundred percent sure Zaire was the GOAT.
“What you supposed to be? My fairy god daddy?”
“Shit, if that’s what you need to believe in yourself again, then hell yes.” True shot back. “Look, I ain’t here to blow no smoke up your ass or get your hopes up but there’s another tournament coming up… ‘bout a month away. If you want to compete, it’s yours.”
“How? You talking about getting a new team and shit. How I’m gon’ do all that that fast?”
“Man, let me work…I got you. Just be ready in all that blue L.A. shit you like to stunt in, put the chains on too.”
Zaire huffed. “You really tryin’ to get me banned.”
“Nah, I’m trying to get you seen and you don’t have to sacrifice who you are or where you come from to get there. Let your god daddy work, king.” True clapped his hands together like he was the man with the plan.
Zaire could only trust him, ’cause regardless of all that shit he talked, he loved the game…loved the wins. And in a twisted way, he loved his losses too.
Meadow needed air.
Not a full escape, just a little space where nobody needed anything from her for five damn minutes or hours. She wasn’t complaining though.
She walked past the cart shed, past the last row of sprinklers that didn’t really work but Ray loved to run them as if the water bill wasn’t already one of their biggest expenses. It was why she’d used the watering plane to do it this time. That water was collected rainwater and it was free. The sun was sliding down, painting everything in soft golds and beautiful oranges that made a Black girl’s skin glow even more. Fireflies were already flickering low in the grass. It was quiet back there…hidden…warm, a good pocket of the world to breathe in.
Meadow dropped down onto the thick patch of grass, legs stretched, curls falling forward. She finally let out a long breath and unlocked her phone.
Tia answered the FaceTime quick. “Oh bitch, I been waiting,” she cackled before Meadow even said ‘hello’.
Meadow snorted, adjusting the camera so she could get comfortable. “Calm your nasty ass down.”
“NO!!!” Tia yelled. “Tell me what the hell happened because your texts earlier were real chaotic. You talkin’ about you dumped water on somebody, and Zaire was involved, and I been sitting here like a mother waiting on test results. Run it back.”
Meadow folded over laughing. “Girl… okay - okay, wait. Lemme get comfortable.”
Tia adjusted her own screen, getting serious and ready for the tea.
“So boom,” Meadow started.
Tia clapped giddily. “I love a ‘so boom’ story…continue.”
Meadow told her everything.
The night at the bar, Brent being annoying…
