"Aight, bet!" Zoo's laughter earned him a glare from PJ.
"Gotta be fair, Baby," he said, holding his hands up.
Taking PJ to the side, I gave her a once over, focusing on her exposed and toned abdomen. "I thought you said you could be preg—"
"Shhh! Damn! I said I don't know."
"Okay, but still. I haven't played intoolong, and you know you don't want no damn grill. Maybe we shouldn't."
PJ waved me off. "You see them?" She bent her head Brooklyn and Zoo's way. They were all smiles as if they'd already won. "Chile, we're 'bout to beat their asses. The Bri I know can't resist a challenge. Once you sink your first shot, it's gonna be like you never stepped away from the court."
Smiling, I accepted the basketball PJ tossed my way.
First to ten," PJ laid out.
"Ten?" Zoo laughed.
"Yes, ten," I agreed. PJ needed to sit her ass down somewhere if she suspected she was pregnant, but I guess she knew her limitations.
"We got first since y'all champions or whateva," Brooklyn said.
I threw him the ball, and just like that, the game was underway.
Brooklyn dribbled the ball to the three-point line, then chucked it towards the basket.It clanked off the front of the rim. Zoo thought he had the rebound secured, but PJ knocked itfrom his hand and hustled to catch it, knocking Zoo over in the process. She went up for a layup off the backboard.
"That's one," I celebrated.
Zoo climbed from the ground, grilling PJ. "Damn, yo' ass gotta be so rough?"
Yes." She giggled. "All I know how to do is hang with the big dogs, boo." When she smacked him on the ass, he almost lost it.
“Watched that shit, Peeg. You tryna’ show out, now!” Zoo fussed at her then walked over to Brooklyn. "Nigga, how you miss that wide open shot?"
"Let's just play," I requested. PJ checked the ball in. Palming it, every instinct I used to have while actively playing, filled me. Brooklyn stretched his arms out, defending the paint.Right in his face, I pulled up and sank a deep shot. By the time he tried to block my shot, the ball was already near the rim.
"That's two!" PJ sang.
"Brooklyn, mane. That damn girl has the highest scoring record at her high school for a reason. Guard her ass!"
Brooklyn grumbled as PJ checked the ball in. This time when it touched my hands, Brooklyn got right up on me. According to the surgeon that cleared me once my injury healed, my knee was perfect. Today would be the first time I truly put it to use.
Bouncing the ball, I kept my eyes on Brooklyn's. He made the mistake of swatting for the ball. I took off around him and easily sailed through the open paint for a layup. PJ blocked Zoo out like she was his size. Battling in the paint took skill, and PJ knew it well.
"That's three!" she and I said in unison as we slapped hands. We hadn't broken a sweat, yet, Zoo and Brooklyn were breathing hard with their hands on their hips, trying to catch their breaths. It was comical to say the least. For two men who were in shape, they surely didn't seem like it.
"You really lettin' them beat our asses like this?" Zoo griped ten minutes later, when PJ sank point number nine.
"Me? Nigga, you talkin' allat shit and haven't spent one play off the ground. Yo' big ass lettin' PJ run all over you. Soft ass!"
"Nigga, I ain't the one who played ball in high school and college; that's you! If this was football, this shit would be another story."
Brooklyn and Zoo going back and forth had me and PJ hollering. They sounded like two pit bulls going at it.
"Fellas!" I called, grabbing their attention. "Chill out and let’s win this game.”
Brooklyn glared at me and shook his head, making me laugh harder.
"See, just disrespectful," Zoo voiced. "I got fuckin' bruises and scrapes all over me like a nigga beat my ass. We all know that's a muthafuckin' lie. Next time y'all ask to play, I'ma sit out. Got me outchea lookin' like a throwaway and embarrassing me... Nah, I'll pass next time."
