OUT BABY GOOD LUCK
Soon after, Coach Lewis called me into his office to talk about the game. That was the last thing on my mind right about now. Coach Lewis was a good coach. He was hard on us, and he took care of his players like his own sons.
“Where your mind at, Rick?” he asked me.
“I’m ready,” I said, scratching my shoulder.
“You look distracted,” said Coach Lewis, staring at me with his head tilted as if he were looking through me for a moment.
“Naw, I’m good. Just trying focus right now,” I replied.
“I hear that, but you quiet in here son. I need you to bring that energy, Hype,” he said.
“I got you, Coach!” I said before I walked out his office.
I checked my phone. Still nothing. My teammate, JB, tapped me to get my attention.
“Where Black at, moe?” he asked.
“I don’t know, son. I been trying to call his phone since we got out of school.”
“Ain’t ya blood brothers? Call him telepathically,” said JB.
“Telepathically,” I said, squinting. JB busted out laughing. “You silly son,” I said, shaking my head. “This ain’t no joke, bruh. Black’s missing!” I said.
“Say what!” JB said.
“Bruh, out there looking for him now,” I said.
“Man, what the fuck happened? Where he go?” said JB.
I shook my head and checked my phone again.
“Young!” JB said as he stood up.
“Bruh, just focus on the game, man. You know what I’m saying,” I said.
“Man,” JB said, scratching his chest.
He walked off to the bathroom, and soon after, Coach Lewis flung his door open.
“Guys, where is Lenny at?” he yelled.
“Lenny (a.k.a. Black) ain’t here!” yelled one of my teammates.
“Well, where in the hell’s he at? We’re leaving in ten minutes,” said Coach Lewis.
“Ain’t nobody seen him,” said Phil.
“Rick, do you know?” Coach asked me.
“No,” I said, shaking my head.
Coach Lewis paused then he closed his door shut. Everyone looked confused, but none was as shook up as me about Black’s absence. I was the last person to see him, and I was starting to feel like it was partly my fault that he was missing. I guess guilt was the only solution I could come up with.
I checked my phone again and still nothing. I guess Cash still didn’t find Cook yet. It’s one thing that my right-hand man is missing, but on top of that, our team’s best shooter is gone too. I tried to think that maybe I’m overreacting. But no, where else would he be right now but right here?
I hit up Duffy, but his phone was off.
“Aight fellas, load up. The bus is here,” said Coach Lewis. “Lenny’s still not here?” he asked, looking at me. I just turned my head to the side in disbelief. “Aight. Well, we got to go. Just keep your phones on while we’re on the bus in case he calls.”
A few of my teammates laughed at what Coach Lewis just said. Even though Coach Lewis says not to bring our phones, we would always keep our phones on anyway. We would just leave them on vibrate.
“What’s so funny?” asked Coach Lewis. “I want to laugh. Enlighten me,” he said with his hands on his chest. “I don’t see anything funny considering we’re about to leave for a big game against a team that beat us last year and one of our players is missing. I’m struggling to find the joke here,” said Coach Lewis.
Coach stared at us all for a long while with a crazy look on his face.
“Get on the bus,” he finally said.
We all grabbed our gym bags and stepped out to the bus. I cut some music on, but even with ABM cranking through my headphones, I couldn’t stop wondering what happened to Black. Did he crash? Naw! Man, I don’t know. This shit got my head all twisted up. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I prayed again. Eventually, we pulled into Forestville High School’s parking lot.
“Let’s go, bay-bee!” Phil yelled as he popped up from his seat.
I tried to call Black’s phone one more time. Nothing. I threw my phone in my bag and walked off the bus. We made our entrance and sat in the stands to watch the first half of the JV game. Slowly but surely, I could see scouts pouring into the gym.
Phil nudged me, “Young, that’s a UConn scout right there! That look like Coach Calhoun,” he said.
Later, I noticed my cousin BJ walking up the bleachers toward me.
“What’s good, Hype?” BJ said, smiling and showing me love.
“What’s up, cuzzo,” I said as we showed each other love. “Ya ready to get ya ass bust in front of all these fans?” I said.
“We not going like that. This my house. I’m dropping 50,” he said.
“Damn, you feeling like that. What you think, you Kobe or somebody!” I said.
“Aye, we ballers,” he said before laughing.
“So if you Kobe, then who am I?” I said.
“Kendrick Lamar,” he said. I busted out laughing. I took a quick peep at the gym.
“I’ll see you at tip-off,” he said before we pounded fist and he trotted back down the bleachers.
I sat back down and watched the rest of the first half with my teammates. Once halftime came, we all got up and walked to the locker room. I sat down and pulled my phone out to check for any word on Black. I didn’t have any text messages, missed calls, or anything. I then felt something like a hole in my stomach.
I put my phone away, cut on my iPod, and sat back and closed my eyes. When Coach Lewis walked into the locker room, I could see the fire in his eyes. I started tying up my LeBrons after he said a prayer. Then he started his speech. Normally, he would just give us the game plan and a few words for motivation, but this game was different. I felt my heart thumping like crazy!
“When a family gets together, there’s no stopping us! We family!”
While leaving the locker room, I could feel Black’s absence. Instantly, I felt that empty feeling in my stomach again.
Get your mind right, cuz, my conscience told me, which is what Black would say to keep me focused. I took a long deep breath.
Inhale…
Let’s go…
Then I ran out to the court into a heat raised packed gym. With all the hype between BJ and me, I guess everyone wanted to see this rematch. I dropped 27 on them last year. He only had 19, but they won 68–64.
Guess Imma a have to drop 32 this time, I thought to myself.
Phil, Pete, and Tonio walked up to me during shoot a round.
“Look at this fucking crowd!” said Tonio.
“This shit live in here, ain’t it,” I said.
“Hell yeah,” said Phil.
“Keep ya minds right, man. Let the crowd do them. Our game’s right here on this court!” I said.
“Uh-huh!” the three of them said as we pounded fists. Coach Lewis called us over to the sidelines before tip-off. After coach finished talking, I called the break.
“We balling for Black! Put it all on the line right here