H.O.R.S.E.

“Aye, watch out!”

A blur of orange whizzes past my face. What the…

“Aye, my bad. Y’all good?”

My eyes flit from the tall boy slowing his jog, to the basketball rolling to a stop just on the other side of our blanket, to Riley, who is seemingly unbothered by the whole ordeal. I unshield my face and glare at the intruder.

“Are you crazy?” I say.

He rests his hands on his waist and smiles through short breaths, his coppery skin covered in a light sheen of sweat. Am I sure I’m mad? 

“My bad, momma. They can’t shoot for nothing.” He nods over his shoulder to the boys on the basketball court. “You and lil momma okay, though?”

I gasp as moisture hits my leg. My drink spilled. Great. I dig around in our bag for napkins. 

“Oh, damn,” he says. “It got your chips too, huh, momma?”

Riley smiles and reaches for one of the chips that’s flown off the blanket, eager to add to the orange dust already clinging to her fingers and cheeks. 

“No, Riley,” I say before she can get the puff into her mouth. “That’s dirty.”

She frowns and tries to eat it anyway. It takes skill to beat a two-year-old on a mission, but I’ve got plenty experience with this tyrant and manage to flick it away before it can breach her lips. “I said, no.”

Her eyes water. 

“Aye, let me run cross the street right quick and get her some more. I’ma get you the big bag, babygirl.”

Riley’s eyes and ears perk up at news of her incoming lick. My girl can spot a sucker a mile away. I shake my head and dig her wipes out to clean her up. “It’s fine,” I say. “She’s had enough anyway.”

I halt her protest by thrusting her sippy cup into her hands. “Here, juice.” She accepts the peace offering and stares at me over the length of her cup as she takes it to the head. Yeah, I’ve got my eyes on you too, I telepath. She rolls her eyes. Terrorist.

The boy chuckles. “You sure y’all don’t need no help over here? Y’all get to scrappin, I’m putting my money on Boss Baby.”

“She’s gonna chill,” I say, stare down won. “We’re about to—”

“Damn, Korey! Is you gon’ bring the ball back or what? Push up on your own time!” a dark-skinned boy yells from the court. 

“If you stop trying to be the midnight Steph, we wouldn’t have to keep running it down,” Korey shouts back. “Aye, my bad again,” he says to me as he dusts the ball off. He glances at Riley. “Go easy on…”

“Nylah,” I say.

His smile deepens. “Yeah, go easy on Nylah, Riley.” He winks and jogs off.

Free from his playful gaze, I admire his long, lean build and the defined arms and calves that his tank top and basketball shorts reveal. His hair is tapered on the sides, in contrast to the two braids that stop just past the base of his neck. The rumors about the Baldwin Park boys are true. He’s so fine. Ugh. 

A cheese puff bounces off of my cheek. 

“Hey!”

Riley smiles with her cup still perched on her lips. “I’m gonna get you for that,” I tease before overwhelming her with tickles.

#

“Yo, Nylah! You out?”

I look over my shoulder. Korey and his friends are slapping hands and parting ways. He jogs over. 

“Yeah. Riley’s getting tired, and I need to check on my auntie.”

“Oh, that’s wassup. Where you from? Why I ain’t ever seen you before?”

“Why I can’t be from here?”

He smiles and shakes his head. “Can’t be. I would know you.”

“Maybe you’ve seen me and just don’t remember.”

“Nah. If I’d seen you before, trust me, I’d remember. I’d forget to set the chicken out before I forgot that.”

I snort. “What’s that even supposed to mean?”

He arches both full brows. “Your mama clearly ain’t like my mama, cause you got one time to forget to set that meat out with my mine. When she’s done, you’ll forget your own name before you forget that.”

I roll my eyes. “Okay, Mr. Dramatic. And no, I don’t live over here. I live in New Salinda.”

“Ahhh. That explains it.”

“Explains what?”

“Why you so bougie.”

“Bougie?! This is basic.” I wave my free hand over my jean shorts and coral tank top. I’ve got on my usual gold jewelry with my hair in a simple high ponytail. Nothing special, just light work.

“Nah, you definitely ain’t basic. Anything but that.”

I scoff. “I said my outfit was basic—I never said I was. Don’t mistake it. I still don’t get where you pulled bougie from though.”

He chuckles. “My bad, momma. You got it. But nah, look around. You see anybody else our age out here having a picnic today? That’s some bougie sh-” he glances at Riley, “stuff.”

“Thank you,” I say. Last thing I need is for Auntie Kima to think I’m out here teaching Riley how to cuss. She causes enough hell on her own without me adding to her arsenal. “And it’s just a blanket and food. Riley needed to get out the house, so we came out here. Didn’t know it’d be groundbreaking...or bougie.”

“I’m just saying, I dig it. You definitely living up to y’all stereotype, though.”

“Okay, well if we’re going off of stereotypes then, you’re living up to yours too.”

“And what’s that?” He tilts his head, knowing twinkles in his eyes.

“That Baldwin Park boys are flirts and don’t mean you no good.”

He clutches his hand to his chest, nursing an imaginary gunshot wound. “Dang, momma. I knew you were totin’, but I ain’t know you were carrying too.”

My brows furrow, but his suggestive glance at my butt puts my confusion to rest. 

“See what I mean? Y’all can’t stop flirting for nothing.” I pick up Riley to leave, but he blocks my path. 

“Okay, okay.” He throws his hands up in surrender. “I’ma stop…or try to…I don’t know.” 

I try to step around him, but he quickly puts his crossover skills to use. Riley giggles at our impromptu dance. Chaos agent. 

“Hear me out. You bad, so I may have some trouble, but I promise only half of what you heard is true with me. I may be a flirt, but I swear I don’t mean you nothing but good. Let me prove it.”

I adjust Riley’s bag on my shoulder and stare at him. Puppy dog eyes too? It’s gotta be something in the water over here. “How?” I ask. “I really do need to take her inside.”

“Okay. How about you take her and come back? We can kick it and get to know each other…so we can stop working off of stereotypes.”

I hesitate. “Fine. I’ll be back.”

If I hadn’t been sitting outside in the sun with Riley all day, I’d swear it’d just come out with his smile. I’ma ask my auntie if it’s well water. These mofos got mutant powers or something.

“Bet.” He steps out of the way. “I would offer to walk with you, but I don’t want you thinking I’m no stalker or nothing, trying to peep where you stay at. You already eyeing me like you ‘bout to turn your location on.” 

It stays on, but he doesn’t need to know that. “Shut up. And you’re going to stop acting like I’m green out here.”

“It’s whatever you say, Hillary Banks.”

“As long as you know Hillary got hands…”

He laughs. “Alright then, HB. I’ll be waiting. Later, Riley.”

#

#

Now I know you lying…

My feet slow even as my eyes rush around the park, searching for the too fine, too charming boy that’s convinced me to come back out here. The courts are empty and there’s no sign of him anywhere. Did he play me? I mean, yeah, the sun is sitting decidedly lower in the sky but still. Riley—monster—had fought going down for her nap, and I didn’t want to leave Auntie Kima struggling with her when she’s supposed to be recovering from her surgery. That’s why I’m here, after all. Not to be making random hookups in the park. 

My mental draft of my Baldwin Park boys ain’t shit post is interrupted by Korey calling my name. I ignore the relief that slides through my chest when I spot him jogging towards me with a plastic bag swinging from his arm.  

He comes to a stop. “Where you going?” he says.

“I was…”

A huge smile creeps over his face. “You thought I stood you up, huh?”

I shrug. “It’s whatever. I was trying to close my circles anyway.” I lift my wrist to direct his attention to my Apple Watch rather than my heated cheeks. He doesn’t care.

“Man, get outta here with that. You were checkin’ for ya boy and thought I wasn’t checkin’ for you. I saw the lil slump in your shoulders.”

“Boy, please!”

“Whenever you want.”

“See now…I’m leaving.”

He laughs and grabs my wrist. “Wait, Nylah. My bad. It’s habit, but I’m just messing with you. All y’all New Salinda girls this uptight?”

“I’m not uptight.” I cross my arms. 

“How bout I let you in on a secret?”

“Do I even want to know?” I ask.

He steps closer. I will the flutters in my stomach to settle down. “I got scared for a minute too.”

Wasn’t expecting that. “Yeah?” 

“Yeah,” Korey says, looking me up and down. “I mean, I thought I’d convinced you to come kick it with ya boy, but you took a minute, so I started to wonder if maybe my game ain’t as strong as I thought it was.”

“Assume that,” I say, but he laughs. “So, you gave up and were headed home?”

He shakes his head and raises the bag. “Nah. I still had a little bit of faith in my magic. Plus, I ain’t peg you for no liar so I was gonna stick around for a little longer. I went over to Ms. Jeanie’s and got us some snacks.” He moves over to the small set of bleachers and sets the bag down. He pulls out sports drinks, chips, candy, and a wrapped sandwich. “I didn’t know what you’d like, so I tried to mix it up. I had them cut the pressed cuban in half, in case that’s how you get down.”

“You didn’t have to…”

“I know, but when I saw you and Riley’s lil set up earlier, it didn’t seem like much was on there for you. I mean, unless New Salinda girls too fine to eat or something…”

“Whatever.” I roll my eyes and sit. “And thank you. I am hungry.” I unwrap the sandwich and bite into my half. “Umm…this is good. Ms. Jeanie did her big one.”

He takes a seat too. “She probably did when she was around. Mama says she passed like ten years ago, and her son runs it now. He renamed it Baldwin Park Grocery, but it’ll always be Ms. Jeanie’s round here.”

I stop mid-chew. “And what are you? The Baldwin Park Welcome Committee?”

He laughs. “You so mean, bruh. And nah. Just cause y’all ain’t got no culture over there where you from don’t mean we don’t appreciate ours over here. We know our history.”

“If you say so, Dr. Kumar.”

“Yo, you wild. C’mon, let’s play.”

“Play?”

“Yes, play,” he repeats. “And I’ma tell everybody New Salinda girls don’t close their mouth when they chew, if you open your mouth like that again.” I take an even bigger bite. He continues, “We’re supposed to be getting to know each other. That’s the only way you’re gonna let me get your number before you leave here, right?”

I snort. His smile never wavers. 

“Ummhmm. That’s what I thought. Get on those cute behind feet. We’re gonna play HORSE.”

I cover my mouth this time. “HORSE? I haven’t played that since like sixth grade. How is that supposed to help you get to know me?”

He picks up a basketball hidden behind the bench. “Easy,” he says, dribbling the ball. “You make a shot, you get to ask a question starting with that letter. Other person has to answer truthfully.”

“That’s not fair though. You probably be out here all day everyday.”

“Oh, they scary in New Salinda too?”

I wrap up the embarrassingly little remainder of my sandwich and put it back in the bag, before taking a gulp of one of the sports drinks. “Never that,” I twist the cap back on. “C’mon so I can wash you.”

His laughter trails behind me. He bounces the ball my way when I get to first position. 

“Ladies first,” he says.

I bounce the ball a few times to loosen up my body. The tingling underneath my skin needs to chill for real. I finally shoot, and it’s a clean first shot. Play cool, keep it together. 

“I see that smirk. You ain’t slick. You can show them teeth,” he says as he grabs the ball.

I ignore him and ask my first question. “How old are you?”

“Sixteen.” He sails the ball through the net. “Be seventeen in a couple of months. You?”

“Same, sixteen.”

“Good.” He nods. “So, you just act like a mean old lady then.”

“Boy!” I make to shove him, but he dodges me.

“Chill,” he grins. “I’m gonna get that smile up out you yet.”

“Whatever. Your turn, I guess.”

He shoots and scores. “Open or closed? Your eyes when you kiss?”

I sputter. “What kind of question is that?”

He shrugs. “The kind I’m asking. You use your questions the way you want, I’ll do the same with mine.”

I retrieve the ball and focus on dribbling. God knows I can’t look at Korey and answer this. “Closed.”

“Same—eventually, at least.”

“Eventually? What kind of weirdo kisses with their eyes open?”

“Me. It’s something about those first couple of seconds when you see a pretty girl’s lashes fluttering and then settling against her cheeks. Lets me know she’s in it. Then I can close my eyes.”

“And you’ve kissed plenty of pretty girls to know that?”

“Aht. I didn’t hear an ‘R’ in there.”

I put my hand on my hip and jut it out. “Funny, I didn’t hear a P either.”

Confusion clouds his face. “A ‘P’?”

“Yeah, for the plea you trying to cop.” I wink.

His mouth gapes. “Ahhh, hell nah,” he drawls. “You got me.”

Trying to. I shoot the ball and miss. Snap back, Nylah.

He makes his next basket easily. Show off. “Realized you were feeling me—when?”

“That’s a real jacked up way to ask that question.”

Korey shrugs. “You ain’t watch the movie? ‘All’s fair in love and basketball, right?’” he quotes.

“Who says this is love?”

“Who says it ain’t?” he quickly returns. “Answer the question.”

“I would, but you sound mighty sure there’s actually an answer to that. Maybe I’m not feeling you at all.”

He waves his hand. “You out here ain’t you? You’re feeling me. Now, stop stalling and answer, Nylah.”

I huff. “Fine. I may have liked you a little bit when you offered to run to the store for Riley. Most boys our age wouldn’t have done that.”

He nods. “I knew I was feeling you from when you first sat down. The ball got past me in the first place because I was trying to think of a way to step to you. Scoot’s delusions gave me the perfect excuse. But yeah…I knew.”

I hope the fading sun is hiding the bloom in my cheeks. “So, you always go off of looks?”

“I mean, I’m a boy and I got eyes, so, initially, yeah. But I also saw the way you interacted with Riley and how patient you were with her even though she was giving you a hard time. My grandma told me always pay attention to how people treat kids and people they don’t think they need.”

I smirk. “She’s an anarchist, but that’s my girl.”

“Uh oh. I saw that. I’m getting closer and closer to you showing them teeth.”

It’s my turn to shoot. I hate this side of the basket, but, thankfully, it goes in. I don’t need to know what he’d do with “S.” Still, I hesitate. “Say one thing about you that if you were me you would want to know.”

He stops dribbling and stares at me intently. We hold each other’s gazes as he comes closer. When the ball is all that’s between us, he stops. Korey brushes the underside of my chin so lightly and briefly, it feels like a cool breeze snuck through and I shiver just the same. 

For once, his lips don’t curve. His face remains unchanged as he studies mine. Finally, he says, “You should know that I play all day, but I’m serious about learning you…and if you teach me, I promise I’ll remember all the things that make you smile.”

Geezus. Can he hear the thump of my heart this close? 

“I…you should know that I’m serious a lot, but I don’t want to be. I love rollercoasters and you feel like the first big climb of one, like if I just throw my hands up, you’re gonna take me for a ride. And I’m gonna love every minute of it.”

Korey looks me up and down and the corners of his mouth twitch. He tosses the ball over his shoulder. I have no idea if it goes in or not, but he asks anyway, “Exchange numbers or nah?”

I grin.