#kuzmania

Lorie 🥀

Ugh, I groaned as I carried in the last of the boxes into my apartment. A week later and all the furniture and other stuff I packed from home are finally arriving. Words cannot describe the excitement I have about my bed finally arriving, I can’t wait to pop that damn air mattress. Pulling out a framed picture from one of the boxes, I admired the picture of my family from my high school graduation. 

Flashback

“Lorenzo Reign Henderson, for the love of god-- can you PLEASE take a normal picture without throwing up one of those damn hand signs,” my mom stressed to my older brother. 

“Aight ma, imma need you to chill on that. It’s a peace sign,” Renzo retorted back. 

“Boy, can you please just listen to your mama before she takes off them chanclas and throws them at yo’ head,” my dad exclaimed while chuckling. 

*camera flashes*

“Aight, y’all look at my babysis out here doin’ big girl things with her high school diploma!” my brother cheesed while recording me on his snapchat before turning it on himself, “y’all fools better not be replaying this snap and checking her out because I’ll check yo’ asses”

“You’re a whooooole mess, zozo! Ain’t nobody checking for your lil hoodlum friends, okay” I yelled back at him trying to snatch his phone. 

“Nah, but forreal sis, you’re my whole heart and I’m so proud of you for being the first in our family to finish high school and go off to college. Y’know I gotchu for whatever right, Lo?” He said while huggin me. 

“I know, Zo. If no one else got me, you got me” 

“Nah, even if the whole word got you, I still got you” 

I wiped my tears from my cheeks as I reminisced of the last memories I had with my brother, my rock, my backbone. Just a couple of weeks after that picture was taken he was killed in a drive by shooting. I had to move into college without him, get through my first heartbreak without him, buy my first car without him, and now learn how to navigate through life without him. This world was a cold place, but he knew what it was. He was in too deep to get out of the life he was living, but nobody deserved to die the way he did. 

Everything I do now is for him. Those late nights in high school cramming for the SATs or writing papers, he was right there by my side. Always coaching me, teaching me and motivating me. He thought he wouldn’t amount to much, so he needed me to be everything he wasn’t. I can still hear his voice in the back of my head every time I’m ready to throw in the towel and give up 

“Aye, what I tell you about that giving up shit? This is the time weak niggas fold and I’ll be damned if I let you throw in the towel, yknow mom and pops ain’t raise no bitch. Someway, somehow, we gonn’ get through it, believe that” 

This is all for him. For the other Lorenzo’s in our community who think the street life is their last option, who think they won’t amount to much-- to pave a way for them to make it out alive and well. 

I wiped off my tears and placed the frame on my kitchen counter. I couldn’t bear to unpack anymore, so I grabbed my keys and headed to the gym to clear my head. 

Drake blared through the speakers as I shot around the gym. Working out has always been my escape from my thoughts, a way to release my pent-up stress and emotions. It wasn’t until I started volunteering at the Boy’s and Girl’s Club in my city that I started playing around with a basketball. It’s crazy the amount of talented kids we have there. I knew I had to keep up with them in order to motivate them to continue playing. 

The sound of the door opening and a set of footsteps knocked me out of my thoughts. As I looked up, I realized it was one of the guys from the last time I came here with Chris. Ugh, there goes those damn tattoos again, I thought to myself as he walked towards me. 

“Hey, sorry to interrupt you I didn’t think anyone would be here at this time”

“Don’t worry about it, I was just finishing up anyways” 

“No shooting partner today? Did you cross him up a few too many times that he quit on you” he says as he chuckled. 

I laugh at his comment and feel my cheeks turning red, “nah, he’s out somewhere tonight but I just needed to clear my head.” 

“One of those days, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess you can say that”

“I’m Kyle, and if I do recall you didn’t give your name last time,” he said as he scratched the back of his head. I instantly thought of Chris telling me how I needed to drop my “east coast attitude.”

I chuckled and answered, “sorry about that, my friend says I still have an ‘east coast attitude,’ but my name is Lorie.”

“Oh, east coast huh? Please din’t tell me you’re a fan of all the east coast sports team” 

“Title town, baby-- Patriots, Celtics, Red Sox, and Bruins!” I smile proudly as I think back to my home town. 

Kyle

Baby, the way that just easily rolled off her tongue got me feeling some type of way. Should I smile because she said that or frown because homegirl really liked all my rivals in sports. 

Shaking my head of my thoughts, I chuckled. “Naaaaah, you see Imma have to put an end to that right here because you’re in LA and that’s like fighting words. Might have to revoke your stay here and call security” 

“Oh, is that right? Maybe when you guys actually make it into the playoffs then I’ll consider liking the teams here” she smirks as she hits me with her comeback.

“Ouch. That one really hurt, but if I do recall didn’t the Celtics just blow their chances and lost  horribly to the Bucks?”

“Alright, this conversation is done! I will not take this slander on my city!” She yells as she turns away to grab her stuff. 

I run after her chuckling, “how about this, you stay around and shoot with me and I will consider not telling everyone in this whole facility that they got a New England sports fan here”

“Hmm, that’s gonna be touch considering I usually wear my sports gear to work out here” 

“Ahhh, what about we play a game of HORSE and if I win you have to rock some LA sports gear and if you win I’ll rock some New England sports gear. 

“Hmm, bet” 

Lorie 🥀

“Hmm, I think a nice Celtic green would definitely bring out your eyes” I say to Kyle as I laughed in his face. After an hour-long game of HORSE, I finally got him from the half court line. I knew that shot was going to be my saving grace and I had to save it for the perfect moment when he was tired out. 

“Ma, that’s not fair at all! Y’know how bad I’d get chewed out for wearing another team’s gear? You’re bugggggin,” Kyle says as he’s pleading with me to get out of the bet now that he lost. 

“Hey! A deal is a deal, sir. You made the bet not me, you gotta live with the consequences now,” I said as I started to grab my stuff. 

“There has to be something, anything, I can do instead! I’ll buy you food or give you tickets to a game, ANYTHING!” 

“ahaha, I love hearing you beg. But, nah take a picture wearing some Celtics gear and post it on your IG! You can take it down after 24 hours” I said as a bargaining choice. 

“Fine. On one condition though” 

“Hey! I’m not the one that lost the bet, no bargaining from you!” I chuckled to him as we sat on the bleachers. 

“Let me get your number and I won’t delete the picture off my IG” 

“Hm, you see... that’s tempting. But once you post that picture for 24 hours there will be millions of screenshots, so whether you delete it or not, it’s still gonna be up there somewhere” 

“okay, touché. You right, but what if I just want your number”

“Hm, post the picture and we’ll see” I said as I get up and wink at him. 

“Bet, so I’ll see you again?”