Ball Don't Lie by Matt de la Pena Read Free Book Online

springs up to get it, high-dribbles back the other way. He gets trapped in the corner and throws out a desperation hook pass that Dante somehow tracks down. Everybody’s out of position when Dante starts left, switches right and buries a fifteen-foot jumper over Trey’s outstretched hand.
    Nine-seven,
Dallas yells out.
    Sticky picks up Rob as he dribbles down the court. Payback is in Rob’s eyes. Sideline comments can get under your skin. Especially when the white boy you hate is doing all the damage. He isolates Sticky on the left wing, dribbling with his back to the basket.
Clear out, Slim,
he yells.
I got a
mouse in the house
.
    Sticky gets low and pushes with his legs. He’s down forty pounds and a stack of strength. And Rob always takes him into the post. Throws his big butt into Sticky’s middle and takes up the slack. Slaps hands away when they come onto the small of his back.
    Rob starts baseline, brings up his head, stutters his steps and pushes the ball in front of his body toward the middle of the court. Sticky retreats on defense and keeps his position. Rob spins quickly back toward the baseline but loses the ball. It leaks out toward the sideline, where Sticky is quick to scoop it up and head the other way.
    He races downcourt toward the bucket for an uncontested flush. But just as he’s about to take his two and a half steps—guys on the sidelines laughing at Rob lying on the ground, Dante and Dallas jogging behind the play—Rob goes to his knees and yells out,
Foul!
The sound of his deep voice echoing throughout the gym.
    Foul!
    Everybody on the sidelines goes crazy:
    Nah, Rob, white boy ripped you clean!
    That’s an embarrassment call!
    You weak, Rob!
    Dallas runs clear around the court with his hands on his head.
Oh, hell no!
he keeps yelling.
Hell no!
    Rob gets to a squatting position and looks down the court.
That’s my ball! My ball!
    Sticky sits on the ball under the far basket while everybody yells at everybody else. Dante holds his hands out for the rock and tells him:
It wasn’t no foul, boy
.
    I didn’t touch em,
Sticky says.
    Come on,
Dante says, and helps Sticky up. Takes the ball and tucks it under his arm.
    Sticky shakes his head and stands alongside Dante.
I
won’t even get three games cause of this dude
.
    What you gotta do, boy?
Dante shoots a look down the other end of the court where the argument is building.
    It’s my girl’s birthday.
    What I tell you about messin with them tricks,
Dante says, and starts walking toward the commotion.
    It’ll mess with my game,
Sticky says, following Dante.
    That’s right.
    I just gotta handle something, though,
Sticky says.
    Dante laughs and shakes his head. He steps into the middle of the argument and yells over everybody:
That’s a bitch-ass call, Rob!
    What, I can’t get a call?
Rob says.
    Shoot for ball, man,
Johnson says from the sideline.
Gotta
shoot for that one
.
    We ain’t shootin for nuthin!
Trey yells.
My man made
a call.
    Respect the man’s call!
someone else yells from the side.
    Y’all know that wasn’t no foul, Dallas says.
    And nobody backs down in situations like these. There’s too much at stake. Fifteen guys swelling up the sidelines means the team that loses will be waiting three games minimum. Street ball debates are part of the game; sometimes it’s the team with the biggest mouths that holds court all day.
    Carlos, a five-foot toothless Mexican, rolls off his bag on the homeless court and walks up to the pack.
There is no foul
here,
he says with a heavy accent, pointing at Rob.
I watch
and this is very bad call
.
    Get off my court,
Rob says, puffing up.
Before somebody
knocks your little midget-ass out
.
    This is bad call
. Carlos walks to the side a bit, doesn’t look Rob in the eyes.
No way, your ball. This is very much
bad call
.
    I ain’t playin,
Rob says. He clenches his fists, takes a few steps forward.
    The few businessmen eating lunch near the door drop their forks. These guys show up to see one of