of my fro, and break the news.
âIâm not writing one. Iâve found another way to get a Pro Thunder.â
âHow? Is your dad buying you one?â
I think about Dadâs bad luck and know Iâm making the right choice.
âBilly made me his partner. Iâm going to roll with him this summer. Iâm talking crazy mad cash, Sergio. Told you Iâd pay you back. Iâve got it right now.â
Thereâs more silence than an unplugged telephone. Then Sergio comes down hard.
âI donât want that money! I canât believe this! Whatâs wrong with you?â
âNothing, except Iâm tired of begging for money. You should be happy for me.â
âI would be happy if you had a real job.â
âIt is a real job! And while Iâm telling you stuff, I didnât give Makeda the boot.â
Now the silence gets ugly. I hear hard air pushing out of Sergioâs nose before he unloads again.
âYouâre not thinking, bro. Billyâs been in and out of juvie since he was born. Fivehead is the easiest joke in school. Your reputation is heading downhill instead of up. Is that what you want?â
I fire back. âBillyâs never done anything to me. And her name is Makeda.â
âThis is the worst news ever! Iâve got a bad feeling. You better watch yourself. Donât ever say I didnât warn you.â
âWhatever, Sergio. Thereâs not going to be any drama. Iâll talk to you later.â
âYeah, whatever, Lamar.â
I slam the phone down. My left eye twitches. My teeth clamp. Then I remember Sergioâs never worked for anything in his life. The phone rings again and this time, I pick it up and blast him.
âNo need to call me back, because youâre not going to change my mind.â
âIs this Lamar?â
âIs this Sergio?â
âNo, this is Billy. Iâve got us a gig tomorrow. We bowl at eleven thirty. Is that cool?â
I drop my attitude down a few notches before answering.
âYeah, itâs cool. Iâll be there.â
âExcellent. Later, Washington.â
âYeah, later, Billy.â
I hang up, open my closet, and grab the empty shoe box that my Jordans came in. I toss the two twenties inside and place it back on the shelf. I made forty bucks in less than an hour. If I keep this up, Iâll have my Pro Thunder before Sergio gets a stamp on his essay envelope. If Billy keeps lining up games, even after I get my ball, Iâll have thousands of dollars left over.
I snatch my sunglasses off my desk, slide them on, and stare at myself in the mirror. I pretend my arm is around Makedaâs shoulder at the mall and sheâs looking at jewelry.
âYou want the diamond earrings in the window? Go ahead and get âem, baby. And letâs buy the electric company for my dad so he wonât have to worry about that bill ever again. I can do all that and more, because I own the Bank of Lamar.â
Yeah. Thatâs whatâs up.
Chapter Six
F riday morning the garbage truck roars down the street. I grab the trash and open the door. Dad shuffles by.
âWhere are you going?â
âI finished my chores. Iâm going to Strikerâs.â
He yawns. âHey, wait. I know things are a little tight, but on my next day off, letâs hit the lanes, okay? You and me.â
I shrug. âSure, okay. Later, Dad.â
Just as I open the door he calls to me.
âDonât forget about your brotherâs basketball game. Iâm leaving at four oâclock. We cango together. You did your breathing exercises, didnât you?â
âYes, sir. See you later.â
I wish I had more time to talk with Dad, but itâs already eleven twenty-five. Billy might be mad if Iâm late. I drop the trash at the curb and get moving. Mrs. Ledbetter isnât outside, so thatâs a plus. Ms. Gibson is asleep again, so I ease on by. Five