Eli dribbles the basketball and groans, bringing my attention back to him. “Seriously, you always get to pick the music and it fuckin’ sucks, Lee. Put on some OutKast or somethin’. I can’t practice my free throws to this shit.”
I roll my eyes at his potty mouth. He thinks he’s so big and bad because he’s fourteen now, and he loves to curse every chance he gets.
“Don’t let Mama hear you talk like that or she’ll wash your mouth out with soap again.” I stick my finger in my mouth, making a loud gagging noise. I’ve never had soap in my mouth, but watching Eli go through it is enough to make me never want to speak a bad word in my life.
He stops dribbling and runs his hand through his hair, shaking his head. “You’re such a goody-two-shoes. Why don’t you leave me alone? Go on and introduce yourself to the new neighbors or somethin’. I saw a girl runnin’ around their front yard, and I bet you’d get along great. She looks almost as annoyin’ as you.” He smirks, pointing down the street.
I put my hands on my hips. The house is three doors down. There’s a big moving truck in the driveway and lots of men in dark blue uniforms unloading furniture and boxes. I strain my eyes trying to find the girl, and finally, see her in the front yard. She’s smaller than me and hula hooping away without a care in the world, her dark brown hair swishing behind her in a high ponytail. She looks friendly enough, and since my best friend Becca is out of town for the summer at church camp, I really have nothing better to do than make a new friend.
“Okay, I will. But not ‘cause you told me to, Eli. I’m doin’ it ‘cause she looks nice.” I’m pointing my finger at him because it’s important he knows this.
I march down the street. I’m almost to her house when a boy walks out of the front door and slams it behind him. I stop in my tracks and watch with wide eyes as he turns and flips off the closed door with both middle fingers, sitting down on the front steps and lighting up a cigarette. He doesn’t look that much older than me, definitely not old enough to buy cigarettes. He leans on his arms and blows out a puff of smoke. I watch, mesmerized as it swirls up into the air.
Is he the new girl’s brother?
He has the same brown-black hair, although his is cut so short I can almost see his scalp. He isn’t as small as her, but he is skinny and kind of gangly looking. He turns his head and looks straight at me. It’s only then I realize I’m standing in the middle of our street staring like a weirdo. I feel my cheeks heat and I’m sure they’re bright red, so I quickly look down and start walking again. No sense in turning back now, that would be even weirder.
The girl sees me as I get to the edge of their front yard, and she lets the hula hoop fall down her body. A huge smile takes over her face as she runs to meet me. I watch her bound over.
Dang, this girl is bouncy.
“Hi! I’m Lily! Do you live on this street? I’m so excited that you came over. I’ve been so worried about not making any friends, but then here you are, and oh! Your eyes are so pretty! They must be the bluest things I’ve ever seen.”
She stands on her tiptoes and gets super close to my face. I stuff my hands in the pockets of my jean shorts and stare back at this girl who I think might be a little crazy. I’m fixin’ to kill Eli for suggestin’ I come over here. I look behind her to where the boy is watching us, stone-faced. Eli calls expressions like that “resting asshole face.” I don’t know if this boy is an asshole, but he sure doesn’t seem happy to see me. I decide to ignore him and shift my focus back to Lily.
“How do you talk like that? You know… just goin’ and goin’ for so long without havin’ to breathe?” I ask, taking a step away.
Immediately, I want to take my words back. Daddy says I have no filter, but I’ve always thought saying what’s on my mind is the most honest thing you can do, and if I’m nothing else I always want to be honest. I hate liars.
I’m worried I hurt her feelings, but she just laughs and I’m so relieved that I join her. She links her arm in mine and pulls me further into the yard. For such a small thing, she’s awful strong.
“You’ll get used to me.” She pats my arm. “My mom used to tell me I had enough energy to light up all of Chicago.”
“I think I believe her.” My eyes are wide as I smile. “Well, I’m Alina May Carson but my friends call me Lee. I live three houses down that way.” I point to where Eli is shooting free throws. “That’s my brother, Eli.” I glance at the boy on the steps again. “Does he like basketball? Eli never lets me play, he says basketball’s not meant for girls, but he’d probably let another boy play.”
She waves her hand in the general direction of the steps. “Oh, that’s my brother, Chase. He doesn’t like much of anything really unless it involves making our foster parents mad.”
“Oh.” I’m not sure what a foster parent is, but I don’t want to seem stupid, so I nod my head like I get it.
“Chase!” she yells. “Come here and meet Alina. She lives down the street!”
The bees buzz around in my stomach as he slowly puts his cigarette out on the ground, crushing it beneath his worn
