The Pact by Monica McKayhan Page A

in the entire Atlanta metro area, and they didn’t even know it. I doubted that any of these old guys could whip me, but it would be fun watching them try. I jogged out onto the court, and someone immediately tossed me the ball.
    “Take it out, boy,” the man said, and I did as I was told.
    I took the ball out and threw it to him. He dribbled down court, his belly bouncing with every movement. He and the other older men started passing it around to each other, tossing the ball behind their backs and dribbling between their legs. When it finally reached the last person, he tossed it into the basket with one hand, the ball rolling off his fingertips. To my surprise, these old guys were good, each displaying their own fancy jump shot. Even Leon could handle the ball like a pro, and I wondered if he had played on the team when he was in high school or college. I was worn-out by the time the game was over.
     
    The car reeked with perspiration and funk as Leon and I headed home in his Lincoln Navigator.
    “So did you have a good time, Marcus?” he asked.
    I couldn’t lie. I did have a good time. I had to admit, I had misjudged the old men on the court. I had misjudged Leon. I was so busy trying to find things that might be wrong with him that I forgot to find something right. I wasn’t sure if he would make a good husband for my mother, but one thing I knew—he could shoot some hoops.

Chapter 13
    Marcus
    I splashed into the water feetfirst and then came back up for a breather. Michelle jumped in behind me. Andre turned a flip into the pool and landed just a few feet away from me. The girl from the other day—the one wearing the yellow bikini—tossed a beach ball into the water and then dove in after it. She ended up just inches from my legs.
    “Hi. Wanna play catch?” she asked.
    “I do!” Andre answered, even though she wasn’t talking to him.
    Her eyes were focused on me.
    “I’m Tiffany,” she said, and then tossed me the ball.
    “I’m Andre.” He swam over and shook her hand.
    “Nice to meet you, Andre,” Tiffany said, and then looked at me. “What’s your name?”
    “I’m Marcus.” I laughed at Andre. I would have to teach that boy how to keep his cool points, because he was losing them so fast, he was almost out of them. “And this is Michelle.”
    “Nice to meet you, Tiffany. You’re new around here,” Michelle said.
    “I just moved here from San Diego. My dad’s job transferred us, and so here I am. We live in Building C.”
    “I live in that building right there,” Michelle said, and pointed at our building.
    “I don’t live in this subdivision,” Andre said. “I live a few blocks away. I just come over here to swim in the pool.”
    “That’s nice,” Tiffany said. “So, Marcus, you live here?”
    “Yes, I just moved here from Atlanta,” I said. “I live in the same building as Michelle.”
    “So you’re staying, Marcus?” Michelle asked, a grin on her face.
    “Yeah, I think I might.”
    “You didn’t tell me.” Michelle splashed water in my face.
    “I didn’t know I was supposed to.” I splashed water in her face.
    Before I knew it, we were all splashing water at each other, having ourselves a nice little water fight. I laughed harder than I had in a long time after I dunked Michelle’s head underwater. She threw water at me in retaliation. Tiffany jumped on my back and tried to dunk me, but she didn’t have enough strength. Instead, I put her in a choke hold and dunked her. When she came back up, she splashed me and I ducked. Instead of hitting me, the water splashed across Andre’s face, and he grabbed Tiffany’s legs and pulled her under. We were all laughing and having fun. I barely heard the screech of the whistle and almost didn’t see Rena standing at the edge of the pool with her hands on her hips and a frown on her face.
    “No horseplay in the pool,” she said. “Either cut it out or I’ll have to ask you all to get out.”
    Everyone stared quietly