Late one crisp April afternoon, Nick and Brian were out on the court playing a little one on one when Nick missed his third shot in a row. “Man what’s up with you Nick?” Brian finally asked. Any other day you’d be kickin’ my ass out here.” Nick went on without looking up. “Hey Nick……NICK!” Brian yelled.
Nick looked up, “Yeah?”
“Man what is up with you? You all here today?” Nick took one last shot and watched as the ball bounced off the rim and back onto the court. He let out a small sigh and walked back to the house. Brian followed, “Nick? Look man, you still bummed about that Mandy chick? Man that was months ago. You gotta get over her already. She played you man. Let it go.” Nick looked at Brian and rolled his eyes.
“Bri man, I know, I just…..I don’t know. I see you and Leighanne, Kevin and Kris, AJ and Amanda….I miss that man, ya know? I mean, Howie’s my dog and all….but he ain’t no woman if you know what I mean.” Brian all of a sudden had a peculiar grin on his face. “What???” Nick asked.
“Ya know what Nick? You’re gonna go on a date tomorrow night.”
“Oh am I?”
“Yeah, I know just the girl too. She’ll get your mind off Mandy….maybe more than your mind if all goes well, heheh.” Brian punched Nick on the shoulder.“I don’t know man, I don’t think so,” Nick said “…but just out of curiosity, what does she look like?” Brian laughed as he pulled out a picture of Liz, a friend of his from high school. She had recently moved to Florida and had looked up Brian about a week ago. Nick took the picture. Liz was attractive. She had crystal blue eyes like his. Her hair was blonde, and put up in a messy bun, but it fell perfectly into place. She had small wire framed glasses also that gave her a sophisticated edge. Nick smiled at the cutest little freckle on her nose. He handed the picture back to Brian. “So you think she’d go out with me?” He smiled a little as Brian laughed and went back outside. Nick followed him out, “What?? Would she? Tell me some more about her.” Brian picked up the basketball, hurled it from the 3-point line, and stuck his tongue out at Nick as it swished through the basket. “Bri, come on man.” Brian picked up the ball and threw it again. Nick ran in for the rebound, jumped, and made a perfect slam-dunk. As he swung on the rim, he stuck his tongue out at Brian. He came down to the ground with a THUD, picked up the ball, and threw it. Brian caught the ball, which almost knocked him down backwards. “Spill it dog, now.”
Brian smiled, “Well, she’s a cross between you and AJ.” Nick smirked, “Naw I’m serious man. Okay, she talks a lot…and I mean like 24/7. And she has this wild side to her. Back at Tate’s we used to go out on the weekends. Party animal man….Pure party animal. I’d get tired around 1 , or 2….but naw, not her. She would keep on goin’. Had me out ‘til 4 and 5.”
“So she went to Tate’s Creek with you. She from Kentucky? Cause you know I’ll have to make fun of that accent.” Brian gave Nick a mean look.
“No, she moved there from New York. She’s got a little bit of a northern accent.” Nick nodded.
“Well, set it up then. She sounds like she’d be fun. Hell I’ll try anything once….and from what it sounds like, so will she heheh.” Brian and Nick finished up their game, with Nick beating him 34 – 20. Brian was pleased….Nick’s game was back to his normal game. And he wasn’t just talking about basketball...