First Round Lottery Pick by Franklin White

streets was their calling, and they wasted no time getting out there and getting their hustle on.
    I looked them both over because, to tell the truth, they looked a little nervous. “So what’s up? What y’all been up to?”
    â€œAww, man, just chilling,” Maddox said, a slight grin on his face.
    â€œYou know how we do, L , just making that money,” Granger added.
    â€œWe ain’t got to be worried about getting shot at tonight, do we?” Jalen wanted to know. “You pimps always in beef,” he joked.
    â€œSon, you in The Vil. What you think?” Maddox said. “Always be on the lookout, ya know.”
    Jalen gave them the beers and sat on the hood of his car right next to me.
    â€œI hear you goin’ pro overseas, L ,” Granger said, proud.
    â€œYeah, man, I gotta make that jump.”
    â€œDo that, do that!” Maddox punched like a rapper. Maddox could ball too. Matter of fact, I would have rated him in the top five who lived in The Vil as far as players went, right below Jalen. The only reason he didn’t play ball for the school was because he didn’t like Coach Pierce. Plus, he’d stopped going to school when we were sophomores to concentrate on being a dope runner.
    Maddox looked me over. “So you tired of this poverty, L ? Is that why you clearing out?”
    â€œYeah, man, it’s time to get outta here.”
    â€œI don’t blame you. I wish I would have kept playing some ball. Maybe I would be getting out this hole too.” Maddox took his first taste of his beer. “Whew! This is ice-cold, baby.”
    â€œYou know how we do it. Look, you like that, wait until tomorrow night. L having a party, and y’all better be there,” Jalen told them. “Look for me in the car. I’ma have some more on ice for the good people.”
    â€œGoing to have some freaks?” Granger yelled out.
    â€œ L goin’ pro, man, so you know they all going to be here trying to get a piece.”
    Granger said, “Damn, L ! How you going to handle all that lovin’ from the ladies you going to be gettin’?”
    â€œMan, I ain’t going to have no time for that.”
    â€œNo time for the ladies?” Maddox asked.
    â€œNaah, man. I’m taking Tori with me, and we going to get married. She’ll keep my mind off all that, so I can concentrate on the game.”
    â€œMan, you must be crazy,” Maddox said. “No way I would tie myself down, with all that potential loving just ready to get tapped.”
    â€œShut up!” Granger told him. “Look, you doin’ the right thing, L . You got business to handle when you get up in there. Groupies don’t do nothing but distract you anyway.”
    Except for the street soldiers slinging on the street, The Vil had become quiet. We weren’t ready to go crash, and Maddox knew about a house party that didn’t even start until one in the morning, so we went to check it out.
    When we knocked on the door, a girl named Leo who had been trying to peep game answered, and her eyes were wide when she saw me standing there with my boys. Leo was thick, borderline fat, but she was still cute inside and out.
    She was smiling and had her hand on her hip. “Y’all trying to get up in here, Langston?”
    â€œGirl, what the heck you think?” Granger blasted while he was standing behind me. “Wit’ your big ass.”
    I turned around and pushed him. “Don’t worry about him. Yeah, we trying to party with y’all tonight.”
    â€œYou going to dance with me?”
    I turned around and looked at everybody when they starting laughing.
    â€œWell, is you?”
    â€œYeah, yeah, Leo, I’ll dance with your fine ass.”
    â€œWhen?”
    â€œAfter I get in, you know, after a while.”
    Leo grabbed me by my hand. “Forget that. I been trying to get all this up on you for the longest. You dance now. The