Becoming HIM | The Hakeem Marion Story

[The JZA]

[The JZA]

[Agent]

Cal storming the court after that dub

[The JZA]

Cal storming the court after that dub

We lost cause our boys was blowing their cheerleaders' backs out before the game

[The JZA]

[The JZA]

Chapter IV: To Be Continued...

The game was over, even more so the season. Just like at the beginning of the conference season, we defeated the Washington State Cougars. All that was left in this college basketball season was the little dance and the big dance. While everything was already set in stone, the fans, among them, Coach Hopkins, wanted to officialize the beginning of the tournaments. Part of me was happy they were getting their thrill, their excitement, letting their anxiety shoot through the roof. The other part knew it was time to get busy. These were the games where there was no margin for errors, it's one and done. And the focal point of the conversation that me and Michele had last year in April had rear it's head. Doing the impossible, not technically impossible, more like, just never done... Yet.

It's been hours since the game, everything had calmed down, people went about their business until all was left was the night oil burners. I found myself exiting The Maggi Point, where I was parked out front. While I left my father's legacy car behind, my social content has kept me afloat enough to rent a car during my stay. Even though it was mildly cold for the night, I sat on the hood of my car, looking at my watch.

"Another Indo-Chinese meal, another Wednesday into Thursday", I uttered before chowing down. It couldn't have been more than 10 minutes before I noticed a figure walking towards my direction from my peripheral. I try not to look into people faces when it holds no regards to me, but this one yelled for my attention, figuratively speaking. When I raised my head up to focus my eyes, I immediately recognized who I was looking at...

"Hey there."

"Hey yourself", I responded. It was her, the one with the blue eyes and white hair. The woman who eluded my presence until two weeks ago, and tonight. For a body I recently discovered, she dressed her petite-self in plaid, like a 90's teen girl. The beanie, the oversized plaid shirt, the ripped jeans, and black clown boots. She even had a choker to boot the outfit, but her eyes, her smile that slightly slithered onto her face gave off a different energy. "How're you doing?"

"I'm good, good. And you?"

"Can't complain. Enjoying a little bit of dinner."

"It's kind of late for dinner, don't you think?" she rhetorically asked with a chuckle.

"It's kind of late for a lady like you to be walking the streets, don't you think?"

"Touche." The woman proceeds to lean on the car next to me, snagging my takeout, stealing a couple of bites. "This... This is really good!"

"Yeah, I know. I was in the middle of eating that", I retorted.

"Oh..." She pops up off the car next to me, prying and snuggling between my legs dangling as I sat. "Here, have some", she then proceeds to feed me a spork-full of rice.

I looked ever so cautious and weary, like all the alarm bells should've been ringing in me, but she just seem so innocent and carefree in a manner that warded off my guard. I couldn't put my finger on it about her, and it scared me.

"Why're you looking at me like that? It's like you've seen a ghost." She asked.

"I don't know, perhaps I did. Like seriously, am I the only one here who think this is weird?"

"Weird? Weird how? You're here, I'm here. We're just, here..."

"Think the question is: Whom am I with?" I asked curiously.

"Isn't it obvious?" she returned the question. "You're Hakeem, the great All-American basketball player. And I'm... I'm nobody. Just an average girl, who's looking to find herself."

"Come on, you really going to give me that?"

"Pray tell, what is it that you want then?"

"Your name, for starters."

Her body wanted to take a step back, but instead resided in comfort underneath me. At this hour of the night, I didn't mind it the appearance of us looking "together" if it meant her safety until she's safely where she needs to be. I've seen my fair share of assholes who got handsy with women in my vicinity for no reason. Besides, the aroma of her was of strawberries, just as before at the party and on the note I read outside of class.

"It's Elexis. But my close friends call me Puma."

"Why Puma?"

"I don't know, it just stuck when I was a little girl."

"Ah, okay. I guess, but I think I'll stick with Elexis. Has a nice ring to that face of yours."

Elexis immediately blushes and stuffs her face with more food to cover the fact. "So, that's your game, huh? I come around, you see me, and try to get on my good side?"

"You stealing my food from me, that you're still wolfing down, is enough for me to rue your day", I jested.

"Sorry! I'm just hungry, it's been a long day."

"Eh, don't worry about it. Enjoy it." I let a few moments go by, listening to the ambience of the quiet street convey the slight chill in the air. "So... I have to ask... At the party, safe to assume it was your birthday party, why me?"

"Why not you?"

"You had the pick of the litter of all who was there. I mean, you weren't wrong in your choice, but just curious. Cause I've noticed you before the party, I've seen you around."

"So, why haven't you come speak to me? You taking advantage of a poor little girl like me?"

It was no denying that the attraction level was rising through the roof between us. As much as I wanted to indulge in it like a drug, I had to keep my cool and see what's the play.

"You wish I was. But to answer your question, For every second I've seen you, you were gone the next. I got my priorities, you know. I figure I'd catch you on the next. The next always came and you were always gone."

"Well, you found time for me two weeks ago at the party."

"Yes, I did... Not the way I'd initially had our first impressions, but you can say that."

"Not everything have to be a first impression. Some things are just what they are, a good time", Elexis rebutted.

"True enough. So Elexis, you mind telling me about yourself over a cup of coffee? I'm sure you can use a nice warm-up."

"Yeah, I'd like that."

We spent the next two hours joyriding through the quiet streets, encroaching the metro area of Seattle, talking over a cup of coffee. At first, it felt more like I was interrogating her since something picked at me about her. But I knew I wasn't going to get all of her in a day. Laxing off, her guard started to come down more as our conversation progressed. From all that I gathered, she's an only child, born to folks in Switzerland. While details of her upbringing were scarce, she did mention she had a falling out with her parents. For what reason, wasn't mentioned, and I wasn't pressing. Her aunt flew her out to Washington when she was 15 and been here since. She mentioned she wanted to be a writer and a aspiring photographer, which was a plus to me for her. Though it was me and my cousin's work, I had no qualms in expanded the squad if she was interested.

"I'm always looking out for ops with my social media work. Since I'm here in Washington, the workload has been swamped on me with everything going on. If you're interested, should send me some of your work. I may have a spot for you on the team."

"Yeah? You trying to make me your 9-5 girl?", Elexis asked with a smirk.

"Depends on your work, you can get it if you're with it."

"Okay, I'll bite. I'll send you something, for your first impressions only."

"Girl, you better quit playing."

Elexis sat there with a easy grin on her face. It was something about seeing this girl smile after hearing her story. Not all of us need to be a painful time in each other's lives, and for this moment, I was satisfied with that.

"So... A guy like you have to have girls clamoring all over you. You got somebody wifed up where you came from?"

"You think I'd do what we did if I was talking to someone?"

"Maybe..." Elexis rolled down the window a bit and sparked a joint, taking a couple hits before exhaling. "We all have our needs. A little fun doesn't hurt nobody if it's not that deep." She then offers me a pull, which I almost reluctantly accepted.

"Nah, it ain't like that with me... I got a one-track mind right now."

"Basketball?", she implied.

"Yeah. Besides, seems like the dating culture is ripe for bat shit craziness. I'm good on that."

"I hear you." Elexis takes back the joint, turning her attention to the scenery passing us by. With the sudden quietness, seem her mind was vulnerable to the topic.

"What about you? What's the story on your past?"

"... First everythings. First crush, first love, first heartache, first prison."

"Prison?"

Elexis grew quiet as I asked. Her mind went down memory lane as she let her smoke burn extensively. It was clear there was some trauma there that I shouldn't touch.

"I'm sorry for asking, I just didn't understand what you meant by it."

While at the red light, Elexis looks at me with her pre-hazed eyes, it was then I saw pain under her mask. She musters up a faux smile signalling that she's okay about it, but I didn't press.

"You don't have to tell me about that part of your past, let me revised that question: are you free?"

She takes another pull before answering, "as long as the bird can fly..."

The night drove into the wee early morning, just a couple of hours before daybreak. The conversation back to campus had simmered down allowing us to digest what was already spoken about. My empathy for Elexis was running on the borderline of sympathy, but I could tell that's not what she was interested in as she was stuck in a battle between building a fortress or a cage for her-self. But that would be a battle for another day. After we exchanged contacts, Elexis leaned in and gave me one of the softest kisses on the corner of my mouth then thanks me for the night.

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The Following Saturday Evening
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With the tournaments just around the corner, it sunk into me, that this could really be my final year in college. While it wasn't set in stone that I may go the draft yet, it dawned on me that I really kept myself away from the distractions as I was supposed to, but a part of me which I could had connected with the fellas off the court more. Sure, we shoot the shit during practice, but once I'm really in my own world, doing my thing, I stay tuned out. So I wanted to change that, show some camaraderie with the boys as we come off a successful season.

"Hey, hey, lookie what I got here", I said walking into the common room. I sat down 5 boxes of different pizza on the table, just to make sure there was enough for everyone. I scurried back outside and rolled in two water taps filled with fruit punch and mixed berry zero sugar Powerade. Hey, there was enough calories in the pizza, wasn't going to induce a sugar rush on anyone I thought.

"Get your fill, boys. We're not feasting any better than this until we bring home some hardware from the tournaments", Blake said.

"Man, it's about time you kicked it with us, Hakeem. We thought you was too good for us or something", Christian implied.

"Nah, it's not even that type of party. I just be doing my own thing. Plus, it's nothing against y'all, but my last experience at Penn State wasn't the most honest among the team."

"Yeah, we heard it from Coach Hopkins. He filled us in, but we're not going to bust your balls because you're good on the court."

"No sir! I'm not going to complain about an easy night for us if you can do it all Keem!" Glen shouted while stuffing his face.

"Aye, we're here now. Let's make the best of it and keep doing what we do best, putting W's in the winning column", I held my solo cup to toast as everyone else did.

With the commotion from us, some additional people joined us, but giving the fact that I only bought enough for the team and I was feeling generous, I ordered more pizza. Tab came out to roughly $130 dollars, plus tip for 7 boxes. It's not like I had money to blow, but I was good with the bit of social media money I was making. Making a several thousands a month, hitting Michael off with his cut, sending mom money, my responsibilities as a provider was already coming into the wash. I was organized and situated, so it wasn't no thing. Besides, every dollar spent made me a hundred dollars more hungry.

Tonight's lounge wasn't no party, but I was having a blast with the team. Laughing it up, doing stupid dance moves that TikTokers do, cracking jokes on each other, this was definitely one aspect of the social life I was missing and I wanted to enjoy every second of it before it was all over. That was until I received a unexpected text from Elexis...

"Yo, I'm out", I quickly told the group.

"Where you going?" Blake asked.

"I got some training to do."

"At this hour?" Carlton interjected. "I thought we were having a good time?"

"We are. But now, y'all are. I got some "training" I need to do", I emphasized.

"Y'all that clueless, huh?" Thomas indirectly asked. "They know what time it is, have fun Hakeem."

"See, he gets me. Why can't y'all? Why? Eli, why?" I grabbed my light jacket and made a smoove bee line through the corridor and out the dorm and into another. And as promised, I was there in 15...

[Captain Canada]

[kibaxx7]

That's going to be some training, for sure.

[The JZA]

That's going to be some training, for sure.

[Agent]

Looking at his phone like