How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy by Crystal Allen

Author:Crystal Allen
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780062069702
Publisher: HarperCollins US
Published: 2011-01-07T10:00:00+00:00

I take my time, find my mark, and roll a nasty message down the wood.

BLAM!

Popped Collar fakes a clap. “Lucky shot.”

With a smooth move, I snatch my comb from the back pocket of my church pants, fluff my fro, and pimp-walk back to my seat. Pete and Repeat watch me. For fun, I stop in front of them and pretend to wipe something off my rental shoes.

I roll so many booms, blams, and pows on them that by the ninth frame, we’re so far ahead, Billy calls our cab driver. In the tenth, I roll three more exclamation points to be high scorer at an even 196. Billy stands in the bowlers’ area like it’s no big deal.

Pete and Repeat congratulate me on a great comeback. They want to shake hands, but I’m not down. It’s not that I’m a sore loser, but to me, it’s just not that kind of party. They talked trash about Bubba.

I kick off the rental shoes. My feet and toes expand back to normal. Repeat tries to smile at me.

“Hey, Washington, nice game. What’s your secret?”

I hold up the house shoes. “These.”

I stand next to Uncle Mickey and break those boys off. “In Coffin, we call the spanking you just took ‘punked, skunked, and slam-dunked.’”

I turn to my partner. “I’m out.”

“Sure, Washington. Our cab’s on the way. I’ll be there in a minute.”

I want to scream like the pro athletes do when they pull off something spectacular. I want to spray paint KING OF STRIKER’S WAS HERE on their rides.

I’m outside airboxing, throwing jabs and hooks, bobbing and weaving, feeling untouchable. Billy shuffles out with his uncle Mickey. The big guy waves and drives away in an old truck just as our cab pulls up. Billy drops forty bucks on the front seat for the driver, then gives me four crisp one-hundred-dollar bills.

“You rock, Washington! I can’t believe how you totally humiliated them! This is the best payday I’ve had all summer. You’ve made enough money in three days to buy your own Pro Thunder. Three days! Essays are for Siss-ays, know what I mean? Next time I’ll triple our bet.”

I stare at my open hand with four large bills sitting in it. I’ve got enough money right now to buy two Pro Thunders, and that doesn’t include what’s in my Bank of Lamar at home. Billy’s right. I’ll put cash on the counter, baby, just like a real man. I’m at the top of my game and no one can handle me.

Billy and I relive the entire game while riding in the cab. I’m laughing and watching signs on billboards as we ride by. One particular billboard catches my eyes and drops four hundred dollars’ worth of guilt in my lap.

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