I followed the blue line and observed my surroundings. I did not pass many other people on my way. Of those I did pass, they either ignored me or gave a sharp upward nod. After crossing across the path where cars traverse I was at the destination. I sign to my right read:

  “Reeds Park”

  “Aye, my nigga, you tryna buy some?”

  That came from a man behind me. I turned to see him with hands in his pockets, looking around.”

  “Uh…buy what?”

  “That good gas, nigga.”

  “I don’t believe I have any use for gas.”

  He smacked his teeth and walked off.

  “...broke ass nigga.”

  Before I comprehended what just transpired I heard the ugly bending of metal and a roar of cheer. There were men gathered around another who hung from a rim. He dropped down and met the hands of his comrades with powerful popping sounds. On the seats nearby, people were holding their phones sideways pointed at them.

  I walked toward the commotion and took an empty spot on the seats. I counted six men on the field total, passing and bouncing an orange ball. Their communication was quite interesting.

  “Check up, nigga!”

  “Man, you trash!”

  “Fuck no! Get that outta here!”

  On that last one, a man had jumped above another, and swatted the orange ball out of the air. It landed squarely in my chest with a swift impact.

  “Throw it back!”

  The man in the red shirt held his hands forward, ready to receive. I tossed the ball back into his arms and the moment it made contact with him it was as if I never existed. Their sole focus was on that orange ball and the two open nets on either side of the court.

  The man in the red shirt spun around another, causing the man to fall to his knees. Everyone in the vicinity cheered violently as he took the orange ball to the net and slammed it through.

  “Get the fuck off my court, nigga!” he shouted, slapping the hands of his comrades.

  What sort of game was this?

  [BASKETBALL]

  [A TEAM GAME WITH A VARIETY OF WAYS TO PASS, DRIBBLE, AND SCORE]

  [REQUIRES SIDES WITH AN EVEN NUMBER TO INITIATE, RANGING FROM ONE ON ONE TO FIVE ON FIVE]

  [OBJECTIVE: BEAT OPPONENTS WITHIN GIVEN TIME OR SCORE LIMIT]

  [THIS ACTIVITY TRAINS ATHLETIC, SLY, AND FLOW STATS]

  [THIS ACTIVITY ALLOWS YOU TO EARN OR LOSE REPUTATION]

  This trains sly? How?

  I pulled up my current progress.

  [+25 FLOW]

  [+5 SLY]

  [+5 PRESENCE]

  [+10 INGENUITY]

  [+5 ATHLETICS]

  I definitely could benefit from this. As I kept reading the rules of these basketed balls while watching the men play.

  “Excuse me,” I asked, “What is the current score?”

  “LIke, seventeen to nineteen,” the spectator said, focused on the court “They going till twenty-one–CROSS HIS ASS UP, RAYRAY!”

  [MARCUS VS RAYRAY]

  [FIRST TO 21]

  [17-19]

  The system updated immediately. I now saw matching circles for the men who belonged to what team. The man in the red shirt shuffled the ball between his legs before cutting one way and stepping another. The man in front of him fell to the ground, shouting in pain as Rayray stepped back and let the ball fly. It went in without any contact from the metal rim.

  “Green, fuck nigga!” he shouted, “That’s game!”

  [MARCUS VS RAYRAY]

  [FIRST TO 21]

  [17-22]

  [VICTORY: RAYRAY]

  The men on the court relaxed and began talking amongst one another as the tension settled.

  “Man, that’s some bullshit.”

  “Good game.”

  “I’m not gonna lie, my ass got cooked.”

  Rayray grabbed a ball and grabbed a bag.

  “I’m out. Who had next?”

  “I am next,” a man with an accent said, “One on one me! Okay, I promise I win!”

  “Sit your ass down, Ock!,” jeered a tattooed man, “Matter fact–I’ll run it.”

  Everyone surrounded the court.

  “Show him what it do, Octavius!”

  “Jared, don’t let me see you lose to the white boy, now..”

  “Fuck it, we going live, Ock finna scorch his ass.”

  [DUEL MODE ACTIVATED]

  [Octavius VS. JARED]

  [FIRST TO 11]

  [0-0]

  “Finna send your ass back to Europe–check ball,” sneered Jared.

  “Ooooh, okay, okay,” chuckled Octavius, “I see you. Let us see how you do.”

  Octavius started with the ball first. He held a large grin the entire time he locked eyes with Jared, slowly dribbling the ball.

  “Okay, I see…I will go left, right,”

  Octavius did as he said he would. Why would he tell his opponent what he was doing? Did he not want to win?

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  “Crossover, behind the back, step here-GO THERE–!”

  Octavius did all as he said. Jared hit the ground with a thud as Octavius stepped back behind a line and shot. It went in without any resistance.

  [Octavius vs Jared]

  [2-0]

  The crowd bumbled with excitement as Jared got up and smacked his teeth. Octavius let out a cheer as he readied himself.

  “That is two to nothing! Check the ball!”

  Two?

  “Was that shot not worth three points?” I asked a bystander.

  “Not in one-on-one. Game would be over too quick. Three pointers are worth two. Everything else is one.”

  I turned to see Octavius talking to Jared through his every move. It did not matter that he knew what was coming. Every time Octavius found a way to secure points uncontested.

  “Through the leg, now behind, now beside!”

  [3-0]

  “Come forward, step back, backwards, forwards!”

  [8-0]

  “Jared, I thought you were going to show me what was up! Sidestep, layup–!”

  [MATCH POINT: Octavius]

  [10-0]

  “Talk to that man, Ock!”

  “Aw hell naw, Jared! Not to Ock! Not like this!”

  “Nigga, the hoes are watching on the ‘Gram! One hundred and forty-one viewers!”

  “Shut the fuck up!” Jared shouted, checking the ball.

  “Ah! He mad!”

  “Got his ass whooped by the white boy!”

  Jared balled his fists and readied his stance against Octavius.

  “I thought you were sending me back to Europe? It seems I will remain in Stanlowe!”

  Octavius began again, explaining his every move as he effortlessly maneuvered around Jared.

  “One, two, step there and come back there, now I run!”

  Octavius took three quick steps forward, Jared pursued him just as fast.

  “I stop here–”

  Octavius stopped suddenly.

  Jared did not.

  He tried to keep up, but he took another two steps forward before folding over on himself.

  “I step back, I go here-!”

  Octavius lobbed the ball to the back of the net. He jumped, meeting the ball on the path back and slammed it into the net with a wide grin.

  “Not off the backboard!”

  “Dunk on that nigga, Ock!”

  “Oh, the hoes gonna love this.”

  [Octavius VS. JARED]

  [FIRST TO 11]

  [11-0]

  [VICTORY: Octavius]

  Everyone reacted in jubilation as Octavius retrieved the ball, laughing.

  “Told you I skunk you! Eleven to nothing Does anyone else have–”

  From behind, Jared swung an ugly haymaker aimed at Octavius’ head. He saw it from the corner of his eye and ducked, stepping away from Jared as people rushed onto the court. They held Jared back as he shouted obscenities at Octavius. The entire time, he smiled and laughed as he kept backing away. Commentary from the court continued to jeer at Jared for attempting a brawl.

  “We told you that Ock finna cook you! Don’t be mad now!”

  “Hey man, this ain’t worth it! Calm down!”

  “I got it on the live, baby! Lost to Ock and then wanted to swing–PUSSY!”

  Octavius simply smiled and backed away. A slight chuckle escaped as he turned around and saw me. He raised a brow and walked over, still carrying a wide grin.

  “Your scars, where did you get them? Above the eye as well? Did you get poked?”

  “Uh…I got shot,” I replied, “In front of the gas station store.”

  “Oh! That was you! I had heard there were bullets flying over there a while ago, all that blood is not good! Not good at all!”

  “You talkin’ about the nigga that got lit up in front of the store?” another chimed.

  “Yes! It is him!”

  Ock laughed heartily. I failed to see what was so funny about it as more gathered around me.

  “Your name? What is it?” Ock asked.

  “Jamal.”

  “Jamal? You know Maurice?” asked another.

  “Yes. He is my cousin.”

  Ock’s face lit up.

  “You are related to Maurice? It has been so long since I see him here. He is so good! He is few who give me a run for my money!”

  Ock laughed with some of the crowd. I had not expected Maurice’s influence to reach so far into this sport.

  “Would you like a game? Get the blood pumping with me, come on!”

  The crowd pushed me forward onto the court with Ock, he dribbed the ball with a chuckle.

  “Let’s see if you are like your cousin, your ball first!”

  He bounced the ball over to me, and readied himself.

  [TUTORIAL ACTIVATED: BASKETBALL]

  I had just seen this man embarrass someone else and dodge a punch without looking. I gulped and gripped the ball, deciding on my first move.

  All I have to do is dribble, shoot, and defend. I could do this. Octavius was not too close to me.

  I started dribbling the ball slowly. It was easier than I thought. The ball responded well to my hand as I got a feel for it.

  “Let us see what you have, come at me!”

  Instead, I stepped back and mimicked his movements from earlier. I let the ball fly toward the net. From where I stood, it looked guaranteed to go in.

  The ball did not even make contact with the rim. I had not put enough power into it for it to travel far enough.

  “Did this nigga just airball?”

  “Aw hell nah.”

  “He did just get out the hospital…”

  Octavius laughed as someone passed the ball back to him, he then bounced it back to me.

  “All good, you can have another. Give him a break guys, he got shot! Go on.”

  I toed the line again and shot. It slapped off the backboard and back into Octavius’ hands.

  “It’s all good, one more! Shake off the rust, yes?”

  I gripped the ball with newfound confidence and shot once more. It hit the back of the rim before falling through the net.

  “Nice, nice! It is good to see. Perhaps you can be like Maurice one day. Let’s see a layup, come on now.”

  I once again mirrored his earlier movements and carried the ball into the net. This was much easier than the shot I tried earlier. Octavius clapped as someone passed the ball back to him, his smile somehow wider than before.

  “You feel good, Jamal? The blood is pumping?”

  “Yeah,” I nodded, “I can see how this is good training.”

  “Oh, it is! The game of basketball is so much fun. If you are ready, I will try now.”

  “I don’t know about that–”

  “Do not worry, I will not cook you like Marcus, he is rude. You are Maurice’s cousin, I promise I will not embarrass you.”

  “Stop the cap, Ock!”

  “You finna cook his ass, aren’t you?”

  “Shit, I’m still live. Go to work, Ock.”

  “No, no, guys. Trust me, I will not do him like Marcus!”

  As Octavius bartered with the crowd a new pane popped up.

  [DUEL OFFERED: VERSUS Octavius]

  [OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE]

  Survive? If I was at risk of dying, then maybe this would not be worth–

  [SUCCESS: REPUTATION UP +]

  [FAILURE: REPUTATION DOWN -]

  Just survive? He did say he would not treat me like the man before him.

  “Octavius, let us basket these balls,” I said, stepping forward.

  “Ayo, nigga, pause.”

  “Grown ass man talking about basketing some balls.”

  “Maurice, if you’re seeing this, come get your cousin, dawg!”

  Octavius shook my hand and we stepped onto the court.

  [DUEL MODE ACTIVATED]

  [JAMAL VS Octavius]

  [FIRST TO 11]

  [0-0]

  “Alright, Jamal, my ball first since I was the victor. Street rules, my friend. Are you ready?”

  I nodded.

  “Alright so I’m going to go left, right, back, left again and–”

  He went left.

  I went left.

  “Now right again!”

  He went right.

  I did not.

  Everything was in slow motion as I saw Octavius’ smile blitzed past me

  My ankles.

  They had failed me.