U.P.A.J

Jacari! Jacari Johnson, please give us hard working reporters a break. What's it going to be? Another year with the team, and maybe the championship, or mega bucks turning pro?"

"Sorry fellas, and lady fellas, I think I'll hold my peace a while longer." Jacari said as he ducked through the locker room door, leaving practice and a mob of reporters behind him. Jacari was glad that his coach had made it a rule that no reporters would be allowed in the team's locker room. Jacari and his teammates all agreed that Coach Taylor could be hard on them all, however Coach Taylor was always looking out for his players.

Jacari! Jacari Johnson, please give us hard working reporters a break. What's it going to be? Another year with the team, and maybe the championship, or mega bucks turning pro?"

"Sorry fellas, and lady fellas, I think I'll hold my peace a while longer." Jacari said as he ducked through the locker room door, leaving practice and a mob of reporters behind him. Jacari was glad that his coach had made it a rule that no reporters would be allowed in the team's locker room. Jacari and his teammates all agreed that Coach Taylor could be hard on them all, however Coach Taylor was always looking out for his players. Coach Taylor had warned his players that the media was a double edge sword. He had told them how it could be both bad and good for their basketball game and their personal lives. Coach Taylor didn't want a misunderstood statement made by one of his players to follow them around for the rest of their careers, on and off the court.

"So, Jacari, did your media friends get a picture of you showing, or going to the bathroom yet?"

Pascal yelled at Jacari as Jacari dressed.

"Nope, thanks to Coach T. they haven't. Jeezs, those dudes and dud-ets, will hound a guy to death. I haven't been able to go three feet-lately without having a mini-microphone, camera, or phone shoved into my face."

"Hey J., what's up my boy? Have you decided yet?" Trey asked.

"Yeah Jacari, what's it going to be? A lousy multi-million-dollar, professional contract, or another fun-filled year with us gorgeous, loveable, fantastic, ladies' men?"

"Don't make me laugh, Romeo. Just the thought of that gives me the willies. Seriously fellas you guys will be the first to know, what's up." Jacari answered his teammate.

"Well J. if it was up to me there would be nothing but one choice for me-the good life. You know what I'm talking about...don't you? The good life, where all the fine little honeys would be hanging all over me. All those little, sweet ladies wanting to get a look at the size of my personal contract...you know...you know what I mean." Romeo elbows Jacari in the ribs. Jacari gives Romeo a look, then lends down to tie his left shoe.

"But hey, don't listen to me, J. my man. You know I'm just talking ying-yang. Only listen to yourself bro, it's your life." Romeo stops giving Jacari advice, he looks around his open locker, that is next to Jacari's. "Jacari my man, have you seen my clean pair of white socks?"

"Romeo, you know you never have clean, white, socks, all of your socks are breaking down, tore down, funky, and off-white." Jacari teases.

"Shut up J." Romeo replies in a joking manner. He throws a practice shell jersey at Jacari. Jacari ducks and laughs.

"Romeo, Jacari, let's hustle up gentlemen. It's time to clear out, you guys have still got to get to team study before film room this evening." Coach Taylor said as he entered the men's locker room-repeating a warning he had been giving his teams and players for over twenty years. Coach Taylor demanded that each of the teams he coached put in at least an hour or two, of classroom study before basketball film study. He wanted all of his players to work their brains as well as their bodies. "Okay, okay, are all you guys almost dressed? If not hurry up. There are a few reporters hanging around to speak to some of you. So that means I will be there too. And I have got other things to do." Coach Taylor informed his players.

"You mean to speak to Johnson, don't you Coach T?" Ra-Shawn, also known as Romeo, shouts out. The players that are still left in the locker room all laugh.

"Yeah, Coach, we are almost finished in here. But can't you hold off the reporters today? I want to get out of here early for once." Jacari plead with his basketball coach.

"Alright, I will hold off the press, or should I say media, but you guys' better hurry up. The clean-up crew wants to get in here." Coach Taylor said while waving his right hand in front of his face. "Whew, and the sooner the better-it stinks in here. I guess I worked you guys out pretty good today. Every Coach loves a good stinky locker-room, after a practice. It means you worked your players hard. Good jobs fellas this locker-room is ripe with funk." Jacari's coach announced then laughed as he exited the locker-room.

"Man, Coach Taylor is crazy?" Pascal told Trey.

"You right, man you know that's right." Trey replied. Both players agreed then laughed.

"Okay Coach, we are hurrying, we're hurrying." Romeo reassured Coach Taylor.

"Jacari, your little sister is waiting for you."

"Thanks Nelson, tell Corey I'll be right out." Jacari told his teammate.

"Tell her yourself, she's right behind you." Jacari whipped himself around to see his little sister looking up at him. He was showered, dressed, and grateful that he and the rest of the players that were around were as well.

"Corey, what the...you little brat-get out of here. Now!"

"Okay, okay, I'm outing, I'm outing." Corey declared as she slipped back out of the locker room door, she had peeked her head through. Jacari followed close behind her.

"Little girl, I am going to kill you." Jacari said, frustrated with his younger sister's beheavior.

"So, what's up with you? You little peeping Tom, or should I say Tom-et?"

"I just wanted to see what Shane's big sister, Tracy sees in Ra-Shawn."

"What's Shane's big sister Tracy, or Ra-Shawn got to do with you coming into the guy's locker room?" Corey walked beside Jacari, measuring herself against him. Corey measured herself again, only this time while walking on her toes. She pondered her brother's question.

"Well, Shane told me that Tracy said, Ra-Shawn is a real man. And so, I just wanted know...err...what a real man looks like. What's a real man, Jacari?" Jacari eyed his sister, his left eyebrow raised up.

"Baby girl, you're too little, too young to be talking about stuff like that." Jacari laughed.

"Don't laugh, Jacari. Tracy says it's important for a woman to know what a real man looks like." Jacari pulled his sister closer to him, he put his hand on top of her head.

"Well, little one, a real man sure isn't string bean Romeo." Corey wiggled out from under Jacari's hand. She then tried to jump up and touch his head.

"Why do you guys call Ra-Shawn, Romeo?" She said between her jumps.

"You're too young for that info too, Corey. What's up with you today, anyway? Why all this mushy talk?"

"It's not mushy talk, Jacari. It's love talk. Shane's sister Tracy is going to have a baby. And she's in love with Romeo, I mean Ra-Shawn. But Shane doesn't believe that Ra-Shawn is in love with his sister. He says all Tracy does lately is cry, and sleep, cry and sleep. Shane says Tracy yells at him and everyone else she talks to a lot more now too, He said she even yells at their parents." Jacari and Corey continued to walk down the street, headed towards Jacari's parked car. The two reach the car.

"Jacari, throw me your keys, I like to beep the car open. It makes me feel like I have magic powers or something. I can drive too if you want me to." Corey offered.

"Err...no thanks, you still have a few years to grow before you will be driving anything Corey, especially my car."

"That's okay, your car isn't all that anyway." Corey informed Jacari, then stuck her tongue out at her older brother. Jacari ignored her pouting. He smiled at her as they both took a seat in his car. They both closed their doors and put on their seat belts, before staring their conversation back up.

"Corey, how did you get to my school anyway?" Jacari questioned.

"How else, I took the bus."

"You did what now?"

"Just joking bro, I asked my friend's Pops to drop me off. Mr. Wayne. Mr. Wayne is cool like that. I told him you would be so glad to see me. So, he drove me here. You are glad to see me...right, Jacari?"

"That's beside the point, Corey and you..."

"Relax big bro, it's cool, it's cool. I know, I know, I won't do it again. I...just wanted to see you. You will be a big shot pro-player, soon maybe next year. And you might not have too much time to spare for...big bro-little sister stuff, you know. I just wanted to hang...a little. I won't do it again. Besides, I don't think I can get Riley's dad to drop me off here again. He was kind of side eyeing me, when I told him that it was cool for him to drop me off at your school. Riley and I had to double team him with reasons why it was okay. Man that man is so suspicious."

"He should be, my school is about twenty minutes away from your junior high. Don't be shocked when you get home if Daddy..."

"I already know what you are about to say, Jacari." Corey waves her brothers words to a stop with her hands. "I know, Daddy is going to be kind of upset..." Jacari gives Corey a quick look then turns his attention back to the road.

"Let me correct myself, Daddy is going to be upset, but hey that's the price I was willing to pay to spend some extra time with you." Corey tells Jacari. He looks at her once again.

"Yeah, right. Now stop buttering me up. Since you are here and it's a Friday. I guess it's not so bad. Let's go to the mini-golf place and play a couple of rounds, then I'll treat you to some frozen yogurt. We can go to that place you love, what's it called?"

"You're talking about, Frankie's Frozen Flavors of Fun." Corey answered gleefully.

"Yeah, that place."

Jacari and Corey finished eating their frozen yogurt cones as they walked back to Jacari's car. The two seated themselves in his car and began their trip back home. Jacari picked up their earlier conversation.

"Man, Corey I can't believe Tracy is pregnant and that Romeo is the father," Jacari said out loud more to himself than to his sister. "Romeo has a baby coming." Jacari looks at Corey, she nods her head up and down confirming Jacari's words. "Funny he never mentioned it to me."

"That's because he doesn't know."

"Oh, so it's a U.P.A.J., then huh?"

"What's that?" Corey asked excitedly.

"Unexpected, Pride, and Joy." Jacari answered her. "I still can't believe Tracy, not Tracy, the girl that never talks is having a baby. And it's Romeo's?"

"Jacari you don't have to talk to be like Tracy is."

Corey's words stopped Jacari. He could not speak for a moment.

"Exactly what do you know... about getting like Tracy is?"

"Probably more than you." Corey dared her brother. Jacari laughed.

"Don't laugh Jacari, I'm serious. Shane and I have been looking into it on the internet. There is a lot of information on stuff like that."

"Corey, I hope you know as much about not getting pregnant, as you think you know about getting pregnant." Jacari started his car, he pulled out of their parking spot, and started the drive to their home. He saw it was getting late. He wanted to get his sister back home, before their father returned home from work. He didn't want to have to tell on his little sister getting one of her school friend's parents to take her so far away from school and home. He also wanted to get back to his school's campus and his dorm room. Although he went to a college that was only twenty minutes away from his childhood home, he liked staying close enough to his father and younger sister in case they needed him. He worried about his father and Corey; however, he didn't tell them that. His teammates would inquire about his staying close to home and why he didn't take scholarships from other schools-that offered more media attention and a better chance at winning a college championship title. Jacari would mostly answer them with a shrug of his shoulders, or maybe a three-word sentence of "well you know." Corey's remarks surprised him, but he chose not to let her see his concern. Corey seems to sense his concern anyway.

"Look Jacari, I'm eleven years old now, maybe when you were my age, you didn't know anything about sex, but at my school we have sex education classes. It doesn't get into the really good stuff yet...we get that next year, in seventh grade." Corey informed her brother. Jacari turned to give her a questioning look.

"Well maybe it's not real sex education, but we are learning all about our bodies and stuff like that though. You know, like not going around being all stinky and stuff, keeping up with hygiene mostly. But we do talk a lot about our bodies. And you have heard of the internet... haven't you. Don't worry our I.T. Daddy still has control of our WiFi services. And he has kept up all the child blocks he had since you were my age. My phone is still one of Daddy's old flip phones, I can only call 911, you and our grandparents. But Shane and I have been able to find out some things on our own, mostly from the school's library... that's something... right?" Corey reported proudly to her brother. Jacari shrugged his shoulders. He kept his eyes on the road and the traffic in front of them.

"Okay, okay, Corey, so you know something about sex, but don't get too cocky. Your friend's sister Tracy is sixteen and look what happened to her. I am sure she thought she knew something about sex too." Jacari said as he made a left turn onto their street. "But then again some girls are just too hot to trot." Corey looked at Jacari then giggled.

"What the heck is hot to trot? That sounds like some old-time movie talk... or something," she said.

"It means... well anyway like I was saying girls like Tracy, they want to have sex with a guy, but they don't think about the consequences. They go get themselves pregnant, then they holler, I didn't think it could happen to me. It's their own fault." Corey didn't know what to say to her brother's words. So she just listened to him. She liked Tracy and thought she was a nice person, and a great big sister to Shane. Corey was happy for Tracy, and her and Shane were both excited about the thought of him being a eleven year old-soon to be a twelve year old uncle, and her the best friend of an eleven year old-soon to be a twelve year old uncle. Corey and Shane liked hanging around with Tracy, when she would let them. She was always making up new dance moves and getting them to learn them from her. Tracy had only recently become moody and sad around her and Shane. Shane had told Corey that maybe if they could find out all they could about being pregnant, then maybe they could get back the old Tracy.

"Corey, don't be like Tracy, when you decide to make love, make sure you're in love-that the person loves you, and that you have been married for at least ten years." Jacari says all of this with a straight face. Jacari begins to laugh. Corey had a smirk on her face. She gave an eye-roll up to the sky, expression to her brother.

"Yeah, right Jacari."

"No, I'm just joking around with you, but I would rather that my little sister waits until she is married. Well... at least wait until you're older than Tracy, and make sure the person you pick for your first time feels the same way about you, as you do for them." Corey raised her chin up and groaned. She leaned forward in the car, towards the dash. She punched in a new song on the radio.

"Jacari, enough already... after all I am only eleven you know?"

"All right, Corey. I'll chill, but I am only telling you this because you're my favorite little sister." Jacari looked over at Corey for a moment. Corey punched him in the right arm.

"I am your ONLY sister."

"Hey, strong girl, be careful with those iron woman punches, I'm driving here," Jacari said jokingly.

"Look, little one, I love you..." Jacari and Corey pull into their home's driveway. Their father's car is already there. Both Corey and Jacari take in a deep breath. Jacari and Corey were preparing themselves for what they were sure would be coming. They both knew Corey was going to have some explaining to do about her after school adventures away from home. Jacari knew it was going to be a long night. He decided he would spend the night at home. He would wake up early and then head back to campus for a Saturday early basketball practice. Their father and Corey, he was sure would be happy about him staying the night. Corey and Jacari exited Jacari's car.

"Hey Jacari, want to race down to the end of the street, like we use to do, before you left for college?" Corey asked excitedly. Jacari notices the mischievous gleam Corey expressed in her eyes. Jacari paused for a moment. "What's wrong, you afraid I will beat you. Mister basketball star?" Corey taunted her brother. Corey sprinted away from Jacari laughing. Jacari ran after her shanking his head in amusement.

Chapter Two: Jacari, My Boy.

Jacari was exhausted from the day's practice and the unexpected visit from his younger sister, Corey. Jacari listened to his father, Mr. Joseph Johnson lecture Corey on the importance of always telling him, where she was going and getting his permission to do so first. During the lecture their father ordered his children favorite fast food. Jacari asked why? Mr. Johnson answered, "well we still have got to ear, and I don't feel like cooking a thing for dinner tonight. So, we have got to order out, might as well get something we like."

"I agree Daddy, I agree." Corey said.

"Good, I hope you agree with your punishment as much as you agree with tonight's dinner orders." Corey had no reply. Instead, she smiled sheepishly. The family ate burgers and garlic cheese fries, from Double Burger. Mr. Johnson picked up his earlier lecture. Corey listened and said all the things she thought would help to end the lecture quicker. After the lecture and dinner, Corey grew sleepy.

"Jacari, see you in the morning bro," she said in between her yarning.

"Corey, you go on to bed now, but we still aren't finished discussing your leaving school, and not telling me where you were headed, and with whom. You just cannot get an idea in your head to go some place and then just take off without..."

"I know Daddy... I just wanted."

"Oh, I know what you just...wanted; you didn't want to take a chance on me telling you no. Do you think you are the only kid that has ever pulled that one before? Your brother over there," Mr. Johnson said pointing over to his son Jacari, as Jacari chewed on his third burger. "Jacari always kept me jumping and alert. Your brother at your age was always coming up with what he thought was ways to out-smart your dear Daddy," Mr. Johnson informed his youngest child, then laughed. Jacari laughed as well.

"Go to bed little girl," Jacari playfully told his sister. "Little girl you are about to get me into trouble." Corey giggled.

"I'm going, I'm going. Goodnight, Daddy. Goodnight Jacari, remember when you fall asleep tonight how your little sister beat you to the end of the block." Corey teased her brother. She pushed back from the kitchen table, they had all been eating at. She pretended like she was running in a race, then sprinted down the hallway to her bedroom.

"Yeah right, I let you win." Jacari yelled after her.

"Keep dreaming, keep dreaming." Corey yelled back. Jacari and his father stayed up watching some of Mr. Johnson's favorite shows. After watching a couple hours of old detective shows, the two began to talk.

"So, Jacari you spent the bulk of your day after practice with Corey...that's good, that's good." Jacari listened to his father. He nodded his head in agreement. Jacari knew not to say too much, because his father had something more that he wanted to say to him. Mr. Johnson, Jacari knew always started out what he concerted to be important conversations with those words, "that's good, that's good."

"Jacari," Mr. Johnson begins, "son I am so proud of you. You have made me so happy, and I am happy for you. You, you keep on doing what you are doing, and you will go far in life."

Mr. Johnson stops himself then begins again. "Son by that I mean with your sports... basketball... but not only sports. I mean I wasn't into sports like you and Corey. I truly believe that you two get that interest from your mother's side of the family." Mr. Johnson waves his right hand in the air as if he is wiping away something. "But that's not what I wanted to tell... say to you." Jacari gave his full attention to his father, he watched him silently. His father fumbling with his own words confirmed to Jacari that whatever it was that his father was about to say to him would be important. Mr. Johnson only repeated his words when whatever it was that he wanted to say meant a lot to him.

"Jacari, son, you are a good child...I mean a good young man. You have never given me any problems or trouble. You look out for your younger sister." Mr. Johnson pauses before speaking again. He tugs on the collar of his shirt. "I know you have a big decision to make at the end of your school year. And I just want you to know that whatever you decide to do...I am with you. I want this decision to be yours all yours. I would like for you to continue and earn your college degree, no matter what though. I believe you can play professional basketball and still take a class at a time until you complete your degree. Or take classes during your off season..." Mr. Johnson clears his throat, looks at his son then begins again. "Jacari, what I am trying to say son," Mr. Johnson pauses once again. "Jacari, I am proud of you. I love you, my boy, please know that your father loves you." Mr. Johnson rubs his chin with the fingers of his left hand. Jacari feels himself getting emotional. He feels tears beginning to whelm up in his eyes. His father's words have touched him deeply. Jacari sniffles trying to hold back the tears that have begun to escape his eyes. Mr. Johnson sees the tears as they begin to fall. He sees that one has fallen upon the front of Jacari's tee-shirt. "So, son just keep on doing what you have been doing. Don't let anything throw you off track... alright, J.?" Mr. Johnson concludes. He reaches for the television remote, speaks into it. "Turn off." The television turns off. Jacari stands up from sitting on the living room couch. He stretches and yawns loudly. Mr. Johnson pushes up out of his favorite, navy-blue recliner, he shakes his legs out and lets out a yawn as well. "It's getting late, I think we are both ready for bed, hey son?" Jacari nods his head in agreement with his father. The two walk down the hallway to their separate bedrooms. Mr. Johnson puts his right arm around his son's shoulder and pulls Jacari in closer to him.

Chapter Three: Wake Up Corey, Daddy Needs To Talk.

Saturday morning Jacari wakes up feeling tired but happy to be waking up in his own bed. Since Jacari is not able to compute every day from his college campus to his home, he keeps a dorm room on campus. He sometimes stays on campus, for many reasons which include studying for upcoming tests, a long hard basketball practice, game days, and sometimes just to "hang with the fellas," Jacari had no weekend classes scheduled, however he had to return to his college campus for basketball practice. Jacari hustled himself out of bed after waking up to the smell of coffee floating into his room from the kitchen. He also heard the clanging of dishes being removed out of the dishwasher and put up by his father.

"Hey, there goes my boy," Mr. Johnson greets a still sleepy Jacari.

"What's up Pops?" Jacari answers.

"Nothing much, I was just thinking maybe we could all go catch a movie-you, me, and Corey, this afternoon..."

"That sounds great Pop, but I have got to get back to campus for weekend drills today. In fact, I'm going to have to take this bowl of Kap & Krunchy to go." Jacari said as he filled one the recently washed bowls from an open cabinet. Jacari pulled on his sweat hoodie and pant that he pulled from the dryer that stood in the lien closet in the kitchen. Mr. Johnson watched his son moving quickly about him and the kitchen. He was disappointed that Jacari would not be able to spend the rest of the day with him and Corey. Mr. Johnson was proud of how Jacari always tried to stick to his commitments-however he found himself still wanting to keep his son around a little longer.

"Jacari, aren't you going to say goodbye to Corey first?" Mr. Johnson said hoping that might buy him some more time if only five minutes more with his eldest child.

"Sorry Pop, but I have got to get going. Tell Corey that I said I'll talk to her later. And by the way Pop did you know Corey has sex education classes in school?"

"Oh, yeah, sure. But they are mainly only classes on how pre-teens learn about personal hygiene... right? Why, why do you ask?" Jacari's father question, surprised by the inquire by his son.

"I think you may need to have a conversation with Corey about that class, and her sudden curiosity about the opposite sex. Any way I got to go. See you later, Pop." Jacari said while gathering up his bowl of cereal and a spoon from the kitchen table that his father was seated at. Jacari stood up and leaned over to plant a kiss upon the top of his father's head. "Love you Pop." Mr. Johnson called out after his departing son. Jacari left his father with a quizzical look upon his dad's face. Mr. Johnson stood up, gathered a dish cloth from the counter next to the kitchen sink. He begins to wipe up the spilled milk Jacari had left on the kitchen table from his cereal bowl. "Corey, Corey!" He yelled in the direction of his daughter's bedroom. "Baby girl, it's time to get up, Daddy needs to talk to you."

Chapter Four: It's Her Body, It's Her Responsibility.

Jacari Johnson began his return trip to his college campus. Along the way his thoughts returned to the conversation he had had, with his younger sister Corey. "Tracy," he said to the empty car. He shook his head from side to side then continued his one-way conversation with himself. "Who would have though, Corey my little sister would know, no correct that think she knows so much about having babies. Well, I guess she is getting older now. When I was Corey's age I still thought girls were to be avoided at all cost. They were always faster, quicker, and smarter than me and all my friends. And if you ever made one of them upset, they would chase you down and pop you upside your head. The thought of ever returning the pop never entered our minds. I guess because we all knew our parents would end us if we ever hit a girl. Now that I think about it those girls had us boys in check." Jacari laughs out loud. He looks out his driver's window to see if anybody saw him. He thinks no one has caught him talking to himself and laughing out loud. Jacari says out loud to himself, "oh well it's my car, I can talk to myself if I want to, besides anybody noticing will assume I am listening to music, and singing along with it. Oh well who cares." Jacari checks again to see if anyone is watching him. Satisfied that he is in the clear, once again he picks up his one-way conversation with himself. "But like I told Corey if the girl is dumb enough to have sex with no protection, then she is asking for it. It's their bodies, it's their babies. Tracy was always kind of stupid anyway." Jacari leans forward and turns up the music in his car. He likes the song that comes up and starts to really sing along with it. He realizes that he is kind of tired, and that he feels like he may throw up the cereal he had eaten earlier. He thinks about pulling off to the side of the road, but tells himself to be strong and try to hold on until he makes it back to campus. He knows he is only a few minutes away from it. Jacari makes it as far as the front entrance of his on-campus dorm room. He needed to stop by there first before heading over to the gym so he could pick up his basketball shoes and other work-out gear. He turns the key, opens the door but throws up outside of his room. Before he can raise his head back up and wipe his mouth, he is met by one of his fellow teammates.

"Whoa, my man, you all right?" Romeo questions him. Jacari wipes his mouth then tries to speak.

"Yeah, yeah, Ro. I'm cool, I just suddenly felt sick, on my drive up here. Then I just had to throw up. I didn't even really eat that much." Jacari tells his teammate. He steps through the open doorway, leaving a confused looking Romeo behind. Romeo calls out behind Jacari.

"Okay, my man, just hurry up get your stuff and head on over to the gym. You know Coach Taylor; he can't stand it when any of us aren't there for practice on time." Jacari does not answer, instead he waves his hand turns and quickly heads inside his dorm room. Jacari made it into his dorm room barely, before throwing up again this time into his dorm room garbage can. He decided to lay down on top of his bed. He told himself it would only be for a moment, then he would feel better and head on over to the basketball gym. Jacari woke up feeling lousy. His head began to pound, then his stomach began to churn. He decided to lie back down. Jacari thought better of that idea, and he sat straight up. Suddenly, he felt sick, all over. He thought he was about to throw up. Then he staggered to the bathroom, and he did throw up. Jacari hated throwing up.

Jacari didn't make it to practice, he didn't make the next day of practice either. He barely made it through his classes; two of which he was out of more than he was in. He was over the rest room's toilet, for most of the hour and a half that the classes met.

The day after that he missed practice again. In fact, he missed a half of a week of school, and a whole week of practices. Coach Taylor had, had enough of Jacari's missing practice. He decided that it was time for Jacari to go with the team's trainer to see Doctor Dane, the school's doctor.

"How long have you been feeling sick, like this?" Doctor Dane inquired of Jacari.

"I feel sick sometimes, then sometimes I don't. It's been going on like this for a month or so, I guess, only lately it seems to be getting worst. Maybe it's all the pressure I have been under concerning my future in basketball. You know...deciding if I should go pro or wait until after I finish my senior year at Brandon. I never thought of myself being a one and done type of player. That must be it...huh Doctor Dane?" Doctor Dane had her back to Jacari, she was reading something off of her tablet. Doctor Dane turned to face Jacari.

"Well now you have an even more important decision to make, Jacari." Jacari laughed nervously.

"Yeah, like what Doc?" Doctor Dane didn't laugh. Jacari thought to himself, "oh no I must be doomed.

"Doc, don't look so serious. It can't be all that bad...can it?"

"Jacari, you're pregnant," Doctor Dane reported without any facial expression.

"Yeah right, Doc." Jacari laughed out loud. "That's a good one Doc, now what's really up with me?" Doctor Dane repeated herself.

"You're pregnant." Jacari looked directly at the doctor. He got a funny feeling inside of his stomach.

"Okay, okay, Doc, I'll give it to you, you're a funny guy," Jacari said. He jumped off the examining table, hitting his head on the shelf above. "All kidding aside Doc, why do I keep feeling like throwing up all the time?" Doctor Dane looked back down at her tablet. She clicked it off and set it upon the exam table.

"No kidding, no jokes, all jokes aside, Jacari you are pregnant."

"Wait, what now. Me, preg... pregnant? But how could that be? Doctor Dane I'm a guy, a man, a male, all of those. How could I possibly be pregnant? Only females get pregnant."

"What? What rock have you been living under Jacari? Males of our spices have been having babies for as long as I can remember. That's the way it has always been and no doubt the way it will always be."

"Excuse me, Doctor Dane." A young male nurse interrupted Jacari's and the doctor's conversation. Jacari noticed that the nurse seems to be carrying a lot of his weight around his middle.

"Fisher." Doctor Dane greeted the young nurse. "I would like you to meet someone. Jacari Johnson. Jacari here plays for Brandon University." Doctor Dane said as she patted Jacari upon his back. "He is an outstanding player. Jacari might be turning pro in a few years. That is after he gives birth and gets back into shape."

"Hello, nice to meet you," Fisher said reaching out his right hand to shake Jacari's out-stretched hand. Fisher kept his left hand on top of his protruding stomach. "My name is Fisher Dadson. I'm expecting too." Fisher notices the surprise look upon Jacari's face. "Oh, sorry about that I read your lab test and I saw the results. I am a little ahead of you though, I'm due in June. I can't wait to have this little one out here in my arms, and out of my over worked body." Fisher Dadson said gleefully, while gently rubbing his stomach with his left hand.

Jacari sat back down, unable to release Fisher's right hand. Fisher's words Jacari heard, but his brain wouldn't let him accept. He kept waiting for the doctor, and Fisher to burst out laughing at him. Jacari was dumbfounded. He told himself it was all just a big joke. That it was nothing more than a prank. He thought to himself, that they had made a good choice, when they picked him for their little joke. Because he was slowly starting to believe what he was hearing. All his senses told him this couldn't possibly be true. Especially he thought not for him, because he used protection, at least sometimes. Jacari thought to himself. He hoped he hadn't said his last thoughts out loud.

Doctor Dane pried Jacari's hand loose from her confused male nurse. Fisher Dadson left Jacari and Doctor Dane in the examining room.

"Doc, Doctor Dane, how could I get pregnant? I mean... how?"

"Oh Jacari, you're a big boy, a big young man...you do know how...?" Doctor Dane turned around to look Jacari straight in the eyes, he grabbed Jacari by his shoulders and asked, "You do know how Jacari... right?" Doctor Dane questioned smiled and nodded her head up and down then winked at Jacari.

"Jacari, no offense but if you didn't want to take a chance you shouldn't have had sex, or at least you should have taken time out to protect yourself. All the guys on the team at Brandon come in with your coach, at least three times a year for theirs. Those guys are responsible enough to either get their injections, or the pill. Only two other players beside yourself... Louis Brown, and Grant Long haven't bothered to come in at all." Doctor Dane leaned back on the examining table, crossed her arms and continued. "This year the hospital even sent out e-mails and snail mail to all male students, about our free contraceptive packages, available for the asking."

"The pill, injections, what are you talking about Doc?" Doctor Dane ignored Jacari's questions.

"It's too late for sex education classes now." Doctor Dane said with a wave of her hand. "You're going to be bringing a new life into this world...in about six months. You should be asking about our pamphlets on fatherhood." Doctor Dane patted Jacari on his back. "Don't worry," she assured Jacari, "you will have delivered way before it's basketball season again. Well...that is after you have worked yourself back into playing shape that is."

Jacari didn't move. He stood in front of the doctor with his mouth wide open, his eyes transfixed upon the doctor.

"Stop acting so surprised, Jacari. Come in again in two weeks or so. I'll have the receptionist set up a return visit for you. I want to see you every two weeks, until it's time for you to deliver."

"One... one... one question Doc," Jacari said after reclaiming his voice.

"Don't worry Jacari, the morning sickness will only last awhile longer. Most guys only have it for the first trimester or so..."

"No Doc. I want to know how... how am I going to... to deliver the baby?" Doctor Dane laughed a hardy laugh.

"Oh, come on Jacari, stop kidding around, you will deliver by C-section." Doctor Dane demonstrated with her hands. "They cut your stomach up and pull the baby out. All men deliver this way."

Jacari's eyes widen. Doctor Dane continued as she patted Jacari on his shoulder, while leading him to the door. "Jacari, son, you have got a date."

"A date? A date with who... what?" Jacari sputters out.

"With the who, or should it be whom? I don't know, either way you have got a date."

The doctor saw the confusion her words were causing Jacari. "With the who, or whom that helped get you in this condition." Doctor Dane said pointing towards Jacari's stomach. "You have got to tell her the news, about your unexpected pride and joy, sooner or later. And I do believe sooner would be better than later." Once again Jacari found himself unable to move. He stopped in the open entrance way that Doctor Dane had escorted him to. He tried to move his legs forward but found himself unable to do so. He let himself be guided than pushed. Doctor Dane pushed Jacari out of her office, out to the lobby, out the front door of the hospital, and had one of the hospital's security team members walk him a block down the street to the school's athletic van. When asked by the security member where was his ride-Jacari could only point in the direction of the school's van. The athletic trainer opened the van's door and let in a shocked Jacari. The trainer thanked the security guard, then watched as Jacari took a seat on the van. Jacari turned his head towards the van's window and stared out of it. He didn't respond to the trainer's questions because he didn't hear any of them. The trainer shrugged his shoulder, closed the van's doors, and proceeded to drive back to Brandon. Jacari looked out the van's windows, watching the passing view in front of him, but seeing none of it. Jacari begins to gather his thoughts. He thought how could he tell Kay-Kay, that he was pregnant? "Pre, preg, pregnant." Jacari tested the word out loud. The van driver had his attention on the rode in front of him and hadn't heard Jacari's words. "That's it." Jacari said out loud. This time the van's driver did hear Jacari speak.

"Hey, hey, what's it?" The driver asked keeping his eyes on the road. Jacari ignored the question. He was too busy thinking to himself. He thought to himself, this could still all be only a bad dream-or rather a nightmare he thought. He kept telling himself that it had to be a joke, a terrible joke, he thought. "Yeah, yeah." Jacari said not as loudly to himself. "Yeah, yeah, that's it." He thought to himself, the fellas and the coach must have all got together and did this to him. They must have wanted to make sure he wasn't getting too big headed, about being named player of the year. Jacari decided to go see Kay-Kay. He thought she'll laugh, and he would cry tears of relief.

Chapter Five: The White Couch.

When Jacari arrived at Kay-Kay's apartment, she wasn't in. He waited outside her door. Kay-Kay came home an hour later, by then Jacari was all worked up again.

"Just where have you been all day?" Jacari impatiently questioned Kay-Kay, she looked annoyed. She looked at Jacari then exhaled loudly.

"Don't give me your annoyed look Kay-Kay."

"Boy, please, you would think we were married or something. I can come and go as I please." Kay informed Jacari.

"Well, well maybe you should marry me." Jacari replied.

"Whhhhhat?" Kay-Kay whined.

"Oh nothing, I was just thinking out loud." Jacari mumbled.

"Now, Jacari we said a while ago, that neither one of us wanted to get serious. Our relationship wasn't to go too deep." Kay-Kay said as she unlocked her apartment door. Jacari looked at the back of Kay-Kay's head and thought to himself that her mouth was in over-drive. He stepped through the entrance way behind her. Jacari took a seat on her living room couch. Jacari remembered how he had helped her buy it only last Christmas. Kay-Kay went into the kitchen.

"Jacari, do want a diet pop?" she asked. "You're starting to pick up a little weight, I see." Jacari laughed.

"Funny you should say that Kay-Kay."

"Yeah, what's so funny about it? You know I can't stand guys that are out of shape." Kay-Kay said as she poked him in his stomach.

"Kay-Kay, I went to the hospital today. I have been feeling kind of sick lately."

Kay-Kay didn't respond.

"Guess what the coach and the guys on the team got Doctor Dane to tell me? Boy oh boy those guys are good, they even had me going there for a while." Jacari laughed weakly. "Doctor Dane told me I'm pregnant." Jacari sat on Kay-Kay's white couch feeling silly, now that he had actually said what he had been told out loud: to another person. He couldn't believe how ridiculous he sounded. Jacari was sort of whishing he could recall his words. Kay-Kay, he thought was probably thinking what a jerk he was.

Kay-Kay didn't utter a single syllable, instead she dropped her own diet pop. The can of diet pot emptied, forming a puddle on her hardwood floor-the same floor Jacari had only recently helped her wax. Jacari fussed over that fact, as Kay-Kay eventually got her lips to form words.

"How many months are you?"

These weren't the words Jacari wanted to hear. He felt it might be his turn to drop things on the newly waxed floor. Jacari felt his stomach churn. He didn't make it to the bathroom before he threw up, the first time. As Jacari stooped over the white toilet bowl that had become an ever-reappearing object in his life recently, Kay-Kay rubbed him on his back. After his stomach tired of spasming, he sat down once again on Kay-Kay's white couch. He began to accept what he had been told only hours before, in the doctor's office.

"Let me help you, Jacari." Kay-Kay began to was Jacari's face for him. After she placed a cool damp towel on his head. "There, now is that better? Come lay down on the couch. Jacari put blanket over you. Take it easy...just rest, okay."

"Rest? Rest?" Jacari thought to himself, how can I rest? "Kay-Kay how could this be, how could this be?" Jacari heard himself repeating again and again.

"The same way it always happens Jacari. What do you mean, how could this be?"

"But... but men don't have babies?"

"No, then how did you and I get here? It sure wasn't our mothers who had us, that's for sure." She giggled. "You know we females can't stand pain. Lord knows I sure couldn't have babies. I pass out when I get a stomachache. No way. You males are made for having babies. You're just so much stronger than us women, in that way. If it was left up to us females having babies, there wouldn't be any. None of us would be here. But stop being silly Jacari... wishful thinking won't solve your problem. What are you going to do?"

"What... what do you mean, what am I going to do? You did this to me." Jacari said placing his right hand upon his stomach. Jacari couldn't believe his own words. "This is crazy. I can't really be having this conversation."

Kay-Kay looked at Jacari with her big hazel eyes. She thought to herself for a moment, then said.

"Well, you're the guy... it's your responsibility to protect yourself."

"What? What... what are you saying? You had just as much fun making this...this baby, as I did...you know." Jacari said while rubbing his stomach. Kay-Kay pursed her lips and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Me? Boy oh boy, you guys are all alike. You want to play the game, you know the rules, but you never are willing to take responsibility for your own bodies."

"Okay, okay, Kay-Kay, the fact is I'm pregnant and you're the mother. So, what are we going to do about it?" Kay-Kay calmly replied.

"Jacari, you never answered my first question. How many months along are you?"

Jacari looked down at his stomach and put his hands upon it.

"Maybe a couple of months, more or less, jezzes I don't know."

"Well Jacari, have you thought about abortion?" Kay-Kay asked. Jacari jumped to his feet so fast that he almost lost his balance.

"Abortion?!! What do you mean ABORTION? This is a living being! A baby! A life! Our baby! Our blood! How could you even think of abortion?" Jacari realized he was yelling and tired to gain control of himself.

"Okay, okay." Kay-Kay said. "Sit down, calm down. Come on sit down beside me. You're getting yourself all worked up. It was just a suggestion, and option."

"I don't like that suggestion, option, or whatever you want to call it. I don't ever want to hear that word again."

"Don't throw out that option so fast, Jacari Johnson-you might feel differently later."

"What do you mean by that, Kay-Kay?"

"Jacari...you see... I well, I'm not ready for a baby. I'm not ready to be somebody's mother. At least not just yet. I'm about to go off to medical school soon. I won't have much time to spend with a pregnant guy, and then a... you know a baby." Jacari thought she said her last sentence like she had a bad taste in her mouth. Jacari was shocked to hear the words coming out of Kay-Kay's mouth. He wondered how she could be saying these terrible things to him. He thought about how whenever they made love, she had always told him how much she loved him. How she could only see her future with him. But now since he was pregnant with her child, she could not find time for him anymore. Jacari look at Kay-Kay.

"Don't look at me like that Jacari."

Jacari turned his gaze away from Kay-Kay. He couldn't bare to look at her big, bright, hazel eyes anymore. Besides he felt as if he was about to cry. Then he knew he was about to cry. Just as the first tears began to fall, he wiped his eyes. He forced himself to look at her. Kay-Kay continued to break his heart.

"Look Jacari, you know what our game rules were, to start with. We both agreed not to get too close. Why you failed to use protection...I don't know. You just gambled one time too many. Now you're pregnant. I'm sorry, but I must think of my own future. I have studied too long, and hard to blow my chances of doing well in medical school. I'll help you with whatever you need, while you're pregnant... but that's all. I don't want to be tied down with a husband, and a child. I'm just not ready...not just yet Jacari. It's up to you now. Jacari whatever you decide to do you know the choices, that are open to you. Just don't wait too long to decide. And make sure you make a choice... you can live with later on in life."

Chapter Six: Boomerang.

With those words ringing in his ears, Jacari left Kay-Kay's apartment. He drove for miles, somehow, he found himself at the grammar school his younger sister attends. Jacari knew that Corey loves basketball just as much as himself, so he wasn't surprised to see her working on her jump shot, on the last court on the school yard. That is their favorite court. It wasn't long before Corey noticed him coming towards her.

"Hi!" she said showing off her sideways grin, the same grin she's always had ever since she was a little baby. The same grin that made everyone tell her she took after Jacari. Jacari thought differently about that grin. He knew they both inherited that grin from their grandpa. They also took their love of sports from him as well. Just as Jacari looked up to their grandfather when he was Corey's age, she now looked up to Jacari. There was no denying Corey was his younger sister. She loved everything Jacari did, and that especially included the game of basketball.

Corey Johnson walked her long, thin frame of a body towards Jacari-while spinning her basketball on her middle finger, and then switching it to her pinky finger. Jacari had showed her how to master that trick. Jacari wondered to himself; how could he tell Corey he was pregnant? Especially after how he had been so hard on her little friend's big sister, Tracy. That's it he thought if men have babies how can Corey's friend's sister possibly be pregnant?

"Tracy is a girl!" Jacari yelled out loud.

"Yeah, so what, Tracy is a girl. And you my good brother are a boy, or should I say man?" Corey joked. Jacari had no time for Corey's jokes.

"Corey is Shane's sister, Tracy pregnant, or what?"

"What?" Corey replied. Jacari thought Corey looked at him like he was from outer space, or something. All hope drained right out of him when he saw that look.

"Shane's big sister Tracy, preg... pregnant? How could that be Jacari? You know only boys can have babies. I thought we talked about this before, Jacari." Corey teased her brother. Then she jumped on his back for a piggyback ride.

"Get down!" Jacari screamed at her. She did. He could see the hurt and surprise in his sister's eyes. Jacari had hardly ever yelled at her. His anger confused her as well as hurt her feelings.

"Okay, you don't have to get all crazy on me." Corey said, more to the ground than to Jacari.

"Corey... I didn't mean to... I have something-I have something to tell you. I, well... I..."

Chapter Seven: Hey...

Jacari awakes to the sound of his phone chiming and someone knocking on his bedroom door.

"Jacai, are you awake? Your phone has been going off for a minute now." Mr. Johnson says as he enters his son's bedroom. Jacari raises up out of his bed. He flips over his phone to see several messages left by Kay-Kay on his phone. He shakes his head as if to shake loose the grip of his slumber. Jacari places his phone back upon the bedside table he had gotten it from. Mr. Johnson sits down upon his son's bed.

"Hey, my boy, you have been sleeping all morning. I thought you had Saturday b-ball practice today? You better get moving if you plan on making it-that is making it to apologize to your coach for missing it. I know I should have, or I should have sent Corey in here to wake you... but." Mr. Johnson started to explain. Jacari sat up straight in his bed, he pulled his feet up and swung his legs over the side of it.

"Don't worry Pop, coach told us that today's practice was only going to be free play. We would have only been running for fur, not doing any drill, or going over plays. It was a free day really, play if we wanted or sit around talking stuff to each other. I'll just shoot a text to the assistant coach saying I had to do some family stuff."

"Family stuff? What family stuff?" Mr. Johnson asked his son. Jacari smiles then looks at his father.

"You know family stuff, like you, me, and Corey spending the day together. Hey isn't it her little friend Shane's birthday today, or something like that. We can help Corey with that, snatch up some little kid cake, then Corey, you, and me, we can go get some new work out gear for you." Jacari told his father.

"Hey," Mr. Johnson stands up and looks down at his clothes that he is wearing. "You trying to say that your old man needs to update his style? Cool, cool, I can go with that. I do need to amp up my drip. My drip right... isn't that what you kids are calling it now?" Mr. Johnson asked.

"Err, Pop, don't okay... but don't worry you are still cool." Jacari said then laughed.

"Alright, alright, whatever. I like your idea. I'll go tell Corey. I think she is still sleeping too. She takes after you, when it comes to waking up in the morning. But first I have got to make a little stop."

"I know Pop, to your favorite place, your throne room, better known as the bathroom."

"My boy, you know your father. I am so glad to see you know me so well." Mr. Johnson gives Jacari a salute then turns and heads out of Jacari's bedroom while humming. Jacari laughs and waves his right hand after his father's departure. Jacari turns his attention back to his phone. He sees that most of the text messages left on it are from his girl friend Kay-Kay. He calls her number. The phone rings.

"Hey, what's up. I have been texting you all morning. What's up? Are we still going to the movies on Sunday or what?" Kay-Kay bombards Jacari with questions. "And why didn't you face time me, what's up with all that? Where are you, at home or on campus?"

"Kay-Kay pleas give a chance; I can only answer one question at a time. I just woke up not to long ago, my brain is still adjusting."

"Well, you and your brain better learn how to adjust faster. I have got things to do, and places to be, Jacari. I don't have any time to be wasting, playing around with you. Now, are we on for the movies on Sunday or what?" Kay-Kay stops speaking long enough to take a breath.

"Kay-Kay I'm at my Dad's. I am going to take the weekend off for a change. I want to spend some time with my Pops and little sister. I haven't been able to do that a lot lately. Besides are you sure you still want to go out with me?"

"Yeah, sure, why wouldn't I?"

"Well err, okay then we'll make it a date for next weekend, okay?"

"Okay, that's cool, that's cool, Jacari... hey tell your Dad and Corey I said hello K?"

"Kay-Kay, I'll text you later... I know we still have a lot to talk about... but... we can talk about all that later. Right."

"Sure, Jacari we can talk later or whatever, but what is it that we have to talk about later stuff about?"

"Jacariiiii!" Corey yelled down the hall from the kitchen towards Jacari's bedroom.

"Kay-Kay, I'll... text you later K?' Jacari turned off his phone. He dropped it upon his unmade bed. He pulled up his pajama bottoms, slide his feet into his house flip-flops. Jacari left out of his bedroom and headed down the hall to the sounds coming from out of the kitchen. Before Jacari could turn into the kitchen, the doorbell rang. Jacari headed towards the front door instead.

"Tracy?" Jacari opened the front door to a noticeable pregnant Tracy. Tracy, Shane's older sister. Corey came running from the kitchen to the opened front door. Corey bumped into her brother at the opened door. Tracy smiled at Corey's excitement. Tracy pushed her hair out of her face. The braid she had pushed back fell back down in front of her right eye-she let it stay there. Tracy shyly looked up at Jacari.

"Hi Corey," the young girl said. Corey giggled, she opened the front door wider and motioned for Tracy to enter. Tracy spoke to Jacari as she entered the house. "Hey Jacari, I didn't know you would be home today. How have you been doing?" Jacari closed the front door, then turned to face Tracy before he answered her.

"The question is how have you been doing?" Tracy placed hands upon her round stomach.

"Me, why do you ask?" Tracy replied then laughed. Maybe I should be asking you that question, Jacari. You look like you have just seen a ghost or something."

"Nah, it's not that... let's just say last night I had some really, strange and not so pleasant dreams... no nightmares." Jacari saw a confused look come across Tracy's face.

"Huh?"

"Hey, hey don't worry about it. It's kind of hard to explain. Let's just say I am glad to see you and your new development." Tracy looked at Jacari then over to Corey. Corey gave her a shoulder shrug. Corey took ahold of Tracy's left hand. Corey begins to lead Tracy down the hall towards Jacari's bedroom.

"Corey!" Jacari called out after the two. "What in the world are you doing? Don't be taking Tracy to my bedroom." Jacari rushed past the two girls, beating them to the entrance way. He throws his body across the doorway.

"Don't blame Corey, Jacari-she just wanted me to see all your trophies. I'll leave if I have upset you." Explained Tracy.

"He's not upset, Tracy. Jacari is always grumpy; when he first wakes up in the mornings." Corey told Tracy.

"I'm sorry for yelling, Tracy. It's just that my room isn't something that a pregnant gir... woman... young woman should be exposed to. I apologize." Tracy sort of hung her head a little, she adverted her eyes away from Jacari and Corey. Tracy looked around the house. She looked at everything she could see around her, but not at Jacari. Jacari didn't see Tracy as the same girl he once thought her to be. He noticed how she had pulled her hair back into a long bouncy ponytail and how she had one long loose braid near the front of her head-that kept falling down in front of her face, every time she pulled it back behind her right ear. Jacari liked the way her ponytail bounced around every time she spoke. He liked the way she smelled: like freshly washed clothes right out of the dryer, how she smiled, and how her eyes seem to sparkle, when ever she dared to look at him. He found himself counting the number of years between their ages. He was pleased to realize that there was only three years between them. He hoped that Tracy had a upcoming birthday, so then there would be even less years between them.

"Come on Tracy, let's go to the living room, Jacari is doing his strange boy stuff again. You can wait in here for me, while I get out of my pajamas, okay? Then we can go shopping for Shane's surprise birthday party." Corey told her friend. Tracy nodded her head in agreement. Corey then ran to get dressed. Tracy had come over to do more than see Jacari's trophies. She was also there to pick Corey up so that the two of them could go shopping for her brother's Shane's birthday present. Shane would be turning twelve on Saturday. Tracy and Corey had been working on putting together a surprise party for him.

"Can I help?" Jacari heard himself saying, before he realized what he was doing.

Chapter Eight: Choices.

Jacari, Corey, and Tracy picked out all kinds of birthday themed things for Shane's surprise party. Corey found a present for Shane that she thought he would really enjoy. The trio of shoppers all returned to the Johnson's family home together. Mr. Johnson welcomed them with two large pizzas, he had had delivered. Corey tore into her favorite one of four different cheeses. Jacari and Tracy both went for Mr. Johnson's favorite-pineapple and chicken. After lunch, they all wrote up party invitations. Corey translated them into digital invites-which she sent out by text. The group filled party bags with party favorites that included giant candy bars, suckers, rubber bracelets, and tee-shirts with a picture of Shane grinning. The words on the front of the shirts read; It's my birthday! On the back his shirts read; So let's eat cake! Tracy had had the shirts made up earlier and had picked them up on her way over to meet up with Corey. Mr. Johnson thought the shirts were cool, so he tried one one. The shirts only came in small and medium. Mr. Johnson insisted on wearing one any way. His shirt was too small.

"Daddy, no offense but, I think that shirt is a little too small for you." Corey said through giggles.

"No offense taken baby girl." Mr. Johnson said.

"Err... no offense Mr. Johnson, but I have to agree... it may be a little to tight for you." Tracy explained. She looked over at Corey and Jacari and smiled. Jacari watched his father parade around in the too small t-shirt, he laughed out loud.

"Don't laugh Jacari, I know you want a body like mine. I look good, can't nobody tell me I don't look good" Everyone burst out laughing, as Mr. Johnson danced around the room in his too small tee-shirt.

"Okay, okay, everybody let's get back to making this party happen. We have got food list to make and a whole lot of other junk to get done, before Shane's big day. Now hustle to it." Corey ordered.

"Daddy, you come with me. I have some stuff in my room I need you to help me put together."

Mr. Johnson looked around the room at Jacari and Tracy. They all gave each other shoulder shrugs. Mr. Johnson stood at attention, as if he was a solider, he saluted his daughter. He then followed her out of the living room that they had all been in. Jacari and Tracy watched in silence. They smiled at each other and returned their attention back to the party decorations. The two were left alone together. Jacari nor Tracy didn't know what to say. For a while the two worked together in silence.

"You ran track before... didn't you?" Jacari question Tracy.

"Yeah, I did." Tracy replied.

"You were pretty good too. Everybody thought you would be world class material."

Tracy looked down at her stomach.

"Yeah, I know, so did I. But... you know sometimes things don't go the way you expect them to." Jacari didn't speak for a moment.

"Have you told Romeo yet?"

"How did you know it was RaShawn's?" Tracy questioned.

"Corey told me. I'm sorry I hope you don't mind me knowing. Have you told RaShawn?" Jacari asked again.

"No, and I don't know what I'm waiting for. I know I must tell him. I really haven't seen him much lately, now that I'm showing. I know I must tell him. I just don't want to do it alone. Not... not that I am afraid or anything like that, it's just that... it's just that a whole lot of stuff. I don't know, I just can't explain it... it's..." Jacari didn't say anything. Tracy not only noticed his silence she felt it.

"What?" She questioned.

"Nothing, I'm just listening to you."

"I plan on telling him after Shane's birthday party. That is if he comes, I invited him but he hasn't texted me back about it." Tracy spoke the last sentence in almost a whisper. Then she said something Jacari wasn't expecting to hear. "Jacari would you be there with me, when I tell him?" Tracy's words sounded as if they were a plea to Jacari. Tracy spoke them as she locked eyes with him.

"Why... why me? You would think you would want to do something like that alone."

"I always do everything alone. I'm tired of doing things alone. Jacari you were always so nice to me, whenever you saw me. When all the other guys on the basketball team at Brandon use to act like I was some pest of a high schooler, you never did. Most of the guys would just plain out and out right ignore me. But you would always... at least speak to me. I know, I know, they all thing I am just some dumb girl, hanging around the players..."

"I don't think you are dumb at least not like that..." Jacari pauses, trying to find the right words. "But Tracy you are still in high school, and well look... I mean. Tracy I don't really think you are dumb, but... it's just that most girls seem to steer clear of guys like Romeo. He has a rep of being kind of a jerk and you are still in high school..."

"Jacari, stop. I understand. Maybe I should not have asked. It just felt good being around you and your family. I just thought... well maybe... you seem to kind of understand what I'm going through. I don't know why, and I don't feel it's out of pity. I can't explain it, but there is something about you... you really seem to care." Tracy was correct. Jacari was different he felt it himself. He thought about his dream, or nightmare he had had the night before. He still couldn't shake all the emotions he had felt from it.

Jacari's phone vibrated in his back pocket. He took it out and looked at it.

"Excuse me, Tracy." Jacari walked down the hall to his bedroom, while tapping on his phone. He waited while his vedio-call connected. "Hey, Kay-Kay, it's me, Jacari."

"Yes, Jacari I can see that, what's up?"

"Well, Kay-Kay, about next Sunday night."

THE END. Julia J.B. Burch