by A'zayler
Karina was cool and all, but not letting-Ezra-spend-the-night cool. Just like that, Cannon’s mood was ruined. With her face frowned, Cannon pouted all the way up the driveway and up to the front door. As soon as she walked in, she heard her mother on the phone laughing. That was alarming, so after closing and locking the door, she went to the kitchen.
Her mother was standing at the stove stirring a pot, with her cellphone resting between her ear and shoulder.
“Hey Mommy, who you talking to?” Cannon asked as she grabbed Yara’s bottle from the counter and fed it to her.
Karina turned around with a large smile on her face. “Hey baby. I’m talking to your aunt Tessa. Where y’all coming from?”
“Basketball game at my school.”
Karina’s eyes went to Yara who was gobbling down the formula like a baby pig. “Did she give you a hard time?”
Karina’s caring tone caught Cannon off guard, but she preferred that over her normal sadness.
“Yes! I accidentally forgot her bottle here, so the moment she got hungry she went off.”
Karina touched the side of Cannon’s face. “Aw, I’m sorry pooh. Give her to me and go get some rest. I’ll keep her tonight.”
Cannon gave Karina a skeptical look, while still maintaining her hold on Yara. She was happy to see her mother in good spirits but that didn’t mean she trusted her with Yara for any longer than necessary, especially at night. Yara loved to wait until the wee hours of the morning to act like she didn’t know what sleep was.
“Tessa, let me call you right back.” Karina said a few more things before ending her call. “I’m okay today, Cannon. Let me help you.”
“I can keep her. She’s calm now since she has her milk.”
Karina sighed and looked at Cannon with a sympathetic look. “Lord, I’ve ruined you. I’m sorry, Cannon. I really can take care of her. Go do something with your friends or something.”
Cannon’s mind wandered off to Ezra. Since he was probably not spending the night, they could possibly go somewhere else and do something fun. Cannon contemplated it a little because hanging out with Ezra outside of the house would be fun, but not at the expense of Yara’s well-being.
“I know you want to, it’s all over your face. Go ahead. I promise she’ll be safe and sound when you return.” Karina reached for Yara. “You see she was fine when you got home from school today.”
Cannon nodded, because she was. Yara was dry and asleep while Karina sat at her vanity doing her makeup. Nothing like they normally were, where Karina looked on the verge of insanity while Yara screamed to the top of her lungs.
“Okay, but call me if you need me. I’ll come right back and get her.”
“I’ll be fine. Go ahead.”
Cannon smiled at her mom and handed Yara to her. Yara relaxed and continued drinking her bottle. “I’m going to go back to the game.”
“Have fun, baby.” Karina yelled to Cannon’s back as she switched down the hallway.
In a rush, she freshened up her hair, sprayed on some perfume and left. She was in Ezra’s truck in no time, headed back to him. Hopefully the game wouldn’t be over before she got back. With her music blasting high, and baby free, Cannon rode peacefully back to the game. When she pulled up, the parking lot was still packed so she was sure it wasn’t over.
With urgency accompanying her every step, Cannon strolled to the back door of the gym and stopped at the door. After smoothing her hands over her clothes and hair, she pulled the door open and walked back inside. The gym was still rocking with noise when she eased in cautiously. She allowed her eyes to survey the gym for somewhere to stand before walking all the way in.
When she found a small spot on the bottom bleacher next to Professor Keating, she walked in. She could feel eyes on her, but she kept her gaze straight and walked to the open seat.
“Hey, Mrs. Fast Behind,” Professor Keating greeted her with tooted lips and a smile that she could tell held more than the small greeting she’d just offered.
“Fast behind? What I do, Professor Keating?”
Professor Keating’s eyes rolled to the side as she smiled at Cannon. “I saw you and Ezra over there kissing like y’all grown.”
“He kissed me.”
“Well since there’s no random man running around here kissing me without my permission, I’m assuming Ezra felt comfortable for some reason.”
Cannon couldn’t even deny what Professor Keating was saying because it was all true, so versus saying anything, she hugged her with one arm and gave Ezra her attention. He was on the floor balling. He’d just crossed up the point guard from the other team and was headed for a layup.
“Whooo!” Cannon yelled when the basketball slid into the net easily.
Once again, the crowd went wild, including Cannon and Professor Keating. They were both on their feet yelling and screaming for Ezra.
“Ezzzyyyy! Go baby!” Cannon screamed as he ran up the side of the court that was the closest to her.
His eyes went to her instantly. The breathtaking smile he shot at her had her stomach doing flips as she stood with a smile just as big plastered across hers. After blowing her a kiss and telling her his next shot was for her, Ezra made the rest of Cannon’s night.
“Baby? Ezra’s your baby now?” Professor Keating questioned mockingly.
Cannon hid her face and smiled as she tried to ignore the truth that she was hearing. Ezra was in fact, her baby. Hers. Cannon could get used to that. From the moment Matt died, she’d allowed her emotions to travel away with him. Never giving any other men the time of day . . . until Ezra. Although he seemed worthy of it, Cannon was still a little nervous when it came to him, but she wouldn’t push him away just yet.
When the buzzer sounded for the game to be over, people were everywhere. Ezra was in the air on the shoulder of two of his teammates with the net hanging around his neck in celebratory glory. Both of his arms were stretched into the air as he nodded his head and yelled a host of boastful comments. The whole team was jumping up and down, making Cannon nervous. It would make her heart stop if they dropped him.
“Aye, girl, come with me.” A thick, dark-skinned girl grabbed Cannon’s arm and attempted to pull her behind her, but Cannon resisted with a frown on her face.
“Why you grabbing on me like that?” Cannon’s face was still frowned in confusion as she stared at the girl she’d never seen a day in her life.
The girl’s presence felt familiar for some reason, but Cannon knew for sure she’d never met her before. Even her face was recognizable, but Cannon couldn’t place it for the life of her.
“Cannon, just come on girl. I’m Ezra’s sister.”
“Oh, dang.” Cannon relaxed and followed her, still unsure of their current encounter.
The girl was about Cannon’s size just a little bit taller and heavier on the bottom. Whereas Cannon had wide hips and a handful of butt, Ezra’s sister had no hips and enough ass for her and Cannon to split and still have more to give away. She was a bad one. Her hair was also dreaded up and hanging past the middle of her back. Hers were dyed a dark blue that looked amazing against her skin. With her hand holding tightly to Cannon’s, she pushed her way through the throngs of men trying to stop them.
When they were finally out of the mix of attendees, Cannon assumed she would release her hand, but she didn’t. Well, not at first. They did once they stopped at the bleachers in the corner where a heavyset lady in an all-black dress and sandals was seated. Her hair was a short natural cut that curled up. It was freshly lined with two parts on the side. Although it wasn’t something a lady her age should have been wearing, she was killing it.
The lady had two wrists full of gold bangles that went almost halfway up her forearm, with a handful of rings and a bright gold watch. She was so pretty, and looked like she was probably a thug in her younger days, but played it safer in her later years and just collected dope money or something. She had been waving her arms in the air cheering until she laid eyes
on Cannon and Ezra’s sister.
Her high cheekbones rose higher as she held her hands out to Cannon. “Hey, baby girl. Come here.”
Cannon went with no problem. Judging from the way her eyes glowed with invisible lamps just like Ezra’s, Cannon knew she had to be his mother. She grabbed one of Cannon’s hands, and patted the bench next to her with the other one. Cannon sat down and scooted into the grasp of her outstretched arm. His mother squeezed Cannon to her firmly. She was so soft. Cannon was in love.
“Ezra wanted you to stay over here with us until he comes out of the locker room.” She patted Cannon’s shoulder lovingly before releasing her from their hug. “This is Danna, Ezra’s older sister.”
“Oh okay, you go here too?”
Danna shook her head. “Nope, I graduated from Columbus State in May. I didn’t want to go here.”
Vonetta cut her eyes at Danna. “Nah, she’s just a sneaky little thing. She doesn’t want Ezra all in her business.”
“Vonetta, stop your mess,” Danna smiled mischievously.
Danna’s pretty dark skin glowed just like Ezra’s as she winked at Cannon and looked back toward the floor where they were clearing people. She stood snapping her fingers while dancing casually to the music that was still playing. Bad dot com. Cannon could hardly take her eyes off Danna. She was breathtaking in a ghetto girl kind of way.
“Where’s the baby?” Ezra’s mother asked her.
Cannon turned to make eye contact with her and smiled. “It’s so weird looking at you because it’s like looking at Ezra. He looks exactly like you.”
She smiled like a proud mother. “Girl, you should see his ugly ass, black ass, crazy ass daddy.”
Cannon was cracking up as she sat listening to her.
“I wish my baby did look more like me, but he doesn’t. He looks like Echo’s old Jumanji-looking ass.” She rolled her eyes and waved her hand dismissively. “But fuck him, Cannon, where’s the baby. I’ve been waiting to see her.”
“I just took her home to my mom for a little while.”
Ezra’s mom paused and looked at Cannon with her eyebrows raised. “She’s with your mom?”
“Yes ma’am.” Cannon could feel the question hanging in the air. “She’s having a good day.”
His mother nodded and her smile returned. “Well, that’s good to hear. You have to make sure you bring her around so that I can see her. Ezra’s lying ass can’t stop talking about how much she looks like him.”
Cannon squealed in laughter as she shook her head. “He kills me with that.”
“You?” She bulged her eyes dramatically. “How in the hell that baby look like him?” she shook her head as if she really didn’t understand.
“I hope I don’t sound rude, but what’s your name? Ezra hasn’t told me.” Cannon hadn’t wanted to ask it, but she hated to continue talking to her without knowing what to call her.
“Vonetta Mendoza, but they call me Mendy for short.”
“You look like a Vonetta.” Cannon smiled at her happily.
Vonetta looked at Cannon and laughed in her face. “Girl, hush your mouth. You couldn’t think of nothing better to say, could you?”
Cannon shook her head with a smile before looking away and looking toward the locker room entrance. Some of the players were walking out, preparing to go home. Danna was already headed across the floor by the time Ezra came out in his basketball sweat suit. His hair was out of his ponytail and hanging down around his shoulders. His face and eyes lit up when he saw his family. Mainly at Vonetta. She was waving her arms again the same way she had been when Cannon had first laid eyes on her, this time she even danced in place. She did a smooth little rock from side to side that let Cannon know she’d been a force to reckon with in her younger days. Cannon’s eyes trailed to Danna, who was still dancing. They both had undeniable rhythm that Cannon enjoyed admiring.
“Look at my baby. You look so handsome Ezzy. You did good tonight, man.” The way Vonetta spoke to him, somebody would have thought he was a five-year-old and not well on his way to twenty-one.
It was hilarious to Cannon. Especially since Vonetta called him Ezzy. He’d told her the night before that she called him that, but Cannon hadn’t believed him until she yelled it during the game and he looked immediately.
“Ma, stop talking to this nigga like he a baby.”
“Danna, stop hating. He my baby.”
Ezra walked to his mother and hugged her tightly before pulling her from the bench. She screamed and slapped his back playfully until she was on her feet.
“This boy ain’t got no sense.” She laughed before slapping his arm again. “When I punch his ass, he’ll stop fucking with me then.”
Ezra kissed his mother’s cheek before looking at Cannon with a wide grin. She was just about to smile back, but he grabbed her too fast and pecked her lips.
“Stop kissing on me like that in front of your mama.”
“Honey, don’t worry about me. After the shit I’ve seen Nuke do in front of me, it ain’t nothing Ezzy can do that will surprise me.”
Danna and Ezra both laughed at the disgusted look on Vonetta’s face.
“When you called me Ezzy, I thought you was Danna.” He released his hold on Cannon’s body, but grabbed her hand. “Where’s Yara?”
“At home with her mama, she said it’s a good day, so mind your business and take this girl out on a date or something.”
Ezra smirked at Cannon as he listened to his mother rant. “You want to go on a date with me tonight?”
“Yep.”
“Aww Ma, ain’t they cute?” Danna said sarcastically from behind them.
“Yeah child. I remember when I was young and in love like that.”
“Not me. I don’t love these niggas, Ma.” Danna walked over to where everybody else was standing and leaned her arm on Ezra’s shoulder. “I’m a playa.”
“As you should be. These niggas ain’t shit. Ezzy the only good one left and I still don’t understand that shit. Living in the house with me and Echo should have ruined y’all.”
Ezra nodded his head at Danna. “It did ruin her.”
Danna shrugged her shoulders with a broad smile on her face. “Nah it put me on game, that’s what it did.”
With a quick high five, Vonetta encouraged Danna’s banter. “That’s my girl. Keep it that way,” Vonetta winked at Danna before reaching for Ezra. “Ezzy, come on and help me to the car, baby. You know these bleachers be killing my back.”
Ezra released Cannon’s hand immediately. “Yes ma’am.” He grabbed his mother’s arm and stepped as close as he could to her so that she could lean on him if necessary.
Cannon watched them begin walking before stepping back near the bleachers and grabbing the big black purse that she assumed to be Vonetta’s. She was tossing it over her shoulder when the phone inside of it began to ring.
“Mrs. Vonetta, you want me to get your phone?”
Danna and Ezra both began shaking their heads in objection, while Danna actually reached for the purse and took it from Cannon. Cannon looked at them both in confusion until Vonetta started laughing.
“Baby, you have to enter that purse at your own risk. You might mess around and get bit.”
Confusion was written all over Cannon’s face as she stared at the three of them.
“Vonetta is packing honey, and she don’t ever have that gun on safety so you have to be careful when digging through her purse.”
More laughter came as they all continued out of the gym. The parking lot was almost empty minus a few of the players and their families. Ezra helped his mother to the car and made sure she was in before walking back to Cannon with a large smile on his face.
Cannon’s cheeks warmed as she matched his smile with one of her own. The black sweat suit looked so cute on him as his hair swayed around his shoulders. With eyes that lit up the night, Ezra stopped in front of her and allowed his face to shine down on her.
“What you want to do tonight?
”
“I don’t know, whatever you want to do.”
Ezra twisted his mouth to the side as his eyes rolled to the top of his head. “It’s a party tonight at one of my teammate’s house. You want to hit that?”
“I’ll go wherever you want to go,” Cannon told him honestly.
With Ezra she felt safe and free. It didn’t matter where they went, as long as he was with her, she was ready.
“Bet.” Ezra grabbed Cannon’s hand pulling her to where his truck was parked so they could leave.
* * *
“Don’t You Say No” by R. Kelly was blasting throughout the house as Cannon and Ezra made their way down the stairs. The dimly lit basement was cool and calming in a seductive way. There were a few people crowding the floor and sofas as others walked casually through the home’s lower level.
The black leather furniture and large entertainment system decorated the middle of the floor, while a pool table and a weight set occupied opposite corners of the room. Red party cups, different finger foods, and sodas were here and there, while open pizza boxes crowded the coffee table.
The music was loud and drowning any conversation that was taking place at the moment, which was probably a good thing since everybody in the room looked to be boo’d up. Couples littered the room in the midst of various interactions. Some were kissing, some were dancing, and some were laid out on the sofas smiling and talking. There was even one couple seated on the floor in the corner darn near sexing with their clothes on.
Li’l fast behinds. Cannon turned her head and gave the fake grown people their privacy.
The further into the basement they got, the more Cannon recognized the boys as Ezra’s teammates, and a few of the girls from various events at school. She could see some of the people’s attention turning to her and Ezra as they came into view. A couple of the guys gave her the once over before smiling or winking at Ezra, while sly smiles came from the girls.
