When the ball shot up from his hands, it went into the goal.

That felt right.

"Lucky shot," Damion scoffed. He held his own basketball in his hands and begun dribbling. "You sure ain't gonna make it again."

Jason motioned his hand to the ball. "Give me the ball then, Dae."

After a couple more dribbles, Damion passed the ball. Jason caught on his left hand. He wasn't the best on his left; like most, he grew with his right. But if it got Dae off his back, then he'd do it.

He dribbled with his left hand. At first, he was cautious. His dribbles thumped onto the ground like feet, or glass, or bodies. Jason clenched the ball with more confidence. It only pounded harder into the concrete. The boy grinned.

Damion laughed at Jason's attempts. "You really think you can do something with that left hand?"

But Jason couldn't listen to him, not right now. He had to get pumped. He hadn't been on that hand in a while, but he sure wasn't gonna give up.

He ran towards the left side of the goal. After sweeping the imaginary D-Man off his feet, he pulled up for the shot. 

The ball circled the rim like the shark in Jaws. It kept going around in circles, only a moment away from entering the goal. 

It went in.

"Yeah!" Jason ran to the ball and grabbed it. He turned back to Damion, who was grinning like an idiot. 

"Ain't no way."

"You see it!"

Damion chuckled. He turned his back to Jason and begun walking. 

He frowned. "Where you going?"

"Getting the bread," he informed him.

Jason raised a brow. Was it the same bread from yesterday? And the day before that? Dae's Mama cooked bread for them almost every day, but it was never Jason's favorite; a lot of her bread tasted crusty and burnt on the edges.

He didn't say it. After Damion came back, he shared the bread. Jason began to rip the scorched bits off.

"Man," his friend interrupted him. "You're getting rid of all the good stuff."

He shook his head. "Nah, man. I'll probably give it to Rufus or something."

Damion nodded, but he didn't say anything. He never did when he didn't eat her bread.

An eruption rung in his ears, invading the silence. He covered his ears, but the ringing continued. His eyes drew shut.

There was a snap, and then there was a thud. The thud, he hoped, had been a stray basketball. It was a loud thud, so it should be going up again. It should make another thud sound. This time it would be weaker and shorter.

It never did.

He opened his eyes. Damion laid on the ground. Blood escaped from the bullet wound like pouring water out a cup. Jason's breath seized. His heart dropped into his stomach. He felt ill.

Jason forced his breath back. His heart rose back to his chest. He ignored his trembling body as he reached for the burnt biscuit.

He broke the bread in half and ate it.