When we get settled back in the car, I turn to Ms. Patrice with pleading eyes. “Auntie, did I ever tell you how much I appreciate you giving me driving lessons since my dad always acts like he’s too busy?”

She rolls her eyes. “You don’t have to butter me up. I’m still gonna teach you. I’m gonna have to invest in hair dye since you ’bout to make me go gray, but it’s fine. You did alright, last incident aside.”

“Ahh!” I reach over and hug her tight. “Thank you, Auntie!”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re welcome. Now, unhand me. I’ve worked up an appetite now fooling with you two and I want some barbeque.”

“You sure you don’t want me to drive, Auntie?” Kai leans forward in his seat so he can look at her face.

“I’m positive. You do your driving with your daddy. My nerves can’t take both of you.”

I stick my tongue out at him and he pinches my side before leaning back in his seat.

Once we get to Ms. Patrice’s favorite barbeque spot, it doesn’t take long to place our order and find a table to sit down.

“Alright, so what are your plans for the rest of the day?”

“Practice, practice, practice.” My father’s stipulations for allowing driving lessons today was that I’d go out and practice with him later. Practices with him never end well. I always walk away wanting to take every jersey and pair of cleats I own and burn them.

Kai nudges my elbow, a subtle gesture to let me know he’s here. He offered to come with me but it’s better to face it alone. One of us should get to keep our good day intact.

I give him a small smile which triggers his own before he turns to his aunt. “I’m helping Po Po later. One of her friends from the community center isn’t able to make their Mahjong game so I said I’d step in so they didn’t have to cancel. I’m gonna try to get her friends to play Uno after.”

“You got Ms. Maggie playing Uno?”

“Yeah, she’s getting good at it.”

“A little too good,” I cut in.

Kai laughs. “Oh yeah, you know the last time we played she actually said ‘Uno, motherfuckers’ when she put her card down. Excuse my language.”

Auntie falls into a fit of laughter, choking on her strawberry soda. Our order number gets called and Kai quickly grabs everything for us.

“So, don’t you guys have a dance coming up? I feel like Xay told me you did.”

My shoulders slump and I avoid making eye contact with Kai. “Yeah, we have the Homecoming dance coming up but I can’t go.”

“Oh, why not?”

“My dad conveniently scheduled a visit to the University of Maryland for us for that weekend. He’s claiming it’s a bonding trip for us and a chance for me to see the campus and meet the Terps coach.” A waste of time if you ask me since I’ve made it clear I don’t want to play for anyone but Coach Naughton. He’s doing this on purpose because he hates how much time I spend with Kai.