Stay in Your Lane | Lonzo Ball

Chapter 34

Lonzo

Thursday. Game Day in Westwood. Cal was in town. One of our many in state rivals. I was anxious to hit the floor. It's been almost a week since our last game. Coach had been emphasizing in practice all week that our focus should be on getting this W and improving our conference record. One game at a time.

It was a home game, so I knew that my family would be coming into town. Every now and then I would miss being home, so I was looking forward to seeing them.

It was about an hour before game time. Once I dressed, I sat at my locker and laced up my shoes while listening to some music that me and my friend DC had created. I had to hit him up about getting in the studio together again real soon. I've been writing a lot lately. So many things have been going on in my life which served as good material. I've been itching to hear my lyrics over a tight beat.

I headed out to the gym and put up some pregame shots to get warm. Once the fans started coming in by the masses, I dipped back out to the locker room. I tried to have minimal distractions on game day as possible. Fans liked to come down to the sideline and try to talk to me or ask for autographs. It was nothing wrong with that. I appreciated it all. However, I thought it was better suited for after games. I didn't want to take any attention away from this being a team thing.

While checking my phone one last time before putting it away for good until after the game, I smiled when I noticed a text from Izzy.

Izzy🏀😈💙💛: made it to our hotel bout to watch the game 👀 get that mind right Ball and get this dub 👍🏾

Zo: ☺️😗😈🍴

Izzy: hahaha lets eat! 🍽😈😉

I smiled just thinking about her. She and her teammates had left earlier today to head out to Washington for their two PAC-12 road games. After spending the last two nights at her place, I decided to sleep in my own bed to give her some space. I wanted her to be excited about returning back to Westwood and me taking her out. All in all, I was trying to get her to miss me a little cause I sure as hell was missing her already knowing that I wouldn't be seeing her for a couple of days.

Having Izzy cross my mind reminded me of the conversation that I had with Chat earlier today via text about this date. I was slowly starting to get to know Izzy more the more time that I spent with her and the more she let her walls down. However, I wasn't quiet confident in that enough to plan this thing out without some guidance. Who would know what she likes and things that she enjoys doing better than her best friend Chat?

I scrolled through our messages as a refresher for what I needed to get a jump on after the game.

Lonzo: Wassup Chat? It's Zo.

Chat: Wassup?

Lonzo: Nothin much. Just left the cafe. I wanted to holla at you about something...

Chat: ? 👀 about?

Lonzo: me taking Izzy out on Monday. I need a little help. I don't want to do the typical first date like going to a restaurant or something like that. I kinda get the vibe that she's not into that.

Chat: you're right lol Izzy the type of girl that likes to actually do stuff. Something fun!

Lonzo: Okay...I got you. I got some flexibility with time since she doesn't have practice that day because they'll just be getting off the road. I have early am practice and I think both of our classes end at 1 that day.

Chat: sounds good! Make it happen Big Baller 🅱️🅱️🅱️

Chat: Zo, I hope you're really serious about Izzy. She likes you a lot. Even if she never admits it to you, I'm doing it for her. It takes a lot for her to open up. Especially after you know who. She's gravitated toward you quicker than I thought.

Lonzo: I like Izzy a whole hell of a lot too. I have no intentions of screwing up with her so don't worry. I'm really trying to impress her with this date.

Chat: don't look to impress. It's all about you two having fun, enjoying each other's company and getting to know each other. As long as that's happening you're good 👌🏾 Izzy is a simple girl... idk how that happened with her being from Cali lol but you don't have to be extra. Just be your hell that got her ass to liking you in the first place!

Lonzo: lol aight I got you. Thanks

Chat: anytime

As Coach Alford made his way into the locker room with the rest of his staff, I put my phone away and gave him my full undivided attention.

His words and the passion behind them always pumped me up. I was in my zone now. Ready to go out there and do my thing.

After circling up in prayer and breaking it down, the normal pregame rituals at Pauley Pavilion continued. I tuned out everything around me but my teammates. The crowd, the music, I silenced it all in my head.

We started off the game hot. As a team, we had compiled a 44-24 lead at the end of the first half. My shot wasn't falling like I had hoped. I only had seven points. However, I was getting my teammates involved with how I was facilitating the ball. I enjoyed watching them drain their shots left and right.

The second half started off slow for us. We ended up being outscored 47-37. Luckily, we were able to hang on to a ten point lead until the clock read al zeroes.

I did a quick post game interview and headed back to the locker room in time to listen to Coach Alford's postgame talk. He congratulated us on the win. Went over things he saw that he liked and things we could improve on. He announced that we would practice tomorrow at noon. We hosted Stanford on Sunday in another PAC-12 matchup.

After we broke it down, I took a quick shower and changed into some street clothes. Big Baller Brand shirt, sweats and slides.

My family was gathered around the tunnel area, waiting for me as I walked out. Mom, dad, Melo, Gelo and my cousin Eli. I gave my mom and hug before dapping everyone else up.

"14 points, 7 assist, 5 rebounds," dad said, "you had an okay night son. I'd like to see you be more aggressive out there. You know we average triple doubles around here baby."

"It's cool," I said as he rested his hand on my shoulder, "as long as we win I'm good."

"Son, you got NBA scouts out here at your games. Being cool ain't gonna cut it," he laughed, "it was the Celtics here today so I guess it don't matter cause they only team you're playing for us the Lakers."

He would go on all day if we let him. Mom knew this and quickly interjected with saying how much enjoyed watching her oldest baby boy play. Melo was being his normal goofy self and got in trouble by dad for cussing. I swear this dudes mouth was so reckless at times.

I noticed that Gelo was acting a little different. More quiet than normal and just acting awkward. He kept looking around as if he was waiting on someone.

I fished in my pocket for my phone when I felt it vibrate. There was a message from him. I found that kinda weird but went ahead and checked it even though he was standing right beside me.

Gelo: I woulda told you this shirt earlier but I didn't want it to fuck up your focus for the game but...Daina is here. She road with Britt up here from Riverside. I had no clue bro until I got here.

Taking a deep breath, I kept my cool. I looked around. That's when he nudged me and told me that they had went to the bathroom about five minutes before I walked out here.

"Why did she come?" I whispered to younger brother, "She didn't hit me up."

He shrugged, "I don't know bro. You know I don't get in y'all business so I don't ask questions. I'm gonna talk to Brittany about this messy shit though. This ain't cool."

Why would she just show up like this? This shit was bout to be so weird. Everyone standing here right now knows we aren't together anymore but her being here is gonna give out the wrong idea; that we're back to normal.

"Fuck, here they come bro," Gelo said, looking ahead, "just be cool and don't make it awkward with mom and dad right here and shit."

I followed his eyes and sure enough there was his girlfriend Brittany approaching us along side my ex, Daina.

On the outside, I was playing it cool. Inside, however, I was pissed. How do you just pop up without even saying anything to me? I didn't feel like dealing with any drama. I don't know where her head is at.

She smiled as she stepped up to me while Gelo walked off to the side with Brittany.

"Great game tonight," she said, "it's good to see you."

I nodded as I looked her over. It had been a minute since I've seen her in person. She had been very visible on social media with her posts, so I was able to see what she had been up to when scrolling down my timeline.

As much as I wasn't really feeling her right now, I couldn't deny how nice she looked in a pair of grey tights, a matching long sleeved crop top and sneakers. Definitely her signature style.

Since I've known her she's never really liked to be fully clothed. Despite how I felt about that sometimes, I let her do her thing. 

"Same, you look good," I said, in attempt to be polite and not make this any more awkward than it already was.

"Thanks. I'm keeping up my workout routine," she sighed and played with a strand of her hair, "so, what are you about to do?"

Adjusting my backpack strap on my shoulder, I replied, "Eat, head back my room and get some sleep. I'm pretty worn out."

"Oh, well that's understandable."I watched her smile turn into a frown. 

That wasn't the answer she was looking for. 

There was something more than she wanted, she just wasn't doing the best at articulating it right now.

"Why wassup?" I inquired.

"Nothing, I was just hoping that maybe we could talk?"

I looked at her for a few seconds. It still baffled me how this girl I had been down with for years would do the shit that she did.

This whole time I had thought she was rocking with me and only me. It sucks, cause at one point in time the two of us were an inseparable duo. I loved her and she loved me. I cared more about her sometimes than I did myself sometimes. Now look at where we are. Damn. 

I could be a dick, tell her no and go about my night. However, I wasn't that type of dude and couldn't find it in me to completely dismiss her. Despite all the anger that she had caused to build up in me, I still cared about her at the end of the day.I don't think that's something I could ever shake.

"Yeah, we can talk."

"You're room?" she asked, "I can ride with you and have Britt pick me up on her way out since I rode with her."

"That's cool. Let me just talk to my folks real quick."