Morgan twirled the ball in her fingers as she aimed for the basket. Swish! All net. �I just felt the urge to come back home. I can�t explain it. Your turn. And no cheating!�
The ball left Apolo�s fingertips, hitting the rim. �Crap. Wait, I thought you were loving Boston. Or, well, that�s what you said the last time we talked.�
�I did and I still do. I love everything about it. The culture, the fast pace, the history, my friends, my roommate. The way the color of the Autumn leaves reflect off the sunset. The way Frisbees fly through the Common. It�s an incredibly beautiful city, and I�m for sure going back there. But, something was just calling me back to Washington. I�ve been away for so long�the last time I really lived here up until now was five years ago. I needed to return and be back with my family for awhile.�
�I still don�t fully get it. What drove you to come home? It wasn�t homesickness, right?� Apolo watched as Morgan clutched the ball to her chest, then proceeded to dribble.
�No, that wasn�t it at all, and to be honest, I�m not even totally sure why I�m back. I adjusted well to Boston, and living there fulfilled ever college dream I�ve had so far. I guess I have unfinished business here, but I have yet to find out whatever type of business that is.�
�So intuition brought you back?�
�Yeah, I guess you could say that. So I just enrolled at U of W in the Fall, and I�ve been back ever since. It feels really great to see all my old friends again. And not to mention, my parents are so very happy to be paying in state tuition.� Morgan closed her eyes, blindly shooting the ball. It ricocheted off the backboard and rolled toward Apolo. �Damnit.�
�Well Morg, whatever it is that you came back to look for, I hope you find it.�
Morgan looked at Apolo as she felt a sheepish smile creep up on her. �Thanks babe. I hope so too.�
�Anytime.� Apolo took out the ball behind the 3 point arc and took his shot. Miss.
�Well, now that we�ve heard my story, let�s recap on yours.� Morgan grinned as she retrieved the ball from the dark bushes surrounding the backboard. The moon brightly shone down on the park that night, illuminating the entire span of the court. Nothing like shooting some hoops to work off a large dinner. �Are you still with Erin?�
�Erin? God no. Don�t remind me about that one,� he replied, pretending to shudder.
Morgan laughed. �I told you what a ditz she was! But did you listen to me? Noo�you had to be stubborn. Thinking with your dick, huh? Banged your head a little too hard into the boards, right?�
�Shut up,� he answered back as the sound of his laugh lilted over the towering oak trees. �That scar on my head is still healing, mind you. And yes, I know, she was a total moron. You were right. I was wrong. And please, stop me if I whore myself like that again.�
Morgan carefully bent down, so as not to rip her khaki skirt, and dribbled, her concentration focused on keeping the ball in motion. �I can�t believe you were with Erin for so long.�
�Yeah. You know she even asked me one time if Transylvania and Pennsylvania were sister countries.�
�That�s pretty sharp for someone with the depth of a Wheat Thin, I think.�
Apolo chortled as Morgan finally lost control of the ball. She watched it roll across the hard, paved surface. �So then, if Erin�s not in the picture, who is?�
Apolo gulped. Should he tell her about Sarah? Why not, there was nothing to hide from each other. They had always been completely honest with one another, and surprisingly, that kept matters less complicated. �Well, I�d rather not name names, but I�m seeing people.� Why in the fucking hell did I say that? he thought, chastising himself.
�Oh my god, you�re so politically correct already. What happened to the Apolo I knew?� said Morgan as she reached over to run her long fingers through his wavy tendrils. Apolo cupped her face with his hands, his weakened heart pleading with his mind to release him from this constant struggle. �Nah, that�s cool. I understand. I can live with that answer,� she whispered, reading the look of confusion crossing the shadows of his face.
�And what about you?�
Morgan looked up at the body of stars encompassing the black, misty sky as she pulled away to lay down courtside, the coolness of the concrete seeping into her sweat-stained top. �What about me? Am I seeing anybody?�
�Yeah,� he replied, lying down beside her.
�Not really. The last serious boyfriend I had was back in Boston. Mike Wakukawa. But we both thought it would be best to break up, you know, with me being so far away.�
�I�m sorry. That must really blow.� Apolo mused, his back also dripping with perspiration. It was unusually hot for mid March, the air unmoving, almost as if the gusts of wind that usually plagued Spring decided to go on hiatus.
�Don�t worry. I�ve got my vibrator. I�ll live.�