Even Steven

"And then he kissed the ground.," Billy said, grinning like an 8 year old instead of the 28-year-old husband and father that he was.

I rolled my eyes. "I can't believe you are smiling about having a fight on the basketball court. You could have been hurt!"

"Nah, they didn't know what hit'em. I was like a windmill, fists flying. It was so cool!"

I shook my head, exasperated. "How's your brother?"

"He's fine. Everyone's fine. The other guys ran off when they heard sirens."

"Sirens?!"

"Yeah. No biggie. They just warned us that we might want to play in another neighborhood. Not safe for foreigners on the courts around here."

"See! Jeez, Billy."

"It's stupid. This is my neighborhood, too. The courts are public. Some of the guys are cool. They call me Vlade for that Serbian guy on the Lakers."

"Isn't he like seven feet tall?"

"Not because I'm tall, because I sink three pointers like nobody's business."

I sighed. "I guess the guy who kissed the ground wasn't hurt too bad if they all ran away."

Looking anywhere but at me, Billy said, "well, funny thing, I was so crazy punching left and right, it was actually Alex that kissed the ground."

"Your friend, Alex?"

"It was an accident."

"An accident."

"And then he got up and punched me back, so we're even."