⊹₊⟡⋆ 𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 ..! ⊹₊⟡⋆

. ݁₊ ⊹ (The Bascketball Diaries) .. #

"because you and i we were born to live"

Adrian sat at the diner with her friends, feeling somewhat disconnected from the conversation. She twirled a fry absentmindedly, half-listening as Lauren and Sasha went on about the game. Jason, Sasha’s boyfriend, had been sulking since his team lost, and now, as usual, her friends were dissecting relationships, which she found tiring.

"They're all douchebags," Adrian said, rolling her eyes as she took a sip of her soda. "Every guy you've introduced me to has been the same—boring, self-centered, or worse." Her voice was flat, masking the frustration she felt. The truth was that Adrian was used to guys only seeing her for her looks. But lately, she couldn't help feeling like none of it mattered.

~𝑨𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏'𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌~

Sasha waved her off. "Oh, come on, you just haven’t met the right one yet. Jason has friends—"

"Yeah," Lauren interjected with a smirk, "and they’re all jerks. Maybe you’re better off single, reey."

Adrian shrugged, glancing around the diner. "Probably."

Suddenly, from the far end of the room, they heard raised voices. Adrian looked over to see a group of teenagers, just like them, but from the Catholic school team that had beaten Jason’s. Sasha turned in her seat, her eyes narrowing. "Holy shit, isn’t that them? The guys who played against Jason’s team?"

Adrian leaned forward, her curiosity piqued. "Oh yeah, it is." She stood up as if on instinct. "Let’s go say hi."

Lauren grabbed her arm, pulling her back down. "What, are you crazy? We’re not going to talk to them. They probably carry knives, , or something. Do you want to end up on the missing  person's news tonight?"

Adrian shot Lauren a side-eye and sank back into her seat with a smirk. "Fine," she muttered, taking another bite of her burger, though her eyes stayed locked on the scene unfolding across the diner.

Jason and his friends had returned  mouthing something to them through the glass windows. their mood, dark and aggressive. Adrian watched with a growing sense of unease as they approached the group of Catholic school kids. Jim, although she didn't know him yet, stood out—he had that rough, unpolished look, holding a basketball like he owned the world.  They got up, walking over outside.
"What do you think going on?" Lauren asked as Adrian grabbed her bag from the table, leaning towards the window that faced them.
"Who cares." Sasha  called out, getting up  as they both turned to her, confused. "Commmon." She said, taking reeys' hand
Lauren following them behind.

The  team stood quietly until Jason started talking.

"You're not gonna fuck with me, alright?" Jason’s voice rang out. Adrian tensed, recognizing the tone he used when he was about to start something ugly.

"Someone stole my father’s ring from my locker," Jason growled, pulling out a small dagger from his jacket.
  The four boys shrugged in confusion looking at eachother, shaking there heads.
   "You motherfucker. You want me to cut you?"  Adrian's stomach dropped, her heart racing. Jason wasn’t serious, was he?

Without thinking, she stood up. "Jason, wait," she called out, stepping closer to the group. Everyone turned to look at her. "I think I saw a guy with a reddish-gray jacket earlier. He was stepping out of your locker rooms, its  not them."

Jason shot her a questioning look, but there was a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Adrian shrugged, trying to appear casual, though her pulse raced. "Come on, just let it go.  "

For a second, there was silence, tension hanging in the air like a held breath. Jim, standing on the other side of the standoff, caught her gaze. He didn’t say anything, but there was something in his eyes—gratitude, maybe, or curiosity.

Then, in a flash, one of Jim’s friends winked at him, and before anyone could react, Jim hurled the basketball straight at Jason, sending him stumbling back. The next second, chaos erupted. Jason’s friends lunged forward, fists flying, as Jim’s group scattered.

Adrian barely had time to react. Lauren grabbed her arm, pulling her back as the fight broke out. "Oh my God, should we call the police?" Lauren panicked.

Adrian could hardly believe what was happening. She watched as the boys went at each other, fists flying, bottles breaking, the scene turning into a brawl. Jim reappeared in the middle of the chaos, throwing punches with a fierce determination, and for a split second, his eyes met hers again from across the diner.

Lauren and Sasha dragged her back inside, away from the fight, but Adrian couldn't stop herself from glancing back. As she did, Jim locked eyes with her one last time, a silent thank you in his gaze.

⊹ ࣪ ˖

In this scene, Adrian is in her room,
lying on her bed with a worn-out book
in her hands, the pages softly rustling
as she absentmindedly turns them. The
dim light in her room casts shadows on
the pale walls, and the soft tunes of a
1960s ballad, something like "Be My
Baby" by The Ronettes or "Unchained
Melody," plays gently in the background.

She's trying to focus on the book, but
her thoughts keep drifting back to the
events of yesterday-Jason's threats,
the fight, and the strange connection
she seemed to have made with Jim.

Her mind keeps wandering to how
different she feels from her friends, like
Lauren and Sasha, whose privileged
ives make them quick to judge others
especially people from less fortunate
backgrounds. They seem to forget that
she, unlike them, didn't grow up in
wealth. She recalls moments during the
summer when her friends couldn't
worked part-time understand what  of the city they or spent time i  avoided.
remind her she'll never fully fit into theirworld.

Just then, the door swings open, and

her mom, with her husband close
behind, barges in, giggling and in a
playful mood. They start kissing and
teasing each other as if Adrian isn't
even there.

"What do you guys want?" Adrian asks,
giving them a half-irritated, half-amused
look Her mom finally acknowledges her
presence, pulling away from her
husband, and says,  "Oh, honey, I forgot
to tell you-you're the one taking Blue
out for his walks while your brother's at
summer camp."

Adrian rolls her eyes. "Do I have to?
Can't he just stay in the yard?"
Her mom gives ' stern look. "Young
lady, I said you  are going to walk Blue out, so you're taking him out. Now get moving!"

Sighing dramatically, Adrian slams her

book shut, muttering, "Fine, I'Il take the
damn dog." she slips on her jacket and grabs Blue's leash. Despite her initial reluctance, she actually enjoys walking Blue, especially   on days like today, where the sky is moody mix of gloom and light, creating
a perfect backdrop for her brooding
thoughts.

~𝑨𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝑳𝒐𝒐𝒌~

As she heads outside, Blue
wags his tail eagerly, and they make
their way down the street. Adrian's first instinct is to head to the park near her house, but once she gets there, she sees how crowded it is, with families, joggers, and kids running
around.

Blue wouldn't have much space
to play here, and the noise doesn't
appeal to her either.
She glances down at Blue, giving a
slight tug on the leash. "What do you
say, boy? Want the subway? We'll head down town, away from all

A soft tune from the 1960s played faintly from the nearby houses, blending with the distant sounds of laughter and conversations. She glanced at her book, trying to focus, but her mind kept drifting back to the events of yesterday—her friends’ close-mindedness, their inability to understand she didn't grow up like them. Memories from the summer floated in and out of her thoughts, making her feel even more distant from them.

Just as she began to immerse herself in the book, a basketball hit her leg lightly. She blinked, looking down at it, then glanced up to see the same guy from yesterday jogging over, saying something to another older man before he approached her. She pretended not to notice, her eyes drifting back to her book. events of the day before. Her friends Never so different from her, in every way, and the thought lingered in her head like an itch she couldn't scratch. But before she could dwell on it too long, a basketball suddenly rolled into her space, lightly tugging at her leg. She glanced down, seeing the ball come to    a stop at her feet.
Looking up, she spotted Jim on the
court, saying something to one of the
guys he was playing with. He jogged
over, his eyes quickly catching hers, but
she immediately pretended not to
notice, looking back at her book

“Uh, do you mind?” Jim's voice broke the silence.

Adrian looked up and met his gaze. “Oh, no, not at all.” She moved slightly to the side, making space for him to retrieve the ball. An awkward silence settled between them, but Jim quickly broke it with a smirk.

“How’s your friend doing? Looked like Mikey gave him a huge blow .”

Adrian shrugged, amused. “ Ronny? Don’t worry, he’ll be fine. He’s clumsy like that. His parents won’t think much of it.” She let out a soft laugh.

Jim chuckled too. “Good to know.”

Another moment of silence followed before Jim, his expression a mix of curiosity and observation, said, “You go to the same school as them, right?”

“Yeah, I do,” Adrian replied, raising an eyebrow.

“You don’t seem like them. Not as... uptight,” he remarked, his tone trying not to offend.

Adrian stiffened, taking slight offense. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Jim quickly backtracked. “No, no, not in a bad way. You just seem... different. Look at you, walking your dog here in the slopes when you could be up in the       Upper west Side.”

Adrian gave a half-smile, shrugging again. “I like it here. It’s quieter, more... real.”

Jim nodded, letting her words sink in. “Yeah, I can see that.”

He reached down, picking up the ball. “Thanks for, uh... yesterday. You know, for the distraction.” He paused, a hint of a grin on his lips.

Adrian smirked. “Just be a little slicker next time with your pickpocketing. And make sure its the people that wont notice the little things.”

Jim laughed, nodding. “Yeah, Pedro will  work on that.” She smiled lightly laughing.

He was about to leave when she called after him. “Wait, what’s your name?”

He turned, jogging in place for a moment. “Jim. you?”

“Adrian,” she answered.

He smiled, nodding. “Pretty name.”

Adrian blushed, but kept her cool. “Thanks.”

As Jim jogged back to his friends, Adrian’s gaze followed him. Just as he returned to the group, something changed in the air. Mikey was holding Jim’s journal, flipping through the pages as he read aloud, laughing obnoxiously. Jim’s mood shifted instantly, his body tense as he stormed over to Mikey.

“Give it back!” Jim’s voice was sharp, tugging at the journal.

Mikey kept reading, mocking the words written within. “With clouds that hate faces, laughing spooky fun houses... laugh, laugh...”

“I said, give it back!” Jim snapped, pulling harder, his frustration spilling over. “Why do you have to be such a smuck, Mikey?”

Mikey finally let go, laughing sarcastically. “What is that shit, man?”

Jim glared at him, pushing the journal into his back pocket. “Don’t you ever touch that again. It’s private.”

Mikey threw up his hands in mock apology. “No problem, Jim. Sorry, my bad,” he muttered, not sounding sorry at all. Turning to the others, he whispered under his breath, “He’s writing about me. I can’t even read it? Jesus.”

Jim turned away from the group, glancing briefly at Adrian, who pretended to be absorbed in her book again. She had noticed the entire exchange, her curiosity about Jim deepening.

His friends called out to him. “Yo, Jim! We got a cab. Let’s go!”

Jim hesitated for a moment, fist-bumping one of the guys before jogging off to catch up with them, leaving the basketball court behind. Adrian watched as they left, a strange mixture of intrigue and amusement settling in her chest.

⊹ ࣪ ˖

Into the Wild Noise

The four boys climbed the rocky ledge, their bodies slick with sweat, all shirtless and clad only in their knickers and sneakers. The sun beat down relentlessly, casting long shadows across the cliffs that overlooked the murky Harlem River below. The smell of damp rock and the distant hum of city life clung to the air.

They hollered as they climbed, whooping like kids on a dare, feet kicking against the stone as they reached the top. Jim watched Mikey, Neutron, and Pedro, their carefree laughter a strange comfort and irritation all at once.

Mikey, first to speak, sat back on the rock and leaned against his elbows. "Hey, y'all," he said, his voice carrying in the breeze. "I carried the clothes up, but I ain't carrying them down." He flung the black bag full of their clothes into the air, watching it with a grin as it sailed over the edge. "Peepe, this is you. Three pounds of you, gone with the wind."

They all peered down. Pedro, wide-eyed, muttered, "Man, that’s a long way down."

Mikey rolled his eyes. "Devil's Toe is no big deal, man. We’ve done it a million times."

"I never done it," Pedro admitted quietly, his gaze fixed on the drop.

Mikey turned, incredulous. "You never did it?" He shook his head, chuckling. "Pedro, you never do nothing."

Jim smiled to himself, sitting on the edge of the cliff. Pedro was always the cautious one, the hesitant one. The cliff was high, sure, but it was their spot, their ritual every summer.

Mikey squinted into the sun, then looked back at the others. "You know who was awesome on this rock?" He didn’t wait for a response. "Bobby. That kid would do backflips off this thing. Every time."

The mention of Bobby hit Jim like a punch in the gut. Bobby—their fifth, their point guard, their brother—was stuck in a hospital bed, battling leukemia. The memories of those backflips, of Bobby's easy laughter, flooded Jim’s mind. He clenched his jaw.

"Hey, Mikey," Jim called out, his voice sharper than he intended.

Mikey spat a wad of saliva into the water, barely turning back. "What?"

"Don’t talk about him like he’s dead. He’s not dead."

A brief silence followed. Mikey gave Jim a sideways glance, a silent, 'Are you serious?' hanging between them. But it was Neutron who stepped in to break the tension, flashing a smile as he shifted the conversation. "Yo, Jim. That chick you were talking to—who is she?"

Jim blinked, his mind still half on Bobby, but the mention of Adrian snapped him back. Pedro and Mikey both perked up, suddenly eager to hear the gossip.

"Fuck," Mikey jumped in, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "The things I’d do to her. She is so bangable."

Neutron nodded, laughing. "I know, right?"

Jim shifted uncomfortably as Mikey leaned back, exaggerating every word. "Bro, like, how’d you even manage to talk to a girl like that?"

Jim shrugged, trying to play it off. "We just talked for, like, two seconds. It wasn’t a big deal."

Neutron squinted, tapping his chin. "Nah, man. I’ve seen her somewhere before."

Pedro piped up, eyes lighting up in realization. "She goes to Reddington, right? That’s the school we won against yesterday."

"She’s one of the player's girlfriends? " Mikey declared confidently.

"I don’t think so," Pedro cut in, shaking his head. "She was sitting at the far end.  Didn’t look all that into the game. She clapped and cheered, but not like the other girls."

Mikey snorted. "Whatever, bro. If I could get her home  number, that would be a damn score."

Neutron nudged him. "You think she’d want your number? Man, she’s outta your league."

The banter circled around Jim as he listened, half-amused, half-annoyed. His friends were crude, sure, but this was different. The way they spoke about Adriana rubbed him the wrong way.

Mikey smirked, crossing his arms. "Those kinds of girls, you can’t have a relationship with them. It's just a one-night fuck, nothing more."

Pedro, always the hopeless romantic, chimed in. "I dunno, man. It wouldn’t be so bad, y’know? Having a real relationship with a girl like that." He was already daydreaming, eyes distant, a goofy grin on his face. "Her hair looks so soft..."

Mikey slapped the back of Pedro’s head, snapping him out of it. "Dude, come back to reality."

Jim couldn’t help but laugh at the scene, though the tension from earlier still lingered under the surface. Neutron turned back to him, smirking. "Hey, if you don’t want her, man, I’ll take her off your hands."

Mikey joined in, grinning. "Hell yeah. If you don’t want her, Jim, I’m sure as hell gonna make my move."

Jim scoffed, picking up a small rock and throwing it at Mikey, though it was more for show than to hit him. "You guys are idiots."

The laughter died down after that, the conversation settling into an awkward silence. Then, out of nowhere, Neutron stood up, pointing toward the river. "Hey, look! There goes the Circle Line. Check it out!"

They all scrambled up, grinning mischievously. Lining up in a row, they dropped their trousers, baring their butts to the passing boat. Jim couldn’t help but laugh with them, even as he shouted, "Hey, Circle this! Circle that!" They yelled together, wild and rebellious, their laughter echoing across the water.

For a moment, Jim let himself get lost in the noise, pushing everything else—the tension, the jokes, Bobby, and Adrian—aside. But