Excerpt:

Jumper took a quick mental trip through his quiet old neighborhood with its big oak trees, detached houses, and the basketball hoop on the front of his garage then shifted to his new neighborhood with its attached brownstones, the sounds of rap, calypso, soca, gospel, and salsa filtering through the air, and kids playing toss football in the street.

Jumper looked hard at Kelvin.  “Different,” he answered.

“I bet.  How you like living in Harlem?” Kelvin pressed on, wondering why someone would move from anywhere to live in Harlem.

Jumper hesitated.  He hated Harlem.  If he had friends, would he like it better?  Meeting Kelvin’s questioning gaze, he lied.  “It’s all right.”

“How come you moved?” Kelvin asked.

What should he say?  That his father had died suddenly.  That his mother was too sad living in Connecticut without her husband.  That his grandmother had a brownstone that was too big for her and was happy to share it with her daughter and grandson.

“Long story,” Jumper said curtly.  He wasn’t about to open up to a boy who was good friends with the likes of Marcus.  “What brings you up this way?” he asked.

“Came to see Marcus.”

Jumper let out a groan.  “Marcus lives near here, huh?”

“Yeah.”

The two boys eyed each other not sure what to say next.  Kelvin broke the silence.  “You ball, man?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Jumper replied remembering his days on the basketball courts.

“Good,” Kelvin smiled.  He was glad they had something in common.  “Come by the schoolyard at 136th and Eighth Avenue around four today.  We be balling then,” he said.

“Maybe,” Jumper replied.  He would love to play some basketball, but not with Marcus.  “Thanks for the invite,” he added with a smile.

“Okay,” Kelvin replied turning away with a quick, “Catch ya, later.”

Jumper watched as Kelvin joined up with the other boys and left the arcade.  He didn’t want any other trouble so he walked through the arcade wearing his best “don’t mess with me” face.

He reached the exit safely.  Jumper relaxed.  He felt an odd sense of victory: He’d won his first public video game, faced his first bully, and possibly made his first friend.

So, why did he still feel like this was going to be the hottest, loneliest summer of his life?