 W.F. House presents an unabridged recording of Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas, narrated by Dion Graham. For all the roses growing in concrete, keep blossoming. Part one, germination, one. When it comes to the streets, there's rules. They ain't written down and you won't find them in a book. It's natural stuff you know the moment your mama let you out of the house, kind of like how you know how to breathe without somebody telling you. If there was a book, though, there would be a whole section on street ball and the most important rule would be at the top in big, bold letters. Don't get your ass beat in front of a fine girl, especially if she's your girl. But that's exactly what I'm doing, getting my ass beat in front of Lisa. It's okay, Maverick. She calls out from a picnic table. You've got this. I ain't got nothing. Me and King got zero points to Dre and Sean's 11. One more point and they win. Biggest King is you think he'd block Sean's lanky ass or something. Sean getting bombed like he don't exist. Posting them up, shooting jumpers in his face, all that. Got the homies going wild on the sidelines and got King looking like a fool. I can't be mad at King, not with what's going down today. My head not in the game much either. It's one of them perfect August days where the sun real bright yet it's not too hot to play ball. Rose Park full of King lords and gray and black seem like all the homies came to get a game in. Not the King lords need an excuse to come to Rose. It's our territory. We handle business here, chill out here, get our bus kicked on the court here. I checked the ball to Dre. He grinning extra wide. Come on, man. You going out like this in front of your girl? This is sure to blade instead of you. Oohs echo along the sidelines. Dre never go easy on me because I'm his younger cousin. He been dunking on me since I was big enough to hold a ball. What about this whooping you going to take in front of your girls? I say, Keisha and Andriana will want to claim you after this one. There go more oohs. Dre's fiance Keisha is over at the picnic table with Lisa laughing. Keisha and Dre's daughter Andriana is in her lap. Look at little homie trash talking. Sean says grinning with his gold grill. We should call him Martin Luther King because he got a dream if he think he winning. Dre says, I'll have a dream, Sean try to sound like MLK, that one day you may step on this court and get a goddamn point. The homies laugh. Truth is, sample complete. Ready to continue?