Game On by Calvin Slater Read Free Book Online Page A

fo’ life, fool!” at Dexter.
    Some little dark-skinned chick with cornrows asked Dexter in a tough voice, “Who is you?”
    It didn’t take Dexter’s smart mouth too long to respond. He told Cornrows, “If you spent more time in English class instead of running with these losers, you would know ‘who is you’ is grammatically incorrect. Watch my lips and say it with me: ‘who are you?’ ”
    Dexter’s diss left Cornrows feeling some kind of way. She was about to go off.
    Bangs said to her girl, “Mouse, chill out.” She looked back to Xavier. “All right, boss. You got this.” She nodded in the direction of the south door. Her girls understood what that meant and began filing in that direction.
    â€œBaby girl,” Xavier said to Bangs. “I can’t tell you how to do you. But if you gonna be a gangsta, don’t be a bully, you feel me?”
    She smiled and said, “We don’t want any beef with the great Xavier.” Bangs gave Xavier a halfway slick look before following her gang.
    Mouse was the last one. Before she started toward them, the thugged-out chick turned around to face the girl. Xavier and Dexter looked on as Mouse made an execution sign at the girl by dragging a hand slowly across her throat.
    â€œYou see that?” Dexter asked Xavier, as Mouse finally followed the rest of her girls.
    â€œYo, girls are getting worse than the dudes,” said Xavier. He looked down at the young girl.
    The tension in the cafeteria seemed to ease up a bit with students going about their business.
    â€œWhat’s your name, little mama?” Xavier asked her.
    â€œDakota . . . Dakota Taylor,” she timidly answered.
    The girl had a soft-spoken demeanor about her. She was a little cutie too.
    Fresh meat, Xavier thought. The moment she’d opened her mouth he already knew the scoop. Dakota was a freshman.
    Dexter bent down and retrieved her book bag. “I guess this belongs to you,” he said, handing it over. “By the way, my name is Dexter.”
    â€œHi, Dexter,” Dakota said, almost with childlike innocence.
    â€œAnd just in case you didn’t hear, my name is Xavier Hunter.”
    â€œNice to meet you, Xavier Hunter. I can’t thank you enough for coming to my rescue.”
    â€œIt was no big deal,” he said. Xavier already knew the answer but still had to ask, “Well, Dakota ‘Lil’ Mama’ Taylor, is this your first year at Coleman?”
    Her smile was beautiful—dimples, the whole shebang. “ ‘Lil’ Mama’? I like that.” She fumbled around with the strap on her book bag. “Yes, I am a freshman. Is it that obvious?”
    Dexter suggested to her, “You might wanna stay away from the short yellow bus crew.” He pointed in the direction where the SNLGs had made their exit. “Looks like they’re thirsty to make a rep, so watch who you stare at around here.”
    Dakota rolled her shoulders. “I just glanced at them,” she admitted.
    â€œIt seemed to be enough to set them off,” Dexter explained. He turned to Xavier. “Do you realize Flip just sat there at the table like nothing was happening?”
    Yep. Xavier had noticed it. But he didn’t want to overreact. Besides, he didn’t need anybody’s help handling a bunch of girls. All the same, though, he was gonna have to keep an eye on Linus.
    Xavier said to Dexter, “You worry too much. Flip’s straight, man, you feel me?”
    Dexter looked at Xavier like he wanted to say, “Dude, wake up,” but thought better of it. He shook his head and walked away.
    â€œSo, Xavier,” Dakota said, showing off those fantastic dimples. “What did Bangs mean when she mentioned you were the school’s savior?”
    â€œI don’t know, the girl’s probably on something,” Xavier joked.
    Dakota stared dreamily up into Xavier’s