Game On by Calvin Slater Read Free Book Online Page B

eyes. “You have a nice sense of humor, Xavier,” she complimented.
    â€œThank you,” Xavier said. “If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your ethnicity?”
    Dakota smiled. “My mother is black and my father is Native American.”
    â€œThat explains your beautiful skin tone.” Xavier touched her hair. “Ain’t no tracks in that wig.”
    Dakota laughed. This conversation was fun for her and she was eating it up.
    â€œSo is that North or South Dakota?” Xavier asked, smirking.
    Dakota giggled. “I see you have jokes.”
    â€œI know I’m an idiot when it comes to American native custom. But doesn’t every American native name mean something?”
    â€œXavier, are you trying to ask me if my name means something?”
    â€œI guess I am, Lil’ Mama.”
    Dakota smiled, showing off her deep dimples. “My name means ‘friends to my enemy.’ ”
    Xavier laughed. “Is that right? I guess whoever named you didn’t have little ghetto chicks like Bangs and her SNLG clowns in mind. You’re definitely not on their Christmas card list.”
    â€œI still don’t know how I offended them. It was just a glance in their direction.”
    â€œIn this school, a glance is enough to get your eyebrows kicked in. Listen, Lil’ Mama, I gotta bounce. But check this out: I’m gonna need you to please be careful up in this piece.” He looked around the cafeteria. “I don’t mean to scare you, but this school can be dangerous. So please watch where you’re stepping, you feel me?”
    â€œI’ll make sure to take your advice to heart.” Dakota smiled flirtatiously. “I’m sure if I get in trouble again, my big strong knight will come and save me.”
    Xavier knew who she was talking about but he played it off. “Dakota, I’m gonna need you to take those little chicks seriously. I’ve been around their kind before. They just threatened you and they’re not playing.”
    Xavier went to step away.
    But not before Dakota could say, “Bye, my big strong knight.”
    What had he done? Nothing flared his nostrils more than the weak pretending to be strong by pushing around those they thought were weaker to boost their ego, gain self-respect, all while creating a reputation for themselves. Dakota, whether she accepted it or not, was in Bangs’s crosshairs. The chick was so nonchalant about it. She seemed like a nice enough girl—a little naïve, but didn’t deserve the beef she’d just stepped into. He couldn’t just leave her for the sharks. Xavier had every intention of watching Dakota’s back, but even he didn’t possess the kinds of superpowers that would allow him to be everywhere at once. Plus, he still had to walk around the building with eyes in the back of his dome, never knowing which cracks of the school Slick Eddie’s roaches would scurry from and try to snatch his life.
    This was a trip. Xavier could’ve saved himself the heartache of trying to make paper with Zulu back in the day by hiring himself out as a bodyguard to the nerd population at Coleman. Homeboy would’ve been flexing with a legitimate fortune by now.
    But outside of all the drama that seemed to be hugging him as tightly as Dexter’s skinny pants, Xavier was burdened by curiosity about what was up with his man Linus Flip. Homeboy wasn’t right in the melon. Something was up. Xavier couldn’t address it right now, though. Chase was heavy on his mind. The cat would be the only teacher who stood in the way of Xavier graduating with a perfect GPA. He hadn’t decided on a college major yet. He liked to write—maybe journalism, Xavier didn’t know. With all the dangerous drama he’d been through, he was just happy to still be alive and have an opportunity to graduate high school to go on to receive a higher