Lovers & Haters by Calvin Slater Read Free Book Online Page B

the small bungalow were vibrating, and to add to Xavier’s growing frustration, his mother was in full view of the neighbors, behaving like an irresponsible teenager. His English teacher, Ms. Gorman, would be testing them on the material in a few days and Xavier wasn’t settling for anything less than an A. The more he tried to tune them out, the louder they got.
    The angry tension inside Xavier’s body was boiling to the point where he was gritting his teeth. They were seriously disrespecting his study mode. Xavier was moments away from clocking out when the two teenaged grown folks broke for air. He didn’t even have to turn around to know that they were looking at him, but when he did, he saw that Nate had an idiotic expression on his face. Puffing on his cigarette, Nate appeared to be sizing Xavier up to say something dumb.
    â€œYo’ mama tells me that you’re some type of wannabe thug nerd,” Nate said as he took a drag on the cigarette.
    Nate stretched out to about six foot one, the scale probably billing him at a solid 260 pounds. His head was clean like the smooth surface of a crystal ball, but the nappy Rick Ross beard had to go. Nate’s most striking feature was his magnificent midnight complexion. He was also one of those misinformed idiots who thought that material possessions were all he needed to be a man and gain the respect of his peers. His thing was blue jeans, sometimes jogging suits, and the latest Air Jordan sneakers.
    Xavier turned around, totally ignoring Nate, and tried to refocus on retaining as much of the material as he could. Reading and understanding Shakespeare’s work was difficult enough, but answering crackheadlike questions from a man with the IQ of a head of lettuce made comprehension seemingly impossible.
    â€œXavier Franklin Hunter”—Ne Ne said his full name like he was in hot water—“don’t be rude, answer the man.”
    Xavier took his own sweet time about addressing the punk, thinking that if he’d been asked a question by a real man, then he wouldn’t have had a problem answering it. He turned back to Nate and immediately felt sick to his stomach. The young girl hoochie uniform that his mother was wearing wasn’t age-appropriate, nor was the material produced to batten down the girth of a full-figured woman. Her skintight shorts revealed almost everything—Xavier almost threw up in his mouth a little—booty cheeks slightly exposed and showing off thighs where cellulite seemed endless. Xavier was up on how extremely curvy people hid their lumpy bodies behind black material. This wasn’t helping his mother. Ne Ne had on a black cami fitting her like a glove and accentuating her generously chubby midsection.
    Nate paid attention to Xavier’s crunchy black hooded sweatshirt, faded blue jeans, and dinged up Nike Air Force 1s. “Those played out clothes you’re wearing can’t be earning you any play time with the ladies.”
    Xavier set him straight. “Education is my top priority. I’ll worry about getting fresh later.”
    Ne Ne started in on Xavier. “You got it all backward, my son. There’s no later without money. You always talk about college—well, guess what, Mister Joe College—tuition and school books cost money. Them financial aid folks are real select about who they give their money to. You get in the street and earn the change you need.”
    â€œThat’s selective, ” Xavier corrected.
    Ne Ne pointed her finger at Xavier. “Boy, don’t you correct me one more time, you hear?”
    â€œI’m with your mother. What are you reading there?” Nate looked at the cover of the book. “Shakespeare is not going to teach you about surviving in the real world. You can get that out your mind.”
    â€œWhat do y’all have against education?” Xavier asked both of them flatly.
    Ne Ne allowed Nate to answer.