Free Game On by Calvin Slater Page A

when he’d come home from prison, insanely preaching that Satan launched attacks on the young through name-brand clothing. Said that young people were easy targets to commit unspeakable acts of evil in order to obtain big-name labels that were driven solely by their reckless thirst to become bigger than life. It had been one of the issues that pitted father and son against each other and almost ripped the family apart.
    â€œAre you still going skating tonight?” Noah asked Xavier.
    â€œYup. ’Bout to leave right now.”
    â€œBe careful, son. It’s dangerous out in those streets. And Satan is roaring like a lion, looking for someone to devour.”
    Xavier wasn’t feeling like hearing a sermon. Dude had the keys to his ride and he’d made it to the side door. “All right, Pop, I’ll be careful.”
    Before Xavier could close the door all the way, his old man said, “Make it back home at a decent time, huh, son?”
    Â 
    It was close to seven when Xavier made it over to Dexter’s spot.
    Dex jumped into Xavier’s new ride and the silver Ford Fusion started down the street.
    Xavier shook his head at how tight Dex was sporting his clothes. The boy had on a pair of Army green cargo shorts, a military T-shirt, and some pretty nice boat shoes to match.
    â€œDude, I hope you don’t plan on walking by any jails looking like that,” said Xavier.
    Dex asked from the passenger seat, “Looking like what?”
    â€œWearing your gear so bootyliciously tight might get you some unwanted attention,” Xavier said in a joking manner as he made a right hand turn onto a main street. He hunched his shoulders and said, “I’m just saying.”
    Dex laughed good-naturedly. “Oh, you got jokes. Homeboy, why you trying to clown on me, you know daddy got his clothing game on lock. I’m a trendsetter, baby. If anybody should know better it’s you, my dude. You know my style got all the ladies smiling.”
    â€œAnd a lot of dudes too if five-o lock you up in the county jail with that I-need-love-in-the-worst-way outfit on.”
    â€œFunny.”
    Xavier was cracking up. He drove a mile before jumping on the freeway.
    Dex said to Xavier, “Since you talking about jail, what you gonna do about the warden? I swear I ain’t never seen somebody needier than London.”
    Dex’s question had Xavier scratching his head. He hadn’t the slightest idea on the issue.
    Xavier adjusted his rearview mirror and drove at a moderate speed in the thick traffic.
    Dex switched the subject. “All day, the only thing I’ve been thinking about is how I’m gonna fare on those roller skates. It’s been a minute since I was on some. Man, I am not trying to bust my ass out there.”
    Xavier didn’t respond to Dexter’s anxiety. Instead he said, “Flip wasn’t at school today. Homeboy ain’t even answering his cell joint. Fam been tripping lately.”
    â€œI’ve been telling you that. Don’t know what that fool is on—walking around the school all quiet and junk.”
    â€œCat has been drinking like crazy lately too.”
    â€œYou think he’s gonna show up tonight?”
    Xavier peeked into his driver-side mirror before signaling and jumping into the far left lane. “The last time I hollered at him he said he was with it.”
    It was some real-life stuff jumping off with Linus Flip, and to keep it real, Xavier was worried about him. He didn’t make a habit out of prying into the affairs of his fellas, but a sit-down with Flip was inevitable.
    â€œX, I know you might not want to hear this, but I heard that Samantha’s girl Tracy McIntyre is going around putting the badmouth on your name. Telling people that Samantha could’ve done better than going with a loser like you.”
    Xavier wasn’t sweating Tracy. He’d heard the same thing. And the funny thing about it was