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around Dexter’s neck.
    â€œIs Linus going to be all right?” she asked with a sweet smile that could light up a room.
    Xavier told her, “Don’t you see grown folks talking?”
    Marissa was cute but she had a mouth on her. “Excuse me, ‘grown people.’ I’m sorry for interrupting, but if us youngsters had some music to jam to I wouldn’t be all up in y’all’s business.”
    Xavier was quick with the retort. “That’s why you should have the Pandora app on your phone, you little crazy chick.”
    She playfully balled up her fist and whacked Dexter on the right shoulder. “Did you hear what he called your girlfriend?”
    Dexter laughed. “Tell ’im that you may be crazy, but you’re my type of crazy.”
    â€œXavier,” said Amber Sculley. The girl wore a short haircut and was rocking the hell out of some cream and brown tribal print shorts and a cream tank with two brown palm trees on the front. She was standing at the food table with an empty plastic plate in her hand. “Ain’t no more chicken? Ain’t nothing left but pork ribs.”
    Xavier told her, “You either eat what’s left on the table or take your hungry ass three blocks away to the KFC—all you want is there.”
    Amber said, “You’re so rude, Xavier.”
    Bigstick said to her, “Homegirl, while you’re up at the table why don’t you slap a few bones on a plate for me?”
    Amber put her hands on her hips and rolled her neck. “I ain’t the help, Negro. You got me twisted”—she pointed—“you better tell Tina sitting next to you to fix your plate. Do I look like the one givin’ it up to you?”
    Dexter stepped in and said, “Yep. I heard anybody can get down with you for the price of a McDonald’s kids’ meal.”
    Everybody roared with laughter.
    Amber blazed Dex. “Aww, fool, I know you ain’t talking. If it weren’t for Marissa over there giving you pity sex, you’d still be a virgin.”
    With everyone laughing, London took the chance to walk over to Xavier. Once she approached him, she put her arm around his shoulders.
    â€œI’m so glad that you’re not with Samantha anymore. Being that you’re a senior now it gives another girl a chance”—she traced a finger over the strong line of his left jaw—“to see if the rumors are true.”
    Bigstick laughed as he said to London, “I wouldn’t get too close to him if I was you—homeboy still taking penicillin pills, if you know what I mean.”
    Laughter divided the backyard between the clueless and those that were hip enough to understand the joke.
    Xavier was quick on the draw. “Aww, nah. You know I don’t have no STD. Anyway, if that were the case you should probably check on your moms.”
    Bigstick tried to smile off his embarrassment as the others cracked up. Even his friend Tina was almost on the ground rolling with laughter.
    â€œHa ha,” Dex shouted at Bigstick, “that’s what you get.”
    â€œI think you better stick to football and leave the jokes alone,” Marissa said to Bigstick, still chuckling.
    â€œSpeaking of football,” Xavier said, “when does practice start?”
    Bigstick smirked. “Man, don’t even try it. You just threw shade and had everybody laughing. Now you wanna be my friend.”
    Xavier walked over and playfully reached down to hug his boy, laughing. “Awww, sweetheart, are you mad at daddy,” Xavier said.
    â€œGet off me, sucka,” Bigstick said, laughing. “We take the practice field Monday evening, and I’m not even looking forward to it.”
    â€œXavier,” London said, interrupting the two boys, “can I speak to you alone?”
    Xavier knew what that meant. And it was about time he moved on with his life. It’d been a hot minute since he hollered