LITMIR.BIZ

      It was such an emotional, draining day I couldn’t wait for my head to hit the pillow and crash. The National Championship game had slipped through my fingers and I wanted that day to be over. However, I heard a bunch of noise at the door when Deuce came in with Saxon and a few other players. I was frustrated that I had not locked the door when they burst in.

      “Get up, get up, get up!” Saxon said, messing with my legs.

      “Ouch, boy, I’m sore,” I told him.

      “Aw Perry, come on, man, we’re just trying to have a little fun. Get up out the bed, it’s not even eleven-thirty. You crashing early like you some little momma’s boy or something.”

      “Sax, you know me well enough to know that little snide comments like that do not bother me. I’m tired, man,” I said, putting the pillow over my head. That was stupid because the next thing I knew Deuce and Saxon were pushing me and hitting me and shoving me.

      “Alright, alright,” I said as I sat up. “What do y’all want?”

      Deuce said, “Come on, we are going to hang out for a little bit. We’re going to this little club that the track girls are going to.”

      “Forget them, I hear some of the local girls are fine too—I hear the place is jumping. Let’s go,” Saxon said.

      “Y’all go mess with the honeys,” I told them.

      “Well, you know my sister is going to be mad that you’re not there,” Saxon said as he gave me some evil eye, like I wasn’t taking care of my business.

      “I don’t think me and Savoy are going to work out,” I said, regretting that I gave her brother more information than he needed.

      “Boy, I can tell in your face that you want my sister. And no matter how much I try and fight it—your little having-no-sex behind is the perfect one I want for her. What y’all done had, one time in two years?” I gritted my teeth at his insinuation that I was less of a guy or something because I wasn’t trying to screw her brains out. I had integrity and character and I respected her. And more than that, I wanted to respect the word of the Lord, who said that satisfying my flesh had given me too many issues. The last thing I wanted to do was to hurt Savoy’s feelings. Maybe I would surprise her and go to the little club, get our groove on and let her take my mind off the game.

      So when I got out of the bed Saxon said, “Now, that’s what I’m talking about, boy. Yeah, let’s go.”

      Half an hour later we pulled into a club called Heat. None of us were over twenty-one, but flashing our Georgia Tech badges we were able to get in. I checked out my environment—folks were in groups laughing and enjoying each other. There wasn’t too much alcohol out, just a few cans and some cigarettes, and people on the dance floor were getting their groove on.

      I did not see Savoy, but Deuce said to me, “Oh, there are our girls.”

      I looked in the direction he was pointing and then our jaws dropped when we saw the Tech girls hanging out with some older local guys.

      “I don’t understand what’s up with this, Kendall knew I was coming. That dude needs to take his hands off her butt. You coming?”

      “Naw, man, Savoy looks like she having a good time. She don’t need me. I’ma chill over here.”

      Deuce walked a couple of steps farther and waved his hand at Kendall. She looked up and saw him and met him halfway. I watched as his tongue slid down her throat. I don’t know if he was trying to prove a point to the guys that she had just walked away from, that she was his, or if he really was excited about seeing her. Either way, they were cool and went off into a corner somewhere. Savoy, though, tried to play me. She saw me and I smiled. She didn’t smile back, just turned around and started rubbing on some guy’s chest. It had to be to make me angry, because he wasn’t hot. The guy looked like a thug, with one gold tooth in his mouth and a bandana around his head. Yet when I saw him pull out a roll and hand it to his boy for drinks, I realized that he was probably the leader of the crew that she was with. Did she even know what she was doing? It could be dangerous for her to act like she wanted to be with this guy. Accepting a drink from him could get her into even more trouble. The dude could spike her drink or he could take that as a sign that she was his for the rest of the evening. I had to be real and understand what I had done to push her toward this situation in the first place. She was a big girl. She wasn’t a baby. But I did sort of hurt her feelings—twice—telling her that I wanted to do something without her. But there was no denying that I cared for her deeply. I felt my blood boiling as I saw the guy run his hand up the back of her shirt.

      Saxon came off the dance floor and said to me, “Man, what’s up with my sister?”

      I couldn’t even speak, I just pointed over at her. He saw what I saw. It looked like she was getting herself into a situation that was more than she could handle.

      “Man, I think them dudes are in a gang. Now my sister trying to put on a show for you. Y’all so dumb. Y’all like each other. Now she’s with this guy in a gang.”

      “You sure he’s in a gang?” I asked. Saxon and I stood up when we saw the guy yank her hand and pull her close to him.

      “Ouch!” she screamed out, “let me go. Let me go!” He raised his hand and smacked her. I was about to head on over there when Saxon pushed me down.

      “Man, please, I got this.”

      I said I’d go off to find Deuce so we would be there for back-up if need be. I was so mad at Savoy and mad at myself too. She and I didn’t know how to communicate with each other. We had to handle this mess.