A Losing Game

"The Other Side"

            Roderick made his peace with the fact that the five thousand dollars he'd stashed prior to being arrested was gone because of Jacory. He got his mind right and then exited the men's room and headed to his next class. So far, that day had been shitty for him and he just wanted to go back to his brother's house and chill there alone until his brother got off of work. However, he still had two classes. His final class of the day was gym; and just like in tenth grade before he got in trouble, Nate was in his gym class. The moment he entered the locker room to change into his gym clothes, Nate and two of his track and field teammates laughed at him.

            Ignoring them, Roderick proceeded to an empty locker and put his backpack inside of it. After undressing and putting on the gym clothes, he put the clothes he'd worn to school inside the locker and closed it. When he turned back around, he saw that Nate's teammates had left the locker room and only he and Nate were in there together.

            "Didn't we already squash any beef between us?" Roderick asked.

            "After what you did to Jacory," Nate replied, "I'm always gonna have beef with you. You did your dirt and it was fucked up, but you should've done the right thing and broke it off with him before doing your dirt."

            "Why, so you could make your move?"

            "What?"

            "Nigga, don't even try that. You couldn't even fuckin' wait, could you?"

            "I don't know what you're talking about."

            "Bruh, I fuckin' saw the way you looked at him! Jacory had to bring one of the coaches a note from the office one time and I caught you lookin' at him. You looked at him so much that your dick got hard. Don't even try to front right now. I saw all that shit."

            "Well, if you knew I was looking then why the fuck did you cheat on him? I mean, I'm grateful that you did because now he's with me and I'm better for him. But damn, you really cheated on Jacory with Reece's nasty ass?"

            "I think it's best if we don't say no more to each other, man."

            "Yeah, you're right. Talk is cheap. I'm more into physical shit, you feel me?"

            Roderick laughed a little and asked, "And what hood you from?"

            "I don't have to be from a hood to fuck you up. Believe that shit."

            "You know, you've been talkin' shit to me since this mornin' and out of respect for Mookie, I've been lettin' that shit go. But I can only ignore that shit for so long. You feel me?"

            "Who the fuck is Mookie?"

            "Yo, are you for real?" He laughed again and suggested, "Ask Jacory, man. He'll tell you who Mookie is." He smirked while shaking his head.

            As Nate watched Roderick leave the locker room, he said to himself, "Wannabe gangsta."

            The two of them entered the gym one behind the other just as their coach was leading their classmates outside through a side door. They jogged to the football stadium behind the school and then ran laps for nearly the entire period. The final fifteen minutes of the period were reserved for those who wanted to shower after gym class.

            Roderick hated having any hint of body odor; however, he dreaded the thought of having to shower with other boys again. His mind immediately went back to when he was locked up. After getting undressed, he grabbed his body wash and sandals from a side compartment on his backpack and then grabbed one of the clean towels that were folded neatly on a rack near the entrance of the communal shower. Keeping his eyes to himself, he entered the shower and found an empty spot.