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“Me either.”
“I want his DNA.”
“Me too.”
“He goes to the top of the list.”
“Agreed.”
“And I wanna see this dog.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“Comeoninhereand sit down,” Joe said in a voice that always made Bakari’s stomach drop.
He approached his parents cautiously. They sat side-by-side on the couch, a united front against their wayward son. Bakari took his seat on the loveseat and hoped his mother had done her part to soften her husband up.
Joe glared at Bakari, waving the progress report in his face. “Explain this,” was all he said, but it was enough to make Bakari’s heart race like he was back at that Rite Aid with the stolen candy bars that he never even got to eat because they had already melted by the time he got home.
“I’ve been having a hard time lately.”
Joe blinked. “A hard time with what?”
“Everything.”
“Look at me when you’re talking to me.”
Bakari looked up. “Sorry. Just…everything with school and football, and then this whole thing with Nyleah and the police. It’s just a lot right now, that’s all.”
Joe’s blank stare was chilling. He sat there aiming it at Bakari for a full minute before speaking again. “What I don’t understand is why we’re just now finding out about this shit. You knew your grade was slipping a long time ago. What was the plan, to hand me this shit and yell ‘surprise!’?”
“No, I was scared I guess.”
“Oh, you guess?” Joe looked at Iesha. “He guesses.”
Iesha took a deep breath. “Kari, if you needed help, why didn’t you say something?”
Bakari shrugged.
“Boy, open your mouth when she asks you a question!” Joe yelled, nostrils flared.
“I don’t know why. I’m sorry.”
Joe shook his head. “Does Coach Bryant know about his?”
“Not yet.”
“How many times have we told you this? You need the statsandthe grades, Bakari. You don’t wanna end up blowing out your knee or something and not have more scholarship money to fall back on.”
Bakari squeezed his hands together and bounced his leg up and down. He felt a headache coming on. “I know. I still have time to bring it up before report cards. I’ll go see Ms. Williams in the morning.”
“You ‘bout two months too late on that, ain’t you?” Joe said.
Bakari said nothing. Halftime bounded into the room with his tail wagging and came to rest next to Bakari’s foot. He rubbed the dog’s head and waited for the next onslaught. He was surprised when it came from his mother.
“I want you to do more than go see Ms. Williams,” she said. “I want you to put together a plan showing exactly how you plan to bring this grade up.”
He glared at her. “A plan? What kind of plan?”
