Hold Me Down by Calvin Slater

Author:Calvin Slater [Slater, Calvin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2015-01-20T05:00:00+00:00

15

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25

9:00 A.M.

CHRISTMAS MORNING

Despite the absence of a Christmas tree and holiday decorations throughout the Hunter household, Xavier thought that Noah would at least get Alfonso a few gifts.

No dice.

Alfonso was in his room, lying across his bed crying, when Xavier walked past on his way to the bathroom. There was no need to ask him why, when Xavier already knew the score. It’d been a very bad mistake a few days ago to ask Noah about the missing Christmas decorations. Noah had jumped all over Xavier. Spouting off some crap about the true meaning of the season. He said that Christmas trees and video games didn’t have anything to do with the birth of Jesus Christ. The devil was behind the commercialization of the holiday. Noah had also said that Satan wouldn’t get a penny of his bread. He’d rather go to the soup lines and give it away.

Xavier closed the door behind him and sat on the bed beside his kid brother. “Don’t cry, Alfonso. I’ll make this right for us, you’ll see.”

Alfonso had his head smothered in his pillow, so his voice was muffled. “I guess it wouldn’t be so bad if I weren’t a good kid.”

One look around Alfonso’s bedroom left Xavier speechless. The joint looked to be a mini-version of Noah’s bedroom. Crosses and the praying hands were affixed to the wall over the headboard, and a Bible lay on top of the dresser, opened to Psalms 23.

“Big brother, I used to pray for dad to get out of jail and take us from Ne Ne,” Alfonso said, sniffling. “Now I kind of wish that we were back with Ne Ne. At least I could play my Scarface game on PlayStation.” Alfonso wiped his eyes. “Why is he doing this to me? Doesn’t he think I’m a good kid?”

Xavier rubbed his brother’s back to console him. “You have been a good kid—a great kid. No matter what, your big brother is going to always be there for you. I promise, Alfonso, I’ll make up for this Christmas. You’ll get what you want, okay?”

The kid looked innocently at Xavier. “The boy with the pit bull is still talking about me every day after school. Tellin’ everybody that you are a coward because you won’t come up there and stop him.”

As soon as it came out of Alfonso’s mouth it smacked Xavier in the face like a huge, powerful backhand. Dealing with his own issues he’d completely forgotten all about his brother’s needs. Xavier was going through hell, but there was no need for Alfonso to be doing the same. Yeah. Xavier couldn’t do anything about his brother wearing crunchy gear, but he could sure change the attitudes of the students at Alex Haley Middle School about bullying, especially picking on his little brother.

Xavier wasn’t given a chance to comment. There was a knock on the door and Noah barged in, dressed in a colorful bathrobe and carrying a few plain white boxes. He noticed Alfonso’s tears.

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