Xavier's Blues

***Standalone Novel*** He is Afrocentric, immersing himself in the teachings of Malcolm X. He's intelligent, scoring the highest on the ACT as a sophomore at Garvey High. He's not rushing out to buy newly released sneakers. Often escaping his harsh reality by reading books. However, all of those qualities are overshadowed by his short fuse and quick temper. Loss after loss has transformed Xavier Ladoux into a sleep deprived, depressed teen. The only spark in his world is Mia Johnson. The one that can walk into the middle of his storm and calm not only his mind but soul. Xavier tries to navigate life in New Orleans with his friends. In a few short years, he went from a two parent home to living with his grandmother and little brother, Niko. "The depression came in waves. Washing away any motivation or spark inside of him. The product was a shell of what could be. The lost potential of radiating a smile so bright it would ease anyone’s spirits. The dimples that he was ashamed to show hadn’t surfaced since Princeton’s death. A smile here or there was all he could muster; even that was a rare phenomenon."