Page 25 of Grown

“Yo, where you going?” he asks.

Without the dizzy lights and music, I can hear the slur in his voice and smell the whiskey on his tongue.

“Just leave me alone,” I hiss, slapping his grabby hands away.

“Chill, Chant! Why are you being like that?”

The elevator dings on my floor.

“Night, Creighton,” I say hard while exiting.

He stumbles behind me.

“Yo, stop following me!”

“I’m not, but I mean, can we talk?”

“Go back to the party! We’ll ‘talk’ later or whatever.”

I take another step, he does too.

“Boy, I’m not playing with you! Leave me alone!”

“But... can... can we just talk?”

I sprint down the hall, hoping he’s drunk enough to lose him, and step inside my room. But he pushes himself in, slamming the door behind him.

“Yo, stop playing with me!” he barks. “I said I wanna talk!”

In that moment, my heart hits the panic button. I’m alone with this drunk asshole. Did anyone see us leave the party? Does anyone even know we’re up here? What if Shea comes looking for me?

He looks at the bed then back at me. My blood stiffens.

“Creighton...” I quiver. “Don’t.”

He tries to curl around me, kissing my neck.

“I ain’t trying to do nothing. I just wanna talk.”

Standing bone straight, I make my voice like steel as something unfurls inside me. I won’t let this asshole attack me. I won’t let my little sister see this.

“If you don’t get the fuck out of here, I will scream.”

Creighton’s head jerks back, his eyes widening.

“No. No, don’t scream!”

“Then GET OUT!”

Realization coats his face. He reels back, biting his fist.

“Shit. Shitshitshitshit. Are you... um, gonna tell?”

“OUT!”

Creighton mumbles more apologies before leaving. I check the peephole, watch him walk away, and take my first real breath.

“Shit,” I exhale.