Page 67 of Grown

“Why do you make me so mad? Why can’t you do what I tell you? Do you want to go home? Is that what you want? I’ll send you home, I swear.”

At night, I drink my purple drink, wondering if Daddy will come and save me again.

Chapter 48

Ready Player One

Korey is addicted to video games.

“Ha, ha! Got ’em!”

Mainly, he loves playing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

He likes for me to watch while he plays. So that’s what I do. I sit next to him on the white sofa for hours, tapping a pen against my songbook, hoping he’ll catch the hint. That we should be working, not playing games.

“How many songs do you need on an EP?” I ask.

He shrugs, still focused on the screen. “Like, four, maybe five. You shouldn’t be worried about all... oh, hold up! Hold UP!”

It’s been weeks and we’ve only recorded one. It’ll take months at this rate.

Just need three more. I breathe in the thought, flipping through the warped pages of my book. And once I have them, he won’t be able to take them away from me.

“Yuuupp! Got that bitch!”

Guess he beat some level or something. The scene changes, a man with a fro in the dank, messy bedroom with a half-dressed girl. She gives him head. Then they’re on the bed, having sex, all controlled by Korey, while fro guy narrates: “I ain’t never understood the phrase meaningless sex...”

Creighton used to play this game too. Now I see why. Don’t understand why the girl is naked, while the guy is fully dressed. It’s kinda weird. It’s kinda gross. But Korey takes his time, pressing the button, following instructions:

Push UP and DOWN in rhythm.

Joy 3 Change view.

Joy 1 Change position.

Joy 4 Quit.

“You know, first time I had sex,” he says, without sparing a glance, “I was fourteen.”

My eyes shoot over to him.

“This... fine-ass woman. She taught me a few thangs. Ha, Richie was there!”

The girl on the video game moans.

“Like, in the room with you?”

“Nah. But he was around. Somewhere. Happened right after I signed to RCA. At a Grammys afterparty. Shorty took me to the coat closet or something. I ain’t gonna front, I was SHOOK. Never been with a woman before.”

The sex scene is awfully long.

“... Come on, girl. I ain’t insecure, just tell me I’m great.”

“That’s... really young.”

He shrugs. “Nah, I was a man by then. Grandma died, all on my own so had to grow up fast, you know?”

“... Come on, girl. I ain’t insecure, just tell me I’m great.”