Grown(37)

At Grandma’s, while she soaked my wound in vinegar wraps, I looked up facts about jellyfish: Jellyfish have no brains.

“Nah, I never said anything about recording an album. You imagining things. Oh, so what, you don’t trust me now? Get in your room!”

Jellyfish have no hearts.

“What you mean? Of course I love you. Why you keep asking me that shit?”

Jellyfish have no eyes.

“You don’t see that? That dirt right there! You better clean that shit up. I mean it, clean all that shit up.”

Jellyfish are spineless.

“Swimming? What the fuck I look like swimming? Nah, ma. That pool is just for show. We’re not going in there.”

Jellyfish don’t purposely sting humans, only when provoked or touched.

“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.”

Fourteen years old—that’s Shea’s age, a voice inside shouts. Poor Korey, he doesn’t even realize he was taken advantage of or how much he’s been hurt. Maybe that’s why he has such a dark side.

Judging my silence, Korey quickly adds, “But, I mean, I ain’t grow up like you, Bright Eyes. We all got . . . something.”

I shift closer, pay more attention to his game, loving him a little harder.

And if I love him hard enough, maybe, just maybe, I can keep the dark side away.





Chapter 49


Case File


NOW





SUMMARY REPORT OF AUTOPSY

Time of Death: Body temperature, rigor and livor mortis, and stomach contents approximate the time of death between 10:30 and 11:45 p.m.

Immediate Cause of Death: Multiple stab wounds to the chest and abdomen Manner of Death: Homicide Remarks: At the death scene, there was a large pool of blood in the bedroom, with secondary pools and stains trailing from the living room to the bedroom, blood splatter on the walls and door. Defensive wounds to hands, wrist, and arms.

EXCERPT FROM INITIAL DETECTIVE NOTES

Partial footprint found in bedroom near death scene. Impression lifted from blood splatter. Similar impression in living room carpet. Initial findings estimate the print belongs to a male, size 11—11?, left foot. Does not match any of the victim’s shoes or foot size. Sent for further analysis of specific footwear.

Possible third unidentified individual was in the apartment at time of death.





Chapter 50


Welfare Check


THEN



“Enchanted, would you come here, please?”

The word “please” is a stranger in this house. So when I hear Korey say it, I bolt out of my room and freeze on the first staircase landing.