MORGAN
PRESS PLAY
My head fell back on the chair’s headrest as I started to get frustrated with the game. I glanced over at Scooter, who wasn’t even paying attention to the game, just me. “What are you staring at?” I hissed.
He grinned. “You, the shit is just a game, chill. You suck anyway. Who doesn’t know how to switch out their weapons? Let me see that shit,” he said to me.
I squinted at him. “This isn’t easy, you know,” I muttered as I handed him the controller.
“This shit can’t be that hard. Alright, let’s see,” he said as he concentrated on the game. “A nigga hasn’t played a game in years, but I bet all the shit is the same. So, let’s go back to Loch Ness. This princess shit is corny; you should have picked one of those goons.”
I laughed. “You mean goblins.”
He eyed me quickly, “Yeah, that shit. Alright, let’s go.”
I jumped in when I saw a wolf pop up. “You’ve got to kill it!” I shouted.
His fingers started to move quickly as he took control of Princess Shira. He was guiding her through the forest like a pro. “Damn, Black Dance Slayer, you're killing it!” Beastthenerd21 came on the headset. “That’s right, slaying all you niggas!” I shouted back.
Scooter looked at me, and I pointed at the headset. “They’re talking shit.”
“Tell them I said fuck them,” he gritted as he kept playing. “A nigga been locked up, but this shit is still the same. Uh, I mean,” he paused.
I took off the headphones as I shifted my focus to him.
He set the controller down on the table, causing me to die again in the game, but I didn’t care because I was now paying attention to him talking about being in jail.
I figured he probably didn’t mean to let it slip, but he did.
I’ve dealt with my share of guys who had gotten into trouble, hell, even did some shady shit like Papi, but I’d never met someone who had been in jail.
I didn’t know Scooter’s story, but to me, he looked rough around the edges but harmless.
He ran his hand through his hair. “Did what I said scare you, Rich girl?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I’ve never—”
He stood up, “As I’ve said before, my problems are things your little pretty ass would never understand.”
I slowly stood, moving closer to him. “Oh, so you think I’m pretty?” I teased him to ease the tension.
He shrugged. “You’re straight,” he tapped my chin. “For real, though. A nigga like me shouldn’t be around a girl like you. I’m broke, I live in a halfway house, and I’ve gotten myself into something so deep and dark that the Loch Ness Forest doesn’t have shit on.”
“Like what?”
He leaned down, letting his forehead touch mine.
“Like witches and warlocks. Those who use their money like magic. They can strip you of your pride. They will have you out here betraying those who helped you, or even throwing you into the fire of death, all because you're trying to save your family. Rich girl, I’ve seen things, done things, and now I’ve got to pay the piper. Can you handle that?”
I pressed my nose against his. “Like rich people. You have someone with money holding shit over your head, and your only way to pay is to do things for them. So why don’t you fight back? Build an alliance with the ones they want you to go against.”
He didn’t say anything but stared into my eyes. “You definitely live in a fantasy world,” he muttered.
I smiled as my lips grazed his. “I’m the Rich Girl, remember. I know a lot of people, and what I don’t know, my family does. Let me help you.” When he grinned, his lips caressed mine. “Can I kiss you?”
My tongue brushed my lips as I prepared to pucker up when the sound of his phone vibrating interrupted me. Scooter pulled back and pulled out his phone. “Shit!” he blurted when he glanced at it. “I got to go, Rich Girl. Give me your number, and I’ll call you.”
I put my number in his phone, then handed it back to him. “What’s your real name?”
“Kareem,” he replied.
He backed away until he was out the door. The fact that he had mentioned wealthy people were controlling him bothered me. We had quite a few in Lake Hill, but I only heard of a handful that people needed to stay away from, and those were the Merciers and Laureauxs. What were the odds?