Free Getting Played by Celeste O. Norfleet Page A

whatever it was, he sure as hell isn’t seeing it now. I look at my dad. I can see it in his eyes. What Courtney said is true. At least some part of it is. “Why didn’t you just tell me?” I ask him.
    â€œI was trying to work it out,” he says. “I know how much you want to go back to the school. And I know your mother would want you there.”
    â€œWhat happened?” I ask.
    â€œThe stock market messed me up pretty bad. Work is slow and things are just all messed up at this point.”
    â€œSo what happens now?”
    â€œYou have to stay at Penn.”
    â€œNo, not about me, about you, what happens with you?”
    â€œI guess I’m gonna sell the house.”
    I sit down slowly. This is all of a sudden too damn real. Selling the house, my house, this wasn’t supposed to happen. I know it’s not really my home anymore, but it was once, and I still feel connected to it. This is where I grew up and where my mom and I hung out. Selling the house seems like letting go of everything I loved and everything I had left of her. I’m not ready to let go. “Isn’t there something else you can do?”
    â€œNo, the business is going down fast. I can’t compete with the big super chains. People just aren’t coming in like they used to.”
    â€œChange the business,” I say, “and make them come in.”
    He half laughs. “It’s not that easy. I wish it was.”
    â€œWhat about the boys and the baby? They’re your kids.”
    â€œI’ll provide for them.”
    â€œAnd Courtney?”
    â€œHer, too, although not as much as she wants or expects.”
    I nod. I know my dad will do right by his kids. He’s always been a good father. He’s a lousy husband and boyfriend I guess, but a good dad. I look over to the office door and think about Courtney’s brother and what he was doing on the computer. “So, what’s up with Cash?” I ask.
    â€œCourtney’s younger brother. He just served four years active duty in the Marines. He’s on leave right now and crashing here for a few. He’s supposed to do reserve duty for the next four years.”
    â€œSo he’s staying here,” I say. Dad nods. Just then theboys bang on the glass door in the office. I immediately go back into the office. They see me. They start jumping and screaming excitedly. Their little faces are smashed up against the glass. I can’t help but laugh and smile. I open the door for them and they immediately grab my legs. “Hey, mashed potatoes, hey, creamed corn,” I say.
    â€œKenisha. Kenisha. Kenisha.” They start jumping, dancing and screaming all over again. Anybody would think that I never come around to see them. But I’m here just about every weekend. Although, now that things are changing again, I don’t know how long that’s gonna be.
    â€œI gotta go,” my dad says.
    â€œFine, we’re going, too,” I say, then turn to my little brothers. “Ya’ll feel like eating pizza?”

CHAPTER 7
    Making the Rules
    â€œJust curious, who’s in charge when there’s nobody in charge? All this stuff going on and it seems like nobody’s watching. What the hell is everybody thinking?”
    â€”MySpace.com
    My dad takes me and my brothers to an early lunch. We eat at what used to be one of my favorite places. We’re having a great time. We’re like a mini family. The boys are crazy nuts and they eat like there’s no tomorrow. ’Cause seriously, if I had to deal with Courtney’s cooking, especially her spaghetti, I’d be starving, too.
    But even though we are having fun laughing and talking, it’s not like I’ve forgotten what he said about selling the house. And it isn’t like he’s forgotten his business is messed up. We just put all that aside and enjoy hanging out. We plan to talk about all that stuff the coming Friday.