Know Me (Truthful Lies Trilogy - Book One) (24 page)

“
Well, do you
like
her?”

“
I do. She’s got...substance.”

“
Substance.”

“
Yeah. A lot of it.”

“
Well, that sounds pretty good.”

“
Is it OK with you if she hangs with us at
night? I mean, I know you only come over twice a year—”

“
Deck, please, that you even have to ask me
that... Besides, something tells me I need to get to know this girl
a little better.”

I clear my throat. “Uhm, yeah...I think
you should. And she should get to know you...and Skate.”

“
Man, what’s up with him, Deck? You’d think
he’d have grown out of the roll and the weed by now, you know? I
mean, I know we all did that shit and we all grew out of
it—”

“
I never did.”

“
Of course you did. So you pop a few times
a year, but Skate’s like high all the time, man. It’s not good.
Who’s to say the dude isn’t gonna move onto Big C one of these
days? I’ve seen it. Down at Penn, there’s plenty dudes who started
out with a trip here, a Molly there. And they’re chasing big H
these days, or snorting up snow.”

I swallow hard. “Yeah...maybe we should
talk to him. Or...maybe
you
should talk to him. He takes you a little more seriously
than he takes me.”
Because you’re the least screwed up of the three of us. And
you’re the only one who grew up.

“Deck, it’s about time you stop rolling for
good as well.” He smacks me on the head.

“Damn it, dude, I’m driving!”

He smacks me again! “I’ll say this next corny
thing because it fits: You’re also driving your life, and driving
it on Molly’s gonna take you over a cliff.”

“
Trev, that was
fucking
corny.”
And fucking wise.

“Don’t BS me, homes. I know you heard
it.”

He knows me too
well
.

“
Have you thought of a name for your
escort-slash-moving agency?”

“
Steady Studs
or
Macho Movers
or, even,
Muscled Maneuvering
.”

It takes ten minutes to get Trev out the
car to start our next move.
Because he can’t stop laughing.

After the move:

“
So, did she mix this for you?” Trev bobs
his head to the Birdy-slash-Groove House mix playing on my
radio.

I nod.

“
It’s
so
good...” He fades off, looking out the window.

“
It really carries you, doesn’t it?” I
say.

“
Hmm?”

“
The music...it really...transports you
somewhere else, don’t you think?”

“
Like a mofo. She has talent. She has an
ear. It’s freaking amazing.”

Trev starts slapping his pants, then the
dash, with drumbeats. I smack the steering wheel. He attempts some
beatboxing. I do the same and that brings out more laughter from
us.

“
If it weren’t a world where the strongest
publicist gets the deal, she’d be right up there with Tiësto and
Afrojack,” he says.

“
Maybe Tiësto and Afrojack have great
publicists.”

“
No doubt. Hey, Deck, you wanna know
another reason I don’t care for the NFL?”

“
Shoot.”

“
I’d hate to be in the limelight like
that.”

“
You’re shitting me.”

“
No, I’m not. People eat you up up there.
You’re everybody’s breakfast. They know about your ACLs and MCL
injuries and Meniscus Tears and who you’re doing on the
side.”

“
I thought
I
was the one who hated that shit.”

“
Yeah, well, I just never mentioned it. I
mean, making several mil a year, that’d make it worth it. Or would
it? The debate has always been easy with me, because I know I want
my degree. So there’s never been a contest in my mind. But what if
I didn’t have that? Would I turn down all that dough for fear of
being torn to shreds by the media?”

“
You just thought you’d mention this to me
out of the blue?”

“
No, dumbass. Your girlfriend—”

“
She’s not technically my
girlfriend.”

“
Well, I’ll call her that for now.
Besides,
I
like her. She
has that, you know? That”—he moves a hand up and down—“bigger than
life
flare
that’ll
take her all the way to the top. Worst of all, she also looks like
she
doesn’t
have the
teeth necessary to fight off the vultures up there. They’ll tear
her to shreds, bro.”

“
Damn, Trev, talk about the cart before the
horse. And talk about
depressing
.”

“
It’s not depressing. It’s the truth.
Haters gonna hate. You seen what’s being said about her
online?”

“
Yeah, she showed me yesterday. Reminded me
of some of your bad games.”

He rolls his eyes. “Tell me about it. The
only difference between the NFL and varsity, is that at least at
NFL level you’re getting paid for taking the beating. At college,
you’re just standing in the way of the gunfire and baring your
chest out—for free. Remember Ohio? When I threw less than a hundred
yards?”

“‘
NO MORE PERKS FOR
PERKINS
.’”

Trev laughs coldly, remembering
the fat bold text on the
CollegeDrools
website (“YOUR ONE-STOP SITE FOR ALL THINGS COLLEGE”).
“That was the kindest headline. I was lucky Coach let me play
another game. But that’s because he’s the coach. He knows the deal.
That’s like a singer’s voice trainer or whatever they have. You
know, they’re technicians. They can separate the facts from the
bullshit. Coach knew I was psychologically terrified for that game.
My first major college game as QB. They probably ripped him to bits
behind the scenes. Who knows. But coaches and the media are
different things. And never mind the fans—or, what should we call
them, the
masses
.
Christ,
everyone’s
got
an opinion these days! Let me just tell you that if I hadn’t had
you and Coach kicking my ass to get back in there and fight, I
woulda given up. The pressure was
that
bad.”

“
No shit.”

“
No shit. You can build all this up, you
know.” He flexes his gargantuan biceps. “But, at the end of the
day...it’s all up here.” He taps his temple. “So, your girl—and I’m
talking first impressions here, of course—”

“
Well,” I interrupt, “we did spend a lot of
time at
Tom’s
. I think
that’s a decent enough impression.”

“
Maybe. But, with limited experience around
her, I just think she needs teeth. And claws. And maybe a loaded
gun. Don’t let nobody take advantage of her, Deck. Because the
music biz is different to sports. And
this
music biz, House and EDM and the shit we’ve been
into for so long, well, it has its share of vampires in it.
Bloodsuckers.”

I don’t comment.

“Deck, chill. I don’t mean to freak you out.
I just notice that, well, even though it’s been only two or three
days, you’re acting a little different.”

“What are you talking about? You barely saw
us together.”

“
Bro, I saw you and Gina together plenty.
I’m sorry to say, but she was just a lay to you—”

“Was not. I had feelings for her.”

“
You had
analytical
feelings for her. You know:
I’m the boyfriend so I should
respect her
. That’s not
what I’m talking about. Gina had a good rack. I’m sure she was a
damn good lay as well. I remember the way she dressed, and I’m sure
she knew what she was doing in the bedroom. You respected her when
you were with us, sure. But you also fucked her.
A
lot
. And that’s all it
was. I don’t see that attitude in you with Blaze.”

“
You talk so much
bullshit
.”
So much true
bullshit.

“
Say what you will, but I
’ve known you almost all my life, homes.
And all I’m saying is it’s different with Blaze. I can see it. I’ve
seen you with babes—flirting, acting cool, trying to get in their
pants. And I
know
that a week
ago you woulda thrown the payment out the window and done this
Tatiana Watkins three times in the bedroom while I waited in the
car!”

“
You woulda beat me to it. And
I
would’ve been the one in the
car waiting!”

“
Damn straight I would! But: ‘Oh, Trev,
she’s
married
!’ Damn,
nigga, like you ever gave a shit! You’re smitten. Smitten as a
motherfucker.” When Trev gets into his cool-ass street-talk
mode,
motherfucker
comes out as
muhfucka
. And he calls me—his whiteboy friend—
nigga
.

I clear my throat. “Fine. Whatever. What’s
your point?”

“
My point is: If she does mean what I think
she means to you, you’re gonna have to watch out for her. They’ll
come for her. It’s happening already—online. And she is gonna make
it. I know it. She’s clean—doesn’t do drugs—and she’s more than
talented, so she
will
make it.
She won’t be found ODed in some bathroom instead. So, just keep
your eyes open, ’cause she ain’t got no teeth from what I can see.
Neither did I before that Ohio game. It took you and Coach to make
me face the field again, and when I did, then the teeth grew. And
then I started being able to face it on my own. But I couldn’t have
done it without that initial support.

“
Deck, I been talkin my lungs out here. I
can’t explain this to you any more simply. And you ain’t no stupid
dude, so stop acting it.”

“
Yeah, yeah. No, it’s cool. I get it. I get
it.” Pause. “And, uhm, thanks. I appreciate it. You’re
right.

“
Now, while we’re on the subject of
advice...” I look over at him, ready for the inevitable explosion
to what I’m about to say. “How’s your brother?”

Trev’s
face darkens instantly. He clenches his teeth. “Fucking
asshole. I could break his damn neck he’s so far into that shit
now.”

“
Maybe I could talk to him? You know him
and me were tight once.”

He does a raspberry. “Deck, forget that
shit. You guys were tight when he wasn’t so far deep. Nah, fuckit,
Tramone don’t listen to fucking no one. Fuckin nigga’s packing
again as well. Illegal firearm while on parole, damnit.” Trev runs
a hand over his short hair. “Fuck him. He’s had his chances. His
business, not mine.”

We
might as well be talkin about my
pops.
But Trev and I
have always had similar ideas about people we don’t like. Even when
they’re family. “He still gangbanging?” I ask, not quite ready to
let it go.

“
Deck, you never stop gangbanging. It just
isn’t how it’s done. Blood in, blood out.”

“
I’ve never understood that.”

“
Huh?”

I look over at him. “What does that mean?
Blood in, blood out. I’ve never understood it.”

“
It means you get
into
the gang by blood—murder on your part, or a
beating, or something. And the only way to get out is with your own
blood. Spilled on the floor. I can only pray to god that Tramone
didn’t kill nobody, bro.”

“
Damn. How long’s he been out now? Of jail,
I mean.”

“
Three months or so. Momma ain’t too happy
to have him around the house doin’ nothing there all day. Tells him
to go out and get a job. Truth is, Deck, I think he
wants
to get out of it all. I mean, a
part of me really believes that. But...whatever. What can a brother
do? Anyway, two out of three. Momma did alright on her own. Jacinta
also came out alright, I guess. Tramone’s the only fucking loser of
us all.”

“
She still cool?”

He looks over at me.
“If being in Cali is considered
cool
,
yeah.”

“
You know what I mean.”

He laughs.
“Don’t I. Yeah, that punk never even
looked
in her direction after we paid
him a visit. Probably the swollen eyes had something to do with it,
but, hey, that’s what you get for getting frisky with my
sister.”

I look at the street, not caring to
remember our vigilante days. The punk we beat up
on
—the one who’d laid a
hand on Jacinta—had some trouble walking for a few days. And it had
felt good to do that to him. But was it right? You don’t think of
consequences when you’re young and hot-headed. I still don’t. Not
even since pops and I had it on—fists and kicks and all.