First Round Lottery Pick by Franklin White

they paired me up with that skank.”
    â€œDamn! If I had to work with her, she wouldn’t be checking on rooms. Home girl would be in a room, because I would whup that ass, bust her all up,” he joked.
    The nurse thought Jalen was so funny. I couldn’t believe she seemed to be feeling him.
    â€œLook, my name is Norm, and this is Frank. I know he’s tall and a li’l weird-lookin’, but he cool. Our names are not on that list, right?”
    Home girl skimmed down the list at rapid speed and looked back at Jalen and smiled. “No. You can go on back.”
    Jalen pushed me on my way then winked his eye at me. “Frankie, you go ’head. I want to talk to Monique for a minute.”
    Tori’s last name was handwritten on the door on a small card. The door was cracked open, but the room was dark, except for the television. I smoothed out my gear and put like three sticks of gum in my mouth. Tori hated when I drank beer without her, and trust, I had been.
    I opened the door and slid inside. There was only one bed, and Tori looked like she was lying on her side, her back to the television, so it was watching her. I didn’t know what the hell to do.
    I took a few steps toward her then stopped. I was looking down at her when the television set turned off, leaving me standing in the darkness looking over her. It must have been on automatic shut-off.
    â€œHi, L ,” Tori said in a voice so weak.
    I smiled a little. “Girl, how’d you know it was me?”
    â€œI know you be rockin’ that Cool Water, that’s how.” She turned over in my direction very slow.
    I stood there for a minute before saying anything. “You want me to get the lights?”
    â€œNo, no, leave them off, okay.”
    I still hadn’t moved closer to the bed yet. “So how you doing? You feeling better?”
    She waited before she answered. “I guess. What’s up with you?”
    â€œJust been tryin’ to get in here to see you, that’s all.”
    â€œ L . . .”
    â€œBaby girl, don’t say nothing, a’ight. Ma, told me everything, okay.”
    I wanted to hit myself in the mouth when I heard Tori begin to cry. I stood there a while longer without a word, but I didn’t want her to scream and tell me to get out. I had to change it up quick.
    â€œTori, guess what?”
    â€œMmm-hmm.”
    â€œYou ready for some good news?”
    Tori tried to gather herself. “I guess.”
    â€œWell, listen to this. In a few minutes, I’m going to sign a seventeen-million-dollar shoe endorsement contract.”
    When she answered me back, it didn’t seem as though she cared. Her voice was flat, dull, and groggy. “That’s good, L . I always knew it was going to happen for you.”
    I took one step closer to the bed and finally could see my girl’s eyes. I then tried to smile, but the razor cut marks on her face came close to making me cry. “Girl, what you mean, happen for me? This is happening to us.”
    â€œYou don’t have to say that you know.”
    â€œWhy not? It’s the truth.”
    â€œâ€™Cause, ’cause of what happened to me.” Tori rolled herself into a ball.
    â€œIt didn’t just happen to you. It happened to me too, and everybody else who loves you, Tori. We all going to be okay.”
    â€œYou’re saying all that now, L .”
    â€œThat’s right. I’m saying it now, and I’m going to be saying it forever.”
    Tori looked at me. “Really, L ?”
    â€œYou are my wifey, okay? What do I have to do to make you believe that?”
    Tori didn’t answer.
    I wasn’t leaving.
    She finally looked at me the way she used to, and I sat down on the bed, and she reached up to me, and I held her until she stopped crying.

Chapter Sixteen
    Raise Yo’ Glass
    After spending some time with Tori, I was ready to take on the world. I made her promise me she