First Round Lottery Pick by Franklin White Page A

would tell those fools in the hospital that I could come see her anytime I felt like it.
    Meanwhile, Jalen got ol’ girl’s phone number at the nurse booth then came in the room and tried to make Tori promise she was going to walk the stage with us like we all had planned for graduation. Tori didn’t know if she was going to be up to it and said if she could, she would.
    Jalen stood around and told a few jokes until she laugh-ed. Then we left.
    We finally showed up over Toy’s. He had a loft over on the East side. It was a nice one. You could tell he had some work done on it, and when we walked in and I saw all the artwork on the walls, it gave me an idea to get my mother a house and fill it up with artwork.
    There were like thirty or forty people over Toy’s. I was surprised to see them there, because the only thing I planned on doing was looking over the contract, signing it, and getting my million-dollar advance on the deal, minus Toy’s and Jalen’s cut. But Toy had other plans. He wanted to party.
    â€œHere is really the reason we all gathered up in my spot tonight!” Toy yelled when we walked through the door. First, he reached out to shake my hand. Then he moved in quickly and gave me a hug, then Jalen. “Because you know if we didn’t have nothing to celebrate y’all wouldn’t be up in here drinking up all my expensive drink. Give these two brothers a hand and then excuse us for a minute.”
    Everyone started to applaud us.
    Toy took us in his living room that had these old antique doors with paned windows. He slid them back, and we walked in.
    He looked at me then Jalen. “How’s everything goin’?”
    â€œWe cool,” I told him.
    Jalen just nodded.
    â€œC’mon . . . y’all going to have to let me in. I mean, gotdamn, we ’bout to sign this deal for sev-en-teen mil, baby! You not pleased with my work or what?”
    â€œI guess, man, this all new to us, Toy. All I wanna do is play ball and take care of my mother and my girl.”
    Toy stopped from sipping on his drink. “So how’s she doing? Your girl?”
    I looked at Toy hard, trying to look through his face and glazed over eyes to see if he had anything to do with Tori getting raped. “She a’ight.”
    â€œYeah, she a soldier. She going to be all right,” Jalen told him.
    â€œThen good. You all set then. We can sign this contract, fax it back, and by tomorrow, our money going to be in your separate account.”
    â€œSeparate account? What account we talking about?”
    â€œThe one your father—”
    â€œMy father?”
    â€œYeah, he came over and told me he already set one up for you. Wait a minute.” Toy walked over to his desk and handed me a package.
    â€œWhat’s this?”
    â€œHell, if I know. Like I say, your pops stopped by here and gave it to me to give to you. Said some bull like, he doesn’t trust me, and make sure you get this. You got the whole damn family hating me, L .”
    â€œLook, he ain’t family, a’ight.”
    â€œWell, he sounded like family to me.”
    I took the package from Toy and opened it up. It was a piece of paper with a bank account with my name on it. There was a note attached— Son, don’t ever let Toy put any of your money in his account. Watch your money around him. Always verify what he does. I know I haven’t been in your life like I should, but at least take my advice.
    I looked over to Jalen then put the note back into my package and stared Toy down again.
    â€œSo you straight?” Toy wanted to know.
    â€œYeah, we good. Now, where do I sign?”
    Toy took me over to his oak desk and swore to me that this would not be the last endorsement deal we would sign together. He said he looked it over and everything was legit. Then he started bragging about his law degree, and how he was glad he’d finished school so he could do his thing with