The Come Up (Book II) : PRODIGY

Chapter 4 - Call

"Aight, so I need you ready for the BET experience next week and the label bought you a spot at the next music festival for LA, Miami and New York. The next few weeks are about be a lot of work so I need you rested, no late night partying and drinking till you can barely function. Get some sleep, make sure you're mentally well, prepare yourself to run on maybe 3 hours of sleep for the next two weeks. You can take Emil if you need-" 

As my eyes begin to close and I feel my head nodding off, I hear  a loud kick that shakes the conference table and jolt back up. I look at Flex and he is staring at me with a straight face that says he's ready to beat my ass. I wipe the drool from my mouth and shake my head. 

"What's good with you? Why are you so tired and sluggish?" He questions concerned but I can't tell if the concern is coming from my Father figure or the founder of the record label. 

I shake my head and rub my eyes. 

"Long nights." I respond. 

"But I'm listening. BET expereince, music festival, NY. Heard you." I try to sit up straight around the conference table, Emil and Aubrey stare at me then Flex and I can see worry plastered on his face. 

"Emil and the young lady, please excuse us." Flex almost commands the two. 

They get up and walk to the door. Emil in front of Aubrey. Aubrey gives me a look of Apathy and Emil just looks like he's a little worried but when they exit and the door securely closes behind them, I wish they were here again. 

Flexes face calms down. 

"Talk to me." It was the clear Father figure now. No more guessing. 

"Nothin to talk about." I say looking him in the eyes. 

There was nothing I felt like discussing, nothing I felt like bringing up. I couldn't tell him about the nightmares I've been having because of prison. How dreams of being beaten by the leader of AXE until I hear the crick of my skull bone crack often woke me up before the pain of what Chanel has done makes me break into cold sweats at night. I couldn't tell him that I was only fucking Aubrey to feel better and take my mind off things but after I bus a nut, I climb back into depression. I couldn't tell him I had started drinking heavily and barely eating. 

How my hunger for music is slipping. 

How I missed my last show because I was too down to get out of the hotel bed. 

How I wake up and stare at the ceiling for two hours before I can force myself up. 

How Emil probably hates me at the moment because I've barely said a word to him. 

Haven't called my Mother because she can hear it in her soul when I'm not doing well. 

All of this passes on my face, I can tell because Flex's face settles even more and he sighs. He goes to talk but I cut him off. 

"Do you still talk to her often?" I ask. 

He opens his mouth to speak but I cut him off again. 

"You still sending her beats and promoting her after what she did to me?" I ask bitter. I don't know the look on my face but if it's as evil as I feel, Flex was taking my behavior very well. 

"Trevon." Flex says in a calm voice. 

"You really think she deserves to be where she at right now after what she did to me? After I brought her to the studio. After I brought her to YOU. You gon love her more than me when you wouldn't have even known she existed without ME. And then she pulls fucked up shit and you still fuck with her?" My voice was louder than I intended it and I can feel the vein popping into my head.