By the Time You Read This

‘No!’ she sniffed, followed by a loud blow of the nose. My heart rate accelerated as I entered the living room. Luckily, Corey was alive and punching the air while Carla playfully ruffled what was left of her father’s receding hair. Nothing unusual there.

‘Corey’s been accepted to some fancy art college!’ said Carla nonchalantly.

I turned to Corey. ‘Congrats!’ I wanted to jump into his arms and plant wet kisses on every inch of his face. I contained myself.

‘Cheers, Lo Bag.’

‘You must be so happy. I know this is what you’ve wanted.’

‘Yes…but…’

‘Have you told her where it is?’ sniffed Carla’s mum.

‘Don’t upset yourself, it’s for the best,’ offered her husband.

‘Where is it?’

‘Bloody France!’ said Carla.

I looked to Corey for some type of credible explanation, but all he returned was a lop-sided, almost drunken smile, perhaps lost in a world of self-congratulation.

‘France?’ I willed the carpet to open up with a Lois-sized hole and swallow me into it, but of course it didn’t. Instead I listened to Carla’s mum crying at the injustice of it all, as I fought the urge to join her.

‘That’s great! Really great. I’m really happy for you,’ I managed to mumble instead.

‘I’m sorry,’ he whispered a few moments later as I stood in his corridor.

‘No big deal, Corey,’ I whispered back softly, before making my way home.

In my bedroom, I easily located the cassette Corey had given me for my thirteenth birthday and placed it in my portable cassette player. I pressed play and listened to track two of LL Cool J’s album. ‘Around the Way Girl’ flooded my earlobes.

My favourite.

* * *

Do as I Say, Not as I Did (#u762aad71-2263-5b3a-bf65-5843fc46753b)

Kevin Trivia: I truly felt I’d become a man after watching Shaft with Charlie at the Coronet. A classic.

My baby’s eighteen! Yeah! Even though you probably thought so five years ago, it’s now official – you’re a woman. How does it feel?