The First Male by Lee Hayes Read Free Book Online Page B

master’s degree in what—biochemical engineering—or some shit like that. You fucking brilliant, and you slinging shit on a grill up in here when you should have yo’ monkey ass in class.”
    â€œYou work here, too. Ain’t nothing wrong with making a little money.”
    â€œI work here ’cause I have to. This and my music is all I got and you can best believe when that shit pops off I’m getting the hell outta here and you should be working on doing the same thing. Fuck this grill. Fuck Cisco and fuck these stank-ass, rude-ass customers. I don’t know why you trippin’. You know you can do anything. You can cure fucking cancer or build a new Internet or solve the world’s energy problem—something.”
    â€œDude, you have me confused with Einstein. I’m nobody. I’m a short order cook, that’s all.” Simon turned away from Franklinand tied his apron strings, trying to hide his annoyance with the conversation.
    â€œThat modesty shit don’t work with me. I know you. I’ve been to your house. You got stacks of books on shit I don’t even understand. Shit I can’t even pronounce. Molecular this. Biological that. Just reading the titles gave me a headache. You read what, four or five books a week? The last time I picked up a book was junior high and I don’t even think I finished it then.”
    â€œWhat’s your point?” Simon asked in a heavy voice.
    â€œMy point is you can do anything you want, but you piss on yo’ opportunities while a cat like me is struggling—”
    â€œI’m struggling, too.”
    â€œFool, you struggling by choice—there’s a difference. All I’m saying is if I had what you have, my ass would be at Harvard or Oxford or inventing something in Silicon Valley; but, if you wanna keep flipping burgers up in this joint, I can’t stop you.” Franklin dropped a cold piece of beef onto the hot grill right in front of Simon. “Don’t let it burn,” he said sarcastically as he focused his attention on the meat in front of him.
    Everything Franklin said to him was true. Simon knew that. He didn’t want to hear it. Everyone had high hopes about his future. Brooke. Franklin. The dean at his school. His scholarship committee. Simon wanted all of them to leave him the fuck alone. It was his life to do with as he pleased. Simon felt that familiar burning in his chest and thought quickly about slamming Franklin’s head on the hot grill. He could hear the sizzle in his ears.
    â€œYo, I got this gig on Saturday night at The Black Cat,” Franklin said, breaking Simon’s violent thoughts. “You should come through. Bring Brooke. I wrote this new song and my vocals are on point. I can’t wait for you to hear it. I’m going to the top with this one.”
    â€œI just might do that.” Franklin grabbed an order written on a small white piece of paper from the counter. He read it andimmediately reached for two eggs, cracked them over the grill and added a dash of salt and pepper and a handful of shredded cheese. If Simon had ever had a friend, Franklin would have been it. In the few shorts months they had been working together they had bonded as brothers. Franklin was a struggling vocalist trying to make a name for himself in the New Orleans music scene with the hopes of making it onto the national R&B charts one day. He had an amazing voice with a range that defied expectations. He was a hot-headed, rail-thin Creole who stood right at six feet with a mixture of French, Spanish and Haitian blood who could sing anyone under the table.
    â€œHow are things with Brooke?” he asked in his typical rapid speech. “We should go on a double-date soon.”
    â€œYou’d have to get a date first,” Simon shot back playfully.
    â€œThat was cold. I told you, me and Nikki are back together.”
    â€œYou and Nikki? Ninth Ward Nikki?