Drillmington: In a Booth

The form appeared on Julisia’s smartphone. 832. She smiled with satisfaction, put her car in drive, and sped off into the sunset.

TSL had already checked his score. 790. He kissed his teeth knowing that his girlfriend would have a higher score again. He had three cards including the coveted and exclusive Indigo Card.

He kept going over his bills on his phone as well. The food alone cost them over ten thousand dollars a month. He cycled at the repair and upkeep bills for his vehicles. Those totaled in the tens of thousands as well.

What he figured was that he could keep snitching and rapping to keep the bills low. In every effort that he took to keep up the idea that he was a righteous figure, he knew that he would have to keep rapping and snitching for the next two decades to pay for the .org as well.

Everyone knew he was about gun safety and the video even boosted his profile, but somehow if people found out he was an informant, they would not be especially happy about that fact.

He found it weird. He just wanted to express himself.

“Mortina! Play lyrics to ‘Safely that Way.’”

The audio assistant responded. “The audio file was deleted…four…days…ago. Would you like to try another audio file?”

“If you took the time….” he started.

Julisia walked through the door with heavy bags. She walked over and kissed TSL.

“Hey, babe…did you erase any songs off of Mortina?”

She looked bewildered. “No, why?”

“I was trying to rap over a beat that Joss Cross sent me and the file seems to have vanished.”

Julisia shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe she’s PMSing.”

“I’m serious.”

“I am, too.”

“Alright, let’s just keep this together right now. Whenever you use Mortina, sign in to your account. Thanks.”

Julisia raised an eyebrow and stepped closer to the stairs, her high heels clacking against the hardwood floor. She stomped lightly up the stairs.

“Mortina! Play ‘Guns Out!’”

“That file is not….”

“Where are my lyrics?” he asked aloud. He reverted to what he wanted to not do…write down his words. Somehow though, it was cathartic. The words just poured from him. He took the pad and pencil and put down his life. He hadn’t written a rhyme on paper in years, but now it seemed more than appropriate. He sensed he was making a difference in his life. By just jotting down his thoughts, it made him seem to see his words with greater clarity.

He wrote ten songs. All of them related to his relationship with Julisia, gun safety, and acumen on the mic. When he had finally finished his fifteenth song, he knew he could actually record in a studio. Since he couldn’t email his words, he would go the old school route and actually show up in a booth. This is what made him be more than focused on getting out his music. Then, a call.

The night had become midnight and Julisia donned night clothes.

She went into the kitchen and looked at TSL’s face.

“I know. I got the call, too. Do you want me to handle this one?”

“You know we work best as a team.”

“I know but if you’re exposed, they’ll come at you ten times harder than if it’s just me. We’re not breaking the law but only some stupid code that has been adopted by the genre you’re in, now. I can handle it. I got this, babe.”

Top Shelf turned around and Julisia smiled. She went back into the night. “Mortina! record this!”