Grown

Korey hits Enchanted for the first time, enraged that she talked to Louie. He calls Enchanted stupid, and she finally says “this is too much” and “[she needs] to go home” (204). Korey begins to cry and threatens to kill himself if Enchanted leaves him. She pleads with him to think of his fans, and he tells her that if his fans end up mourning his death, “All that heartbreak will be [her] fault ‘cause [she] pushed [him] to do it” (205).

In the Will and Willow group chat, Sean reports that Enchanted’s father tried to come and get her in Atlanta. Enchanted begins to plan her escape. She sneaks into the business center of her hotel and tries to send Gab an email asking her to meet up, but the message won’t send. She returns to the hotel room and finds police at her door. They received word of a suicide pact, and when Enchanted rushes into Korey’s room, she finds another girl, Amber, in bed with him. The police leave, and Korey tries to explain to Enchanted that “Men in the Bible had many wives,” and that “a man has needs” (211).

One night while Korey is having a party downstairs, Enchanted and Amber strike up a forbidden conversation. Enchanted learns that Amber is only 15 years old. Later, at a listening session in Korey’s studio, Enchanted drinks so much codeine-laced purple drink that she is sent away. Derrick confronts her and tells her that “[he knows she’s] not eighteen” (215), and that “[she] has to get out of here” (216). He tells her that there have been other girls like Candy, and while Derrick encourages Enchanted to leave, Korey finds them talking and sends Enchanted to her room.

Enchanted hears a persistent voice in her head telling her to “run,” just like Derrick said. She sneaks out of the house and thinks of how she “Can’t call Mom. She’s so mad at me. She may hang up” (219). As she flees, disoriented and terrified, Enchanted finds a Waffle House restaurant. She is surrounded by people who might help, including two police officers, but she can’t find her voice to ask for help. No one seems to notice that she needs help, and Korey’s bodyguard finds her and whispers “One word, you’ll never talk to Gab again” (221). The cops take brief notice, but “nod back [to Korey’s bodyguard] as [she’s] led to the car” (221).

On Enchanted’s 18th birthday, she is on a plane with Korey. Korey tells Enchanted that she needs to be in a girl group to start her career, and they need more girls. He tells her to invite Gabriela and Shea to meet them. At the thought of Korey meeting her little sister, Enchanted has an epiphany: “[Korey’s] a monster—the thought sharpens, drenched in resolve” (225). A flight attendant, Nicole, who has been eyeing Korey with suspicion, asks Enchanted if she is okay. After the attendant repeats the question several times and ignores Korey’s attempts to interfere, Enchanted crumbles, “letting go of [her] dream” (227), and asks for help.