Rocked (The Everyday Heroes World) - Julia Wolf Page 0,42
Ellie raised a hand in greeting and tried to peer around me. “Are you busy?”
I shrugged. “Depends. If you’re here to ask for help with your math homework, then yeah, I’m super busy doing important grown-up shit...I mean, stuff.”
Her eyes rolled on cue. “It’s the first day of school. There’s no homework on the first day of school. Besides, why would I ask you for math help? My mom’s college degree is in biochemistry. She had to take all kinds of hard math courses. She’s basically a genius.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the doorframe. “Biochemistry? What the hell’s that?”
Ellie twisted her lips. “No idea. I just know it means she’s super smart.”
“She is that.” Smarter than me, keeping her distance over the past couple days. I’d seen Kat in passing, but she’d barely looked at me, like I hadn’t spent an entire day living inside her.
“So, are you busy?” Ellie hitched her belt up, and for the first time, I noticed the kid had a dress on. It was one of those long ones that looked kind of hippie-ish.
“Is that your first day of school outfit?”
She sighed, long and heavy. “Yes, it is. Focus, Devon. Are you busy?”
“Busy talking to you.” I was being a smartass, but Ellie’s annoyance with me was too funny to stop. “I like your dress.”
“Well, when you’re done talking to me, will you be busy? And thank you.”
“Depends. What are you trying to get me to do? And you’re welcome.”
She twisted her dress around her fingers. “Will you help me practice my guitar? I’m trying to learn this song my dad likes by Bush. Have you ever heard of them? They’re kind of old now.”
I hooked my thumbs on my belt loop, heartbroken the music of my youth was being called “old.” “Yeah, I’m pretty familiar with them.”
“Will you help me?”
“Sure, little sis. I’ll help.”
I grabbed my guitar and followed Ellie over to her house. She pulled me inside, making me wait in the living room while she ran to grab her own guitar. Kat came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel, her steps faltering when she saw me.
“Did Ellie drag you over here?” she asked.
I dipped my chin, taking a long look at her in her flannel and cut-off jean shorts, hair swept off her face, feet bare. So damn pretty.
“She didn’t have to drag. She asked me to help her with her guitar. Is that all right by you?”
Her brows pulled together. “You don’t have to do that. You can tell her no, you know.”
“Why would I tell her no? I like playing, she wants to learn. I might turn out to be a shit teacher, but I’ll give it a try.” I nodded toward the backyard. “Thought we might sit out back, enjoy the night while we play.”
Her eyes narrowed, like she was trying to figure out my angle. I probably should’ve been offended, but while I was here to practice with Ellie, seeing Kat had been a pretty major incentive.
“Lady...why don’t you come outside with us and relax for a while? You just got off work, didn’t you?”
Her feet shuffled, one on top of the other. “I did. I grabbed Ells from her dad’s, drove home, and she dashed over to your house. I guess Veego was playing her a lot of his old favorites, and now she’s got the rock star bug. She wants to surprise him with a song.”
“That’s cute as hell.”
Ellie came skipping into the room, holding her guitar by the neck. “I’m ready.”
“All right, little sister. Show me what you got.”
She walked in front of me, and when I passed Kat, I snagged her fingers. “Come on. You know you want to.”
She sighed, hiding her smile from me by looking down at her feet. “Only for a little while. I’m dead on my feet.”
“Sounds like you need to get off your feet then.”
On the back patio, Ellie and I sat across from each other, Kat to her side. Leroy galloped around the yard like a wild horse refusing to be tamed.
Ellie wasn’t quite a beginner, but her skills were shaky. She wanted to play “Glycerine,” so we got started, listening to the acoustic version on my phone while I played along.
“Sing,” Ellie demanded.
Kat nudged her with her foot. “He’s not a trained monkey. You can’t demand he sings for you.”
Ellie tilted her head and batted her eyelashes. “Devon, would you please sing for me?”