Ink (14 page)

I smiled, looking at Slade.

Slade let his sandwich go, no longer looking interested in eating. “Not modest, Wayne. No need to say much.”

I felt a bit awkward all over again. Just as things seem to be looking up, here comes Slade to shut it down with his dark mood.

Lucy grabbed the ashtray in the middle of the table. She flicked an ash, cracking a smile. “Slade was on the right track over at that Ashwilder School. I was mighty proud of him. Just a shame that–”

“
Are we here to sing, or talk about dumb shit?” Slade snapped. Oz raised an eyebrow at Kidd.

“
No need to take a tone, boy,” Lucy warned, jabbing out her cigarette. “Erica, wake your ass up, your brother wants to sing!”

I looked over my shoulder as the tiny curtain slid open and Erica, the girl from the shore store, dropped her legs, sliding out of the bunk. She wore leather pants that were so tight I couldn’t imagine she had room to breathe, and a tattered white belly shirt that was cut more vertically than horizontal, the slash plunging right underneath her left breast. Several belly chains were looped through her belly ring.

“
I’m awake,” she grumbled. Her hair was ratted and a mess
drawn
back in a loose ponytail leading down her back. She lit her own cigarette, crawling into the booth next to Lucy and Wayne.

“
This is Hope,” Wayne told her as if she was dumb. I don’t know why I thought that, but his tone really had me believing it.

“
Fucking great,” she said, shooting me a hard glare. She blew out smoke, not thrilled in the least. I didn’t bother saying anything.

Slade poked my side, sending me moving out of the booth.

“
We’ll be outside waiting for everyone,” he informed the room. I obviously was supposed to follow.

“
Their, uh, their, interesting,” I stumbled, trying to think of something polite to say about these people.

“
I told you,” he said, taking a seat on a lawn chair.

“
So, are they your parents or relatives?” I asked. It wasn’t clear how any of them connected. Besides Erica. I clearly remembered him stating she was his sister that day at the store.

“
Lucy and Wayne are not my parents. Oz, the one with the spiky do, that’s his mother. Kidd is just a friend, and Erica and I are related.” He sighed. “Oh, and Wayne. Lucy and him had a thing going for awhile, but that never was going to last, so now it’s more a career move for the both of them. Give or take an occasional romp every once in awhile.”

I took it all in. It was the oddest situation I had ever heard of.

“
So is Erica your younger or older sister?” I asked.

“
Older.”

“
What made you guys stay together after all these years?” I questioned.

“
She’s my sister, where else would she go?” He shrugged.

“
Well, I know if I had it my way Elliot and Easton would be far away from me once I was in my twenties.”

“
Your twin brothers?”

I nodded.

“
Well, that’s just the way things played out for us,” he said with a nod. But I wasn’t satisfied with his short answer.

“
How often do you talk to your parents?” I was determined to pull something out of him.

“
I don’t,” he said. I kept my eyes on him, sending his mouth back into motion. “My mother is no longer living and my father is in the penitentiary.”

I blinked away the shock. “How long has that been, and what did he do?”

Slade sighed, as if the most horrible and awful thing you could do to him was to get him to give up information about himself.

“
I was fourteen. That’s when the traveling stopped and I wound up here in Cherry. My dad got in a bar fight and apparently the victor wound up in jail. The other guy…six feet under.”

“
So he killed someone?” I asked, a bit in awe.

“
He was defending himself. Call it what you will.”

“
Is that why you’re here with Lucy and Wayne?” I took a seat next to him. The more I learned, the more my heart opened up for him, and the more
sympathy I felt. I even felt a bit sad. What a horrible life to lead.

“
Oz and I were always good friends. My folks were long time friends of his mom. She thinks of me as one of her own. Erica too.” He looked off.

“
Sounds like that would be really hard. I can’t imagine going through all that.” I stared down at my hands. Maybe I was luckier than I thought. I might not have the greatest things like all the kids at Ashwilder, but I had a loving parent. Some people like Slade didn’t even have parents.

“
Not hard to imagine. We all have a story. I imagine yours isn’t all that great either.” Now he was the one staring at me while I avoided him.

“
Why do you say that?”

Slade sat forward. “It’s written all over your face. When you looked at those pictures in your bedroom you looked really bummed. So what’s up with your family?”

I let out an aggravated breath. Scratching at my arm. “My mom left my dad for the TaeKwon-Do teacher back home. Pete’s his name. And my five year old brother, Griffin, lives with her still. I had the choice of staying with her or going with my dad, and I chose him, obviously.”

Slade really listened to everything I had to say.”Why didn’t you just stay where you were happy, why make the move?”

I swallowed hard. “Because I was afraid my dad wouldn’t survive without me. He needs me. And I was afraid of what would happen and that I would hold myself responsible if he drank himself into a drunken stupor.” I closed my eyes. I hadn’t actually said that out loud to anyone.

“
Did you ever think maybe it’s not up to you to save your parents?”

“
If I didn’t, who else was going to?” I said back. No one else cared about dad after my mom. I was the only one who gave a crap about him now. Mom had Pete. Dad had nobody. It wasn’t fair to let him leave hurt and depressed.

Oz and Kidd came out of the bus carrying guitars followed by Wayne, Lucy and Erica. They had good timing, because I didn’t want to talk about my life anymore.

Wayne pulled up a chair, his fingers strumming a catchy tune. He looked up at all of us. “So, what’ll it be?”

I
t was late. I worried Dad would realize I wasn’t in my bedroom as I listened to Lucy belt out a song I never heard before. She put everything she had into singing, like she disconnected from the world around her and went to a different place. Her voice was strong with soft hints of femininity streaked through it.

Wayne strummed the guitar and Erica sang backup. Slade and I sat very close, listening intently.

“
So what do you think?” he whispered in my ear.

“
I think they’re wonderful,” I admitted, and I meant it.

Wayne placed a hand over the strings ending the music. He looked up at me now. I had told everyone I wasn’t ready to sing because I was nervous. I wasn’t like these people—so intense when it came to my singing. I liked singing, but I didn’t feel there were any similarities between us. I sang because it made me happy. It seemed they did because it was part of them, like breathing, and if they didn’t, they would die.

“
What do you like to sing, Hope?” Oz asked. He leaned forward in his seat, a friendly smile upon his face. Hours into this visit I had genuinely learned that Oz was a great person. He was caring and helpful and he was very skilled at the guitar.

I studied Slade’s phone number on my wrist. “My father and I always sang old country songs and classic rock together.” I blushed, feeling a bit silly.

Oz picked up his guitar now. He started strumming a quick tune and it filled the air. I tapped my foot out of reflex. I knew exactly what song it was.

Slade sat up in his seat, clearing his throat. He started singing. My insides turned to mush as I listened to his smooth voice. It was the same
song I’d heard
the night I sat up on the tour bus, the one that had pulled me to my feet. And now I was inches away from him.

I gripped my chair, taken prisoner by his gravely tone. The way he pushed the words out with no effort, the way his expression became so serious and all about what he was singing. He patted the arm of his chair as if it were his drum, his feet moving beneath him.

The wind caressed my face as I watched him.

Oz stood up, urging me to sing along with Slade. I wasn’t sure if I even remembered the hook, but I gave it my all. I was swept up in the moment, everything around me fading away. Slade stopped singing and everyone was fixated on me and my voice now.

Once I finished, I opened my eyes back up. I hadn’t realized I was even closing them. Lucy’s hand was clamped to her chest, her cheeks red, she looked astonished. Erica’s eyes were large and she didn’t take her eyes away from me.

Wayne stood up, resting the guitar against his chair. “And that’s how it’s done. Wow.” He fumbled in his pockets for a pack of cigarettes. Pulling out a lighter, he lit up, watching me as he did so.

“
I told you guys you would be as impressed as I was,” Slade said with a grin.

“
How long have you been singing like that?” Kidd asked.

I looked around at them all. They were all astonished. But there wasn’t anything amazing for me to say. “Since I can remember. My dad always played music in the car, the house, wherever, and then I just went with it.

Lucy scratched her head. “No music school back home?”

“
No, just regular high school. I was more focused on dance then singing.” I shook my head.

“
You’re at Ashwilder now?” Erica put in.

I nodded.

“
They are going to have a field day with this one,” Erica said, going back to her normal state. She had quickly grown agitated.

I looked down at my wrist as if there was a watch there. “I really need to get home. My dad will be really upset if he finds me missing.” Slade nodded, standing up with me.

Lucy took me by the arm, her face a lot more friendly than the first time she laid eyes on me. “You have a gift, and I can’t begin to say what that means for you. We say it to Slade all the time.” She looked at Slade now. He rubbed the back of his neck.

“
Well, thanks. I had fun.” I smiled. She pulled me in for a hug.

“
I want you to come back again. And I will make you anything you want for dinner. What’s your favorite meal?”

Slade groaned. I raised an eyebrow at him “I’m rather simple. Pizza is my kryptonite.” I grinned. Lucy did as well.

“
Pizza it is. I will see you again soon. Slade, you make sure she gets home safely.” She walked away.

Wayne quickly joined us now, his tall frame towering over me. “That daddy of yours, maybe you could bring him to meet us sometime?”

I gave a nod. But Slade threw up his hand to Wayne, stopping him. “Her dad isn’t interested.”

“
Interested in what?” I asked, confused.

Slade just shook his head, pulling me to leave. Erica even gave a wave before going back inside the bus. Oz and Kidd romped around on the lawn in front of the bus, each of them battling it out with their guitars, the music growing and falling with each chord, until it finally died as we exited Henry Park.

“
You think your dad woke up?” Slade asked, his pace hurried as he made it across the sand.

I grabbed his arm, slowing him down. “I think he’s sleeping still, believe me it’s hard to wake him after
the Jack
.”

Slade finally slowed on his own. “Did you have a good time?”

“
Of course. Anytime I get to hear you sing is a great time.” I smiled. But he brushed my compliment off, which annoyed me.

“
Do you think you will be able to make it through school tomorrow? It’s really late,” he said.

It was late, and somehow time had sped by like lightning. I wasn’t sure how late, but judging by Slade’s question, it had to be pretty late.

“
I’ll be fine. Lucy seems really nice, I like her.” I told him, hoping this would make him ease up a little. He was really tense. “At first I thought she didn’t like me, but I think she warmed up to me.”

“
She likes what she hears. She loves music and anything to do with it. Don’t take it personally.”

We were nearing my house. I swallowed hard, feeling a bit offended by his statement. “Why are you always so grouchy?” I snapped, suddenly losing my patience with him.

Slade hopped the fence. He carefully shimmied my screen open and turned back to me, lacing his fingers together. “You need to get to bed,” he told me. I crossed my arms.

“
You promised you would take this number off. And I also asked you a question. So answer the question and remove the ink and then I will allow you to toss me through my window.” I waited.

He sighed, grabbing me by the wrist. He ran his thumb down my arm, my skin heating up from the friction, and then he let go. He laced his fingers in a hurry. “Come on, up you go.”

I pressed down on his hands with my foot, and he pulled up quickly. I easily slipped through my window. I hurriedly poked my head back out, reaching out for him.