Blood Relations by Chris Lynch Page B

antenna ’cause he was kickin’ my ass? Well, because you did that, I’m not killin’ you now. But remember, you only saved me that one time.”
    He gave me the cold fish eye. “So, what about next week, you gonna be an Indian with the war paint and feathers hanging down to yer ass?”
    I didn’t hit him. He knew I wouldn’t, which was why he could say stuff like that. But I didn’t talk to him either. I folded my hands like I always do when I’m sitting at a desk and I don’t know what else to do. In a minute, he spoke. He had no heart for the cold shoulder, just like he was too soft for most things.
    “Anyway,” he said in the same middle-of-nowhere voice that he says everything, “Honey’s gonna meet us after school. She’s gonna be outside. So tuck in your shirt and take that damn stupid greasy thing off your head.”
    This is why I had to start sort of ignoring Sully. I couldn’t tell anymore if he was deaf, or insane, or just completely stupid. I used to be able to tell. Used to be able to tell everything about him, more than he could himself. When we were six, eight, fourteen years old. Not so now though. It was like at this point he didn’t understand a thing I said. Like that I wanted no parts of his sister. So I was just going to have to leave him alone for a while. He’d get better again.
    I went the whole day without earning detention, and when the last bell rang I raced downstairs to wait at the door for Evelyn. In my new style. I couldn’t lose.
    I stood in the middle of the sidewalk at the foot of the school steps, so that the road out led to me. I could feel my look again, and it made me bold. I spread my feet wide, clasped my hands behind my back and waited. As students filed out, I sorted, mentally plucking and tossing aside every one who was not Evelyn.
    Then, one of them was Toy.
    “Sunglasses,” he said, walking right up to me and blocking my view. “You need some sunglasses to complete the look. Wayfarers, maybe.”
    “It’s not even sunny. It looks like it’s gonna rain, even.”
    He clicked his tongue at me, the way parents do. “You still need a lot of work, boy.”
    “I know, but can we work later?” I said, and pushed Toy out of my way. Pushed? Yes I did, I pushed Toy. When I realized what I’d done, I looked up at him with the right amount of fear and regret.
    Fortunately, what he dropped on me was a fatherly smile. “This must be love,” he said, backing up to sit on the steps. “It’s got to be love. It better be love.” He pointed a big finger at me then, but it sounded like he was more happy about it than mad.
    I waited, watching for her again.
    Ruben came bounding down the stairs. “¡Amigo!” he said, rushing up to me. I heard Toy laughing in the background. “You waitin’ for me? How sweet.”
    I looked beyond him, over his head for his sister. Where was she? “Don’t you have some other friends to play with for now?” I said. Not that I could really afford to be risking any myself.
    He was offended. “If I did, would I be hangin’ wit chu ?”
    “Mira,” Toy called, motioning Ruben to him. “I’ll tell you all about it.” They sat together, watching me, muttering and laughing. My new cool was quickly running out all over the sidewalk.
    All the other people I didn’t want to see passed, a lot of them checking me out and smirking. Baba thumped by, brushing me with his shoulder and tossing me a look that was like spit.
    Finally, finally, Evelyn emerged. A few strides behind her, a rotten freak of luck but the kind of luck I’m overblessed with, was Sully.
    Evelyn’s eyes widened, and I remembered my look. I straightened, spread the feet again, clasped the hands at the back again.
    “El Micko?” she said, then politely covered her mouth as she began to laugh at me again.
    “I’m going the hell home,” I said, to the background hum of Toy’s, Ruben’s, and Sully’s chuckles. It was only then she knew they were all there. She grabbed me by