Painted On My Heart

“Are you coming to our show-off tomorrow?” Sidney asked Arik.

“Please come, Uncle A. We learned a dance, and I can do a cartwheel. I’m gonna do it tomorrow in the dance.” Em beamed. Then as if some unknown music had started playing in the girls’ heads, all four started moving at the same time and shockingly, they were actually in sync.

“When and where?” Arik asked.

“When and where, Dad?” Em asked, never slowing the movement of her arms or hips.

“Plano, three o’clock,” Trent answered when Gage looked stumped.

“I think we could manage that,” Arik answered, and as sweet as they were, when all four sets of eyes turned to Kellus, they were a little intimidating. Since he had no idea what they were waiting for, he turned to Arik who just shook his head, having no clue.

“I don’t speak kid very well,” Kellus said, biting his lip, looking around for help.

“They want to know if you’re coming,” Arik’s mother replied.

“She’s the child whisperer. Does that crazy language translation stuff all the time for me,” Arik teased then answered for him. “He works a lot, and we’re going out of town, but I’ll try to talk him into it.”

They each gave a single jump of excitement before one turned to the other. “Let’s go cheer for Dustin and Hunter. They’re playing football in the backyard.”

“Hunter hates that,” Em said, a little dejected.

“I know!” Another eager jump happened as Em’s face morphed back into extreme delight. She now fully understood the plan: make Hunter mad. All four girls tore out of the kitchen like the place was on fire.

“They’re sweet,” Kellus said, watching them go.

“They’re terrors,” Arik replied, moving Kellus farther into the kitchen. “It’s probably a good thing for you guys that they aren’t going to school together.”

“Oh no, they are. Mom’s gotten them into Hockaday. She’s driving and picking up,” Gage said. Kellus looked over at Connie Layne who beamed with pride.

“We have some smart children in our family. It was easy to get them in.” Arik’s mom reached over and gave her a high five. They were exactly as Arik described, a unified front with strong personalities, just like Arik’s.

“No way. Aunt Connie, you’re not doing that to that school?” Arik asked, horrified.

“We have bets on which of the crew will be in trouble first. My bet’s the four of them. They’re thicker than thieves,” Max Layne, Arik’s father, said, pointing to the door the four girls had just run through.

“It won’t be on purpose.” Trent started to defend his daughter and everyone in the kitchen began laughing.

“He’s a first-time father. Give him space,” Uncle Jack said, graciously having Trent’s back, lifting his hands to calm everyone down. “Besides, I have a much bigger question. Kellus, we need an explanation. How did Arik manage to rope you into coming tonight?”

With the way everyone’s head turned his direction, it was as if he held the answer to world peace. As he just stared back at them, opening his mouth then closing it again, he decided…what kind of question was that? How did he begin to answer?

“No kidding. We were really getting worried, son,” Arik’s dad followed up with a hint of teasing in his tone.

“Okay, here we go.” Arik turned to Kellus when Gage, his uncle, and his father were all working their phones. Arik immediately started to usher Kellus backward, toward the door. “I think we should go. This is taking an ugly turn.”

“Max, can’t you wait to embarrass Arik? Can’t we at least let Kellus get in the house before we do all this?” Diana, Arik’s mother asked.

“Why would I ever do that?” His father was the first to extend his hand, then his uncle, then Gage. All three were showing him the same picture of Arik with a flamboyantly dressed person on his arm. Interest and confusion swamped him the longer he stared. Was that a woman? He couldn’t see the picture well. After a second more, Kellus bent forward to get a better look. They seemed patient as they continued to hold the phones until he took the closest one offered, positioning it better in the light as he expanded the photo.

“All right. You made your point,” Arik said, reaching for the phone. Kellus knocked his hand away.

“That’s a…interesting,” he started, looking over at Arik’s embarrassed face. He couldn’t find the right words to describe what he was seeing and looked back at the phone.

“You too?” Arik asked disbelievingly.

“Who is this?” Kellus turned and asked Gage.

“The last guy he dated,” Gage stated proudly. Kellus looked back in time to see Arik shoot his cousin the finger. Kellus paid no attention to that and glanced down at the screen until the phone went blank. He swiped, quickly bringing the photo back up. His brow furrowed as he looked over at Arik, so confused. If Arik dated guys like that, what the hell was he doing with him?