Nearing the school, Indie heaved on his brother’s arm, urging him to hurry up. Their shoes smacked the wet sidewalk in the misty rain.

“You’re going to be late,” he warned. “Stop lollygaggin’.” He turned to look back at his sibling to see where his attention had gone. The little boy was just frowning and slowing his pace until Indie finally had to jerk him forward, causing him to nearly trip into a large puddle.

“Indie!” the smaller one squealed, hopped over the puddle with uncommon grace and finally came to his senses. “I almost got dunked.” He scowled up at his older brother.

“You didn’t get dunked. Stop whinin’ and look at me.” He waited until the little boy was making eye contact with him before he continued. “Whatever you’re worryin’ about can wait, ok? Right now, we gotta get to school. Jay said if we’re late he will beat us himself, let alone daddy when he finds out. If you wanna see his cards again today you do as he says, which means do as I say and scoot your ass.”

“I was just thinkin’ about today. What if I accidentally do it and daddy finds out? Sometimes it just happens. You know I can’t help it, Indie.” The older brother sighed in frustration. He was tired of trying to stop the kid from acting like some sort of magician in a black satin hat.

“Rat, you gotta stop this. You gotta stop pretending you can see things. It’s making momma scared and it’s making Pops real mad. You like that flyswatter? ‘Cause it’s going to be a permanent mark on your ass if you don’t knock it off.” Indie was usually the most patient of the tiny boy’s older siblings and the only one that didn’t seriously scold him for talking about his tricks. He saw his little face crumple in injured betrayal and felt immediately guilty.

“Just go away then, Indie! You don’t believe me anymore then go away.” His brother pushed past him with all his might. “You’ve seen it and you still don’t believe me!” he shouted over his shoulder. Indie just rumbled in annoyed frustration.

“I’ll be here at five! Don’t go nowhere, Rat,” Indie called as he turned away from the crying child. He didn’t like to hurt him like this, but their momma really was scared. She was afraid that he was not a normal boy and that he would be taken away to a hospital to be put away as a mental case. None of them thought he was crazy, but none of them thought he was normal by any means. Their mother had lectured them all sternly to not encourage the youngster but also to not berate him too much. They all found it an uncomfortable balance to keep.

Indie looked at his watch and began to jog. He would be late, again, getting to his high school a few blocks away. However, his thin frame was quick, and he made it just as the final bell rang. He put Rat and his hurt feelings out of his mind, confident that, come five o’clock, the little boy would be his best friend again.

The baby of the family had always been attached to Indie, and the feeling was mutual. The only other person to treat the little boy with more affection was his mother, but the rest of the family, brothers included, tended to either ignore the boy or avoid him. Indie knew that he made them uncomfortable. The only time Indie himself ever felt uncomfortable with his youngest brother was when he did the strange things around other people.

Guilt washed over the teen as he entered the school. He knew what his brother did was special, but the boy’s adamance that it wasn’t merely illusionary tricks annoyed him. He had bore witness to some of the boy’s more incredible tricks, such as telling them all what was happening in another room, what one of them might be thinking and so on. Those sorts of things he had a harder time explaining away, but then again, Indie had watched the boy go from a tiny infant to a toddler walking around repeating things that no one said aloud so it had just seemed like a part of the boy.

Lunch time rolled around and Indie locked his books in his locker and headed to the cafeteria. The main area of the room was dominated by a long line that snaked back and forth and he joined the queue to buy his hot lunch. He stuck his hand in his pocket and fingered his coins. He would have enough for the day and that was all. Next week, it would be back to asking his mother for apples or the like to take for the mid day meal.

He felt a tap on his shoulder, and he turned to see a girl about his age standing too close for social acceptance. He tried to step back and trod on the person in front of him. He apologized and turned back to the girl.

“Hey, Lissie,” he said as he tried to find a safe place to rest his eyes. She had her school uniform top unbuttoned about three buttons too many and she also had on a thick red lipstick. She had soft, round cheeks like a baby and the gentle rounded figure of a young woman. To Indie, everything about her seemed round, but in a very interesting and uncomfortable way.

“Indie,” she said coyly. “What are you doing after school today?” The question took Indie aback, but he answered honestly.

“I have to pick up my little brother at five after baseball. Coach is picking captain today.” He turned and looked to see the line had advanced. As he walked along, Lissie sidled along beside him.

“Oh, I was hoping you would help me with my algebra. You took algebra last year, didn’t you?” She blinked her long eyelashes up at him and he blushed, for a reason he could not fathom.

“Yeah, I did. I, uh, I didn’t do too good.” In fact, Indie had almost failed algebra, and if not for Jay and his intelligence, he surely would have. “Jay tutored me.”

“Then pass on what he taught you and help me.” Her demand wasn’t sharp but laced with silky femininity that tickled Indie in new places. He often wondered if he was broken some how, because he didn’t experience the lustful drive that all three of his older brothers seemed to enjoy. Sure, he thought of girls, even grown women in ways that his brothers talked about, but more regularly they were feelings of romance, wanting to kiss a girl or hold her hand, or even just spend time with her. Lissie was doing things to him that he had not felt before. Before he could stop himself, he agreed.

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“Yeah, ok. Stay and watch me play and then I’ll walk you home.” It wasn’t until she walked away, leaving the line for lunch, that he remembered that he was tasked with picking up his brother.

After lunch, the rest of the day dragged. Indie’s stomach was in knots with excitement and anxiety, and something new, with the prospect of walking Lissie home that evening. He found his twin brothers at their locker, which they shared out of convenience, and asked them to pick up the littlest one instead.

“Why?” Two asked, suspicious.

“I got a thing.” Indie evaded.

“A thing, huh?” Toe dug. “What kind of thing? Girl thing?” Indie merely nodded once and felt his face flush.

“Who?” Two asked, succinct as ever.

“Lissie,” Toe answered for him. “Yesterday, she asked me what math you took last year.” The twins guffawed and Two punched his shoulder playfully.

“Yeah, we’ll pick up Rat so you can get some,” Two agreed.

“I ain’t gonna do nothin’…wrong.” Indie said indignantly.

“I know you ain’t. There ain’t nothin’ wrong with wantin’ to stick—”

“Shut up, Toe.” Indie turned his back to his brothers and strode away, angry and ashamed. The twins cat called his back as he hurried away.

“Pull out or Pops’ll make you marry her!” one of the twins called, and Indie raised his hand in the air and waved his middle finger at his brothers. Indie turned the corner of the hall to the sound of their snorting and laughter.

Lissie was waiting for him after baseball, which was disappointingly devoid of any captaincy and abundant in rain. She had her wavy hair pulled back into a ponytail and wet tendrils of it stuck to her neck in dark strands.

“You’re looking so hot and wet,” she said as he approached her. He frowned and felt his heart speed up. She held out a red handkerchief and a bottle of water. He sighed and then laughed as he wiped sweat and rain off his face. She reached out and touched one of his wet curls that hung over his eye.

“Thanks.” He drank the entire bottle in one long drink and snapped the cap back down. “Seriously, thanks. I always forget to bring water.” He bent and brushed brown mud from his knees, stains he knew his mother had to scrub out every time she washed clothes by hand.

“You’re good at pitching.” Lissie said and she reached down to get her bag from the bench beside her. Indie bent down and took it from her hands, putting both their bags on his shoulders. She smiled her thanks and led the way. The rain started to pour, and they hurried down the street, splashing in the water.

When they were nearly to her house, which was just a street down from Indie’s own, Lissie stopped and grabbed his hand. Indie looked down at her soft hand in his own, hers pale against his own tanned hand.

“You know I ain’t stupid, Indiana,” she said, addressing him with his full name.

“Indie,” he corrected automatically.

“Indie,” she said softly and stood on her tip toes to touch her lips to his. He pulled back and held his hands up.

“I’m here to help you with your homework. I ain’t here to do nothin’ like that.”

“Alright, sorry,” she said impishly. “I thought I would thank you for helping me, but you’re right. Let’s at least do the homework first.” Her giggle was girlish and made Indie’s stomach roil.

“We can work in the living room. Daddy won’t be home till midnight and Momma’s got an overnight at the hospital tonight.” Lissie unlocked the door and let them into her house.

They worked for an hour, shoulder to shoulder at the coffee table on the floor of her living room. Every so often, Lissie would lean a little more on Indie, or rest her hand just shy of his on the table. It made Indie uncomfortable but also achy in a way he hadn’t ever experienced before. He leaned in while she was writing and noticed that she smelled like flowers and strawberries. Indie shifted, adjusting an increasingly awkward part of himself.

“I think we finished all the work I have due,” Lissie said as she packed up her books and papers. She zipped up her bag and turned to him. He stared at her lips, still stained red from her lipstick. Her dark brown eyes were hooded, and she looked down in what Indie assumed was shyness.

“I’ll head home then. Momma’s gonna have my hide as it is.” Indie braced his hands on the table to stand and felt her hand slide up his thigh. He froze.

“Or stay,” Lissie suggested in a whisper. He didn’t stop to think before he nodded. Without warning, only a smile, she attacked him. Her kiss was aggressive and unexpected, and he held his eyes open in surprise at first before relaxing and letting his mouth move with hers. She broke their kiss and gasped.

“You’re a good kisser, Indie. You been kissin’ a lot of girls?” He shook his head and breathed in heavily.

“Just you.” She leaned in again and this time he met her halfway, cupping her soft face in his hands. They kissed for a moment before she pulled back again and beamed up at him.

“You’re real gentle, too.” She put her lips to his again, and a small moan escaped Indie before he could contain himself. Her hand traveled up his thigh, and he stopped, pulling away from her.

“No, Lissie.” She frowned at him.

“Why not?” she said, confusion written across her flushed face.

“Because I don’t wanna. Not now.” Indie leaned in again to kiss her and she smiled.

“That’s sweet.” She murmured against his lips. “You’re nothing like Jay.” Indie froze.

“What?” he asked, sitting up straight and leaning away.

“I just mean, Jay was rough with me. Yeah, he had been drinkin’, but he was so rough. Pulled my hair and everything,” she smiled at him and leaned in for another kiss.

“When?” he asked, cold dread filling him where hot lust had been moments before.

“Few months ago. It don’t matter. He doesn’t want nothin’ to do with me no more.” She looked hurt, and a little angry but her eyes met his and she smiled. “I like you, Indie.” She put her arm around his middle and laid her head on his shoulder.

“I gotta go,” Indie said as he disentangled himself from her.

“Why?” Lissie said, surprised.

“What he did wasn’t right but tryin’ to get me to do the same ain’t gonna fix it.” He pulled his shoes on and picked up his bag. “I’m sorry, Lissie, for what he did. But I ain’t like him. I ain’t no replacement for Jay.”

He closed the door behind him and felt tears stinging his eyes. He truly felt badly for her. Jay had used her something awful, something he often bragged about doing to other girls, but Indie had never seen the aftermath of his behaviour. The others hadn’t been childhood friends that they had grown up with. He walked home, his heart sore for his brother and for the girl he had broken. He couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for himself, too. Even the girls he got were hand-me-downs.