The Devil's Backbone

3. The First Day Of My Life

Yours is the first face that I saw, I think I was blind before I met you

Now I don’t know where I am, I don’t know where I’ve been

But I know where I want to go

 

Harley

            School had been going on for almost a month now and the change I was looking for was nowhere to be found. I’d gone on a couple of dates with Seth, things we had never done before in the hopes to add some excitement but something was still missing. I was out on the balcony with my guitar, singing as usual, to the backyard when Emma came through the glass doors.

            “Hey cutie,” She sat down on one of the other wooden chairs that I had put out here years ago. “What’s going on?”

            “Nothing,” I continued to play random chords and pick out notes, “Just up here playing.” My voice even sounded bored.

            She took one more look at me and then snatched the guitar out of my hands. “Ok what is your deal?”

            “Hey, give that back!” I attempted to reach for it but she got up and held it over the railing. I was way too lazy to get up and fight for it, plus she would actually drop it. “What do you want?”

            “I want to know what’s up with you? You’ve been acting kind of weird lately.”

            I sighed, “I figured you would be the first to notice.”

            “Yep, so spill.” She handed my guitar back to me knowing that I needed to keep my hands busy to talk freely.

            I started playing random chords again, avoiding her eyes; “I’m not quite sure what’s wrong with me. I feel like there’s something missing.”

            “Like what? Like something missing in your relationship with Seth? Or is there something up with your parents? Maybe music wise?”

            “I can’t even tell you that much. It just feels like I need a change.” I threw my head back against the chair, exasperated with my own lack of explanation. I winced thinking of something; “You want to hear the worst of it?” she nodded with a ‘duh’ expression, “Last week, Seth dropped me off and gave me a kiss and-“ I grimaced, giving her a disgusted look.

            “Wait, you mean like-?” she interrupted her self with silence. There was a look of complete shock on her face that would be hard to recreate.

            I shook my head, “Nada, it was like I was giving a kiss to my brother.” We both flinched at that. Eli was just as much a brother to Emma as he was to me.

            We sat there in almost silence, my playing still continuing, “So like no sparks, no butterflies, no nothing?” She was still on the kiss.