Heartsteel

heartrending

"How do you know where I live?"

I'm sitting on my bed, one leg crossed over the other while my arms too are crossed over my chest, hence my best attempt at looking intimidating despite my wrinkled sleep-shirt and harmless Pikachu slippers.

"I told Ray-I mean, your dad, about how we met yesterday before his shift ended last night," the girl — Basil, apparently — starts. I stare at her up and down from where she stands in my bedroom doorway, keeping a close eye from a safe distance on her consistent normal state, and unintentionally examining her blue denim overalls that were really working for her. "Umm...he couldn't stay long then 'cause he had to get home to check on you, so I offered to come by today to explain things. He agreed and let me know the address. Stopped by about an hour ago."

My mind flips back to earlier this morning when I heard the door open and close around eight-ish too, thinking that was when dad had left for work.

"Even though I do think it was weird, why was it so important for you to come all the way over here and explain it to my dad on how we met?" I question. This Basil girl goes to Reamirora, which means she no doubt lives on Rothwood's wealthy southside.

Her hands coil around to her back and something on her face shifts a bit, hesitantly, before disappearing. "I'd heard so much about you from your dad while he was at work, like how you love to dance. Those people I know that your dad works for, I know their kids too, and none of us really get to mingle with the employee's children. So, I always wondered about meeting you for the first time, and yesterday it actually happened. I guess I kind of fumbled the bag though, walking in on you and watching you dance. I, um...wanted your dad to hear it from me what went down between us before he heard from you about a weirdo that cornered you in the gym. And I really am sorry about that."

That explains it I guess, why she asked about my dancing back then, but it sounds like dad failed to ever mention any details about my mother, otherwise there's no good chance she'd bring that up to me so casually, I mean, if she's a decent person she wouldn't, which she kind of mostly does seem like, I guess.

"You, umm, called my dad by his name before. His first name." All the heat in my voice has evaporated, and it's annoying that I'm not as angry anymore now as I was like ten minutes ago.

"Oh yeah, sorry about that too." She releases a smile, her freckles stretching and winking, and I hate how it's placating me right now. "The people where your dad works — employees and employers — are usually just referred to by their first names, so it's become a habit for everyone there and we're all just used to it no matter who else is around. I know it's kind of weird."

Understatement, but I guess it is what it is.

I just nod my head, slowly though, as if I need a moment to comprehend the words she said. Really, I'm just stalling because I can't decide if I should ask her or not...about that 'dragon-looking' fake-out yesterday in the gym. If any of that was just some elaborate joke.

"I...I have English homework to do," is all I can manage to say to her. With awkward coordination, I uncross my arms and reach for my backpack on the floor of the foot of my bed.

"I don't mean to brag," Basil begins. I glance over to see her thumbs dangling from the pockets of her overalls, and her smile now thin and sheepish. "But I've got a pretty good handle on English, if you wanted a hand."

I mull over the offer; potentially finish all my English homework now and have some extra time to hang out Nil when she gets out of school, and if Basil's actually planning on teaching me anything, then I can account for dad's pesky interruptions if he questions whether I really did the work or not.