Zib's Kid

Chapter 10

Days turned to weeks. Weeks came closer to months. They blurred together so easily, it was shocking to look back and realize Rocky hadn't always been there.

Zib started considering if he should have his own bed, but they didn't have much space in his flat and the little guy seemed so content sharing his...
The fact that it kinda felt nice to cuddle despite being fully grown himself had nothing to do with it, of course.

After the Velveteen Rabbit incident, Rocky had been more invested in his classes. Alex took advantage of that by using the little poetry book as a model, explaining to Rocky how rhymes are composed, making him write them, and try writing his own.

It took a lot of practice and repetition to refine his handwriting, but he took it very seriously once it was explained to him that it wasn't enough for a poem to be well-done and sound beautiful; it also had to be readable, or no one would bother.
He wasn't dumb, mind you. Zib wasn't surprised anymore when he found him sitting with one of his philosophy books on his lap, asking him about Dostoevsky. Zib tried his best to explain in a way that the concepts were simple enough for the kid to get, and lended his books to the class whenever necessary.

He also loved to hear him talk about far-off places that Zib had hoped to see one day, though he'd never traveled that far, and of the journeys that he and the band did go on.
Rocky had been especially shocked to find out that Miss M. used to be a member of the band and travel with them. He had been especially nice to her ever since, in hopes of someday getting to see her sing and play the ukulele.

He advanced a lot faster in music. It was a thing to behold, when this rambunctious kid sat down and everything fell into focus once he was concentrated on the song. He had learned a few short and funny melodies that he liked to repeat and experiment with, and the whole band was invested in his development.

Zib would often hear laughter coming from backstage and knew he was about to walk in on them goofing around, like the time JJ was playing the trumpet while Rocky, wearing his sunglasses and a hat, banged the door of a cabinet.

"Is this what music class has devolved into?" he asked, before being booed at.
"You're not fun since you became a father, Zib," they liked to joke. He didn't even roll his eyes at that anymore. Most times. Sometimes they could still get pretty annoying.

They would also joke that Rocky wasn't really his, he was the whole band's. The music pet. One of them. He seemed to take that title with pride and excitement.
Jokes aside, they did agree the kid was good with music, and music was good for him.

.

One day he was dozing off at the bar when someone tapped him on the shoulder and urged him to look. He walked up to the stage, where the grown-ups were setting up the piano for Rocky to play, even though he knew only a couple melodies. He looked nervous but excited as Ivy jumped around him and waited eagerly for him to start. Once he did, she started dancing.

The whole Lackadaisy team awed and smiled as the kids did their best, and once Rocky had depleted his short repertoire, Mozzie sat next to him and aided in one last song. Then he took over the piano so the kid could join Ivy.

One by one the others joined in until suddenly, the whole band was playing while the kids danced on stage. Mitzi had been taking pictures the whole time.

"You're gonna waste the whole roll."
"I have to take as many as possible to make sure at least a couple of them look right."

They both looked on at the sweet scene with a smile.

"Isn't this place a lot livelier lately?" she asked, "I mean during the day. Ever since Rocky got here it seems the party never ends."
"If that's your idea of a party."
"Oh, you can say that, but the place is not the only thing that seems more lively lately."