Voodoo

Chapter 7

Miles was at the end of her rope. Her father, Dino, had completely moved back into their small duplex apartment within a week. He'd carried black trash bags of his clothes and rolled weather beaten trunks into the house, clunking against the wood floors past her room. He had filled the once relaxing space with the scent of his cigar smoke, whiskey and a thick air of tension. Miles had too much on her mind, namely Adele, to worry about whether he was settling in their home again. Jelly, with his small size and eager heart, took to the idea of his father being close by and accessible. Their mother being happier and flitting around the house, her voice light and airy made Miles want to grasp onto the contagious feeling of joy and enthusiasm. But she remained cautious. Dino had left them before and she knew the fear and the abandonment lingered below the surface of their happiness far longer after he'd disappear again.

"What are you doing?" Jelly poked his head into Miles' room as she sat propped up on her bed surfing the internet on Valva Dubois.

"Minding my business," Miles said without looking up, "you should try it."

Jelly took her response as an invitation to enter her room and plop down on her bed.

"Really?" Miles said, rolling her eyes as she stabilized her laptop on her knees.

"Why aren't you hanging out with your boyfriend?" He said boyfriend in a sing-song voice meant to get under Miles' skin. She hate that it worked.

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Yeah, well, you guys do more than just walk to school together. I saw you go to his house." Jelly flashed his toothy grin.

"Are we really talking about dating and relationships right now?" Miles sat her laptop aside and arched an eyebrow.

"So you are dating then?" Jelly snickered.

Miles grabbed a pillow and slammed it across Jelly's body until he rolled off her mattress in laughter.

"Oh, no fair. You're just going to beat up a cripple?" He said mockingly as he reached for the pillow on her bed.

"You're not a..." Miles tried to duck before the pillow landed against her cheek but he'd caught her off guard.

"Ok, a truce." Miles said laughing, recovering from the blow. Moments like these with Jelly were what she lived for. He was part of the reason for her stress in deciding to leave for college. Maybe it was good that Dino was back in the picture. She'd go to college and not worry about Jelly taking care of their mom on his own or being lonely without her. She let a smile escape as she moved to take her seat on the bed.

"What are you doing today?" Miles scanned his dressed down attire. Sneakers, khaki shorts and a t-shirt were not Jelly's normal attire on weekends. He preferred bow ties and suspenders on weekends when he didn't have to wear the uniform for his prep school.

"Dad wants to go out and play some ball." He turned down his eyes in what Miles could only gather was sadness.

"Well, that's what you always wanted, right? Dino and you spending time together."

"Yeah, but you know I'm not good at sports. I think he'll be disappointed." The whites of Jelly's eyes glistened with tears threatening to spill.

"Stop it, Jelly." Miles said, pulling him into a hug to her chest. "You know you are great at whatever you put your mind to. Why don't you have him do something you like to do? Something you're good at?"

"Can you imagine Dad at the art museum or going shopping for clothes?" Jelly shook his head in disdain. "This stupid arm always messes up everything."