Page 1 of Luci’s Lullaby

“Come on, man! I’m gonna leave you,” Cid, my brother, yells from downstairs.

“I’m coming! Does he always have to be such an asshole?” I grumble.

A noise at the door draws my attention. “Yes—yes, I do,” he says, followed by a swift punch.

“Arghhh!” I grimace, grabbing my side.

“Now! I need to run by Shelley’s.”

I narrow my eyes at his back when he walks out the door. “I’m coming.” I plod down behind him, throwing my backpack over my shoulder as I go.

“By the way, we’re coming straight home after football practice. Mom and Dad will be home tonight, and we need to clean.”

I roll my eyes, locking the door as I walk out. “Yes, sir.”

“Denny, I hate it too, but Dad will skin us alive if we don’t,” Cid says.

Yanking on the truck door, I glare at him. I hate when he calls me that stupid nickname. “Does that mean Shelley too?”

“Watch it.” He cocks his brow. “If she hadn’t come over to cook for us, we would’ve eaten crap all week.”

“True.” I slide into the seat beside him. “But tomorrow, I’m gonna practice out by the river.”

“One day, little brother, you’ll be a big star, and I’ll be watching from the cheap seats.”

I grin, big and toothy. “The hell you will, you’ll be my roadie.”

“I’ll be your attorney.”

“If you have any brain cells left after all those blows to your head.”

“You’re just jealous because your head has never been blown.” He smirks.

“Keep dreamin’, Alice, or should we ask Shelley about you being blown?” He flips me off before pulling out onto the road. I can’t help but laugh.

Three streets down and two left turns, he hits the horn twice as we stop in front of the curb. Cid and Shelley have been together for two years now. I love her, I just want time with my brother once in a while. This time next year, they’ll be in college.

“She needs to get a move on, we’re gonna be late,” he murmurs as he stares toward the house.

“Why don’tcha hurry her up the way you did me?”

He side-eyes me before nodding in my direction. “Jump out, she’s coming.”

“Yeah, I hear that every night she stays over.” I smirk as I slide from the seat waiting for the long-legged, chestnut-haired girl walking toward us.

Cid narrows his eyes at me. “Watch it, asshole.”

“Good mornin’ to my two favorite guys.” Shelley smiles knowing we’re probably arguing. She really is one of the best people I know.

“Mornin’, gorgeous.” I kiss her cheek before she jumps into the truck.

Cid releases a low growl. “Keep your lips off her.”

“She was all smiles, dude.” I shrug as I slip into the seat beside Shelley. “I think she liked it.”

He rolls his eyes. “She was being polite and gagging the entire time.”

“Glad to see y’all are in such a good mood this morning.” Shelley giggles.