Page 59 of More To Us

He checks his phone. "Dad just texted me. He wants to know timing on finishing the floors."

For the rest of dinner we talk work, then I head home to get my guitar before meeting up with Dylan and Van. I called Kira on my way over there. She was having dinner with her roommate so we didn't talk long.

At seven I get to Van and Dylan's house for practice. I always enter through the garage, then go in the door to the house and straight down the stairs to the basement.

"Where's Van?" I ask, since Dylan's the only one there.

"He's on the phone. He'll be back in a minute."

Moments later, Van walks in. "Wheeler. You just get here?"

"Yeah. What's up? Something wrong?" I ask because he looks upset. He wears his emotions on his face. I always know how he's feeling.

"Just the usual." He goes to the mini fridge and grabs an energy drink.

"Family problems," Dylan says to me. "His dad's being a shithead again."

"What'd he do now?" I ask.

Van pops open the tab on his drink. "He was supposed to take Anna to the movies on Saturday and now he's telling her he has to work." Anna is Van's younger sister. She's ten. "She called me just now, freaking crying, because he canceled on her. She hasn't seen him in weeks. She was really looking forward to this."

"Your dad hasn't been going over there?"

Van shakes his head. "He's spending all his time with some chick. He told me he's not seeing anyone but I saw her leaving his apartment when I drove by there last week. I know he's lying about Saturday. He's not working. He's going out with his girlfriend." Van sits down at his drums. "So now I'll be the one taking Anna to the movies. She wants to see some cartoon. And then I'm taking her and Brit out for pizza."

Brittany is his other sister. She's 14.

"What about Saturday night?" Dylan asks. "I thought you had a date."

"I called her and told her I can't make it."

"Couldn't you still go out? Just take your sisters home after dinner."

"I would, but Brit needs some big brother time. She's been acting out at school and giving my mom a hard time. It's because she's pissed about my dad. The asshole doesn't even call her back when she leaves him a message." He picks up his drumsticks. "Enough about my family drama. Let's play some music."

He flashes that stupid, lopsided grin of his, but I know he's still upset. He worries about his sisters, especially with his dad no longer around. He said his dad cheated the whole time he was married to his mom so it's good they're divorced but it's been hard on his little sisters, and Van too.

He starts up on his drums but Dylan stops him. "Wait. Before we get going, I want to hear about this new girl Wheeler's got."

Dylan called me last night when I was on my way to pick up Kira at her apartment. I told him I had a date but didn't say who it was with.

"Who's the girl?" Van asks.

"The one I talked to at the bar last Saturday."

"The one who refused to go out with you?" he asks.

"Yeah. Her name's Kira."

"That was the girl you were out with last night?" Dylan goes over and sits on the shitty brown recliner that's shoved against the wall, next to the equally shitty red plaid couch. It's the furniture that came with the house. With all the college students who've rented this place over the years, I hate to think what's on that furniture. "I thought she didn't give you her number."

"She didn't, but she showed up at my gym."

Van grins. "And you turned on the Wheeler charm and convinced her to go out with you."

"Yeah, something like that." I set my guitar down, knowing they're going to ask me more questions. I really just want to practice. If we finish up early, I might stop by Kira's place. I haven't seen her all day and I miss her.

"So was last night your first date?" Van asks.

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