Girl of Mine

Chapter 44 - Red

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Elvis POV

Loaded with humorous spirits to our names, a playful swoosh of my hand went through Red's hair as I couldn't contain my laughter. «You sonofabitch, Red, you almost made me laugh back there.»

A crooked smile spread on Red's lips as he hummed a laugh from the depths of his stomach, joining me. With a shake of my head, the two of us leaned our frames forward in our seats on the stone stairs leading down to the house's front yard. Looking like we were casually mirroring each other, our forearms rested at our legs, sitting beside each other with dangling hands.

Steps upon steps led down to an empty drive up to the house, now that the Colonel had gone home. And high above us, the afternoon sun probably hid behind the bright clouds. Gazing, my eyes traveled from sky-high sights to the rooted pair of legs to my left. «You'll look after Sal, right? I know she might be a little more relaxed around Scotty, as he took care of her and Patty back when... you know. But I trust you more, Red. Always.»

«She's gonna be fine. You'll make sure of that, E.» He stated, showing no doubt. «But, if not, I'll do whatever you want me to.» Calmer than any sea, Red's sagacious words stuck with me. It gave me a sense of hushed nerves, relief, and security.

«Good. She's stubborn, though, so heads up.» To make a point, I lowered my chin with big eyes at him, with a relaxed soft smile on both corners of my lips.

«She called all night for you, demanding news E, I know.» He laughed, reciprocating my stare with paler blue eyes than mine and brows reaching higher. A good wider smile showed at his blush pink lips as his freckles moved with his cheeks. Yeah, I remembered her phoning Red the night before Russwood.

«She's a handful.» I chuckled.

«Who's a handful?» Sal's voice asked behind us, making me scrunch my nose and close my eyes. Well, shit.

«No one, honey. A fangirl.» I shrugged the lie off my shoulders, turning with a coy smile, selling the lie with the image of one poster Elvis. Red took on an all-nonchalant act next to me, and his wide-ass smile was exchanged with a peaceful humourous one—barely noticeable.

Her pretty eyebrows frowned, giving me her skeptical eyes. Kicking it up a notch, I sent her an extra charming smirk with a persuasive twinkle in my eye, and as she shook her head, I watched her point past her shoulder. «Anyway, dinner's ready.»

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⌯ 1950, Autumn of sophomore year ⌯
Elvis, 15 years old
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Narrator POV

«Get him! Get him! He's a squirrel! He's just out of the trees! Get him!» Derek roared from the sidewalk with rows of trees, as far as you could see, at its last green stage of the year—switching between his very concentrated stare at Elvis and his laughable grins.

Thomas stood by his grinning accomplice right in front of Humes High School, which they all shared. Where cars would park, drop off, and drive on. Unsurprisingly like Derek, he hopped on the train of hollering. His rucked-up sweater arms punched his fist into his own hands twice as his mouth opened. «Are you gonna run, ha? Back up into them' trees!»

«Get a haircut, fairy!» The unhinged Steven's hands formed a megaphone, shouting with the power of his bloated lungs as all three of them watched Elvis' silhouette get smaller and smaller.

Elvis panted with his feet under him, going faster than he believed he could carry himself. Clouds of unswept sidewalk sand jumped with each step. Lifting and soaring the first inches above the ground, the tanned particles colored his shoes in all but polished black. But above all, his breath tried to catch up with him so he wouldn't lose himself to the awaiting ground—with the promise of it bringing on his demise if he failed to do so. Inevitably, his hair fell to all sides, and the sharply applied vaseline, giving up, could no longer hold it together. He could feel his sore eyes get filled up, loaded with incoming tears that came in thickly. Tears that didn't just spill from being scared shitless.