Page 36 of Poet & Protector

“You’re welcome to sit and twiddle your thumbs if you want; like Tom says, this place is always available to you, but homework is fine, too,” he said. “Can I get you anything?”

“A Coke would be great,” I replied.

“Coming right up.”

I pulled my homework out of my bag and organized it on the coffee table. Caleb went to the bar and returned a minute or two later with my Coke.

“The kitchen opens at five if you want something to eat,” Caleb said. “Our cook makes a mean burger.”

“Cool. Thanks, Caleb.”

I was finishing up my chem homework when Nev came down the stairs. He had his bag slung over one shoulder and he was carrying a guitar case. Caleb waved to him and Nev lifted his chin in acknowledgment.

When he sat on the couch opposite me, I pointed at the guitar case.

“Why do you have that?”

“I like to carry it around because I think it makes me look cool,” Nev deadpanned.

I rolled my eyes and tried again. “Why do you have a guitar, Nev?”

“Reasons.”

Okay. It was going to be like that.

Caleb approached us; like me, he pointed to the guitar case.

“How did you like it?”

Unlike me, Caleb knew why Nev had the guitar.

“It’s got good sound,” Nev answered. “But I’m going to stick with my twelve-string.”

“Fair enough,” Caleb replied. “Dr. Pepper?”

Nev nodded. “Thanks.”

Caleb paused, looking from Nev to me. “You two finally decided to call a truce, huh?”

“We were paired up for a class assignment,” Nev said quickly.

I swallowed a sigh. He was so determined that we couldn’t be friends.

“Hmmm.” Caleb cast a sidelong glance at me, then left.

“So that guitar is Caleb’s?” I asked Nev.

“You don’t miss a thing, Mason.” Nev took his notebook and a pen out of his bag.

I was curious because music was something I loved and knew a lot about, but I decided to drop it. As I’d predicted, Nev had closed off even more.

“Do you do homework here a lot?”

Nev shook his head. “Like I told you, I prefer to be outside. If it’s rainy or snowy or too cold, I work at home or at Sabine’s house.”

At the mention of Sabine, I tensed a little.

Nev continued without hesitation. “But it’s not like you and I could work at either of our houses.”