Falling on Dead Ears

“Can I lick the spoon?” Tommy asked childishly once Ellie had looked up. Travis laughed at the meek voice lifting through his kitchen and Tommy’s large doe eyes. “Please?” he added.

Ellie held the spoon out to the large rounded man watching his face light up like Christmas. She grabbed the mixers out of the bowl passing one to Travis and one to Andy smiling at them both.

“Ha, I got a mixer.” Andy teased licking it as Tommy shrugged licking the hand made frosting off the massive spoon. “Pfftt, party popper.”

“Fat ass.” Travis stated looking over at Andy, a smile lingering with his teasing words.

“No, I’m fat, he’s just old, wrinkled, and slowly fading away in life.” Tommy mused just as playfully.

Travis snorted with his laughter as Andy frowned.

“Atleast I can see my dick.” Andy laughed. Travis grimaced at that looking up to find Ellie ignoring them, like usual while in the kitchen. He was grateful most days when conversations like this happened so they wouldn’t have to scar her eyes too badly.

“Hey, I may be big,” Tommy waved a hand at his stomach, pausing to lick his spoon. “but my stomach isn’t the only thing that’s big.” Wiggling his eye brows at them they both laughed.

“Oh I didn’t need to know that.” Travis groaned, still chuckling softly as he licked the frosting of his beater.

“Oh but you did.” Andy and Tommy laughed as Travis grimaced.

“No I….I got it.” He stated as the door bell rang. Tossing his half eaten beater into the sink he watched both his friends faces sink as the silver and frosting coated object sank deeper into the dirty water. “I got it.” He laughed spinning Ellie around. She watched as he grabbed his crutches. “Coming.” He called as he made his way towards the front door quickly.

He only had to be on crutches, via doctor’s orders for two more weeks, two. Then he could go back to walking and Ellie said once the doctor said he could walk by himself he could do what he wanted. He’d laughed at that, even more so when she told him the second he fell on his face she’d state a bold ‘I told you so’ and probably laugh at him as well.

Stopping at the door he pulled it open. A family of four stood on the other side. The man stood tall with slick back black hair and sharp brown eyes in a pressed black suit that caused his chestnut colored skin to stand out more. The woman was rather small with honey colored hair and bright blue eyes. The two young adults seemed similar, the older looking boy looked almost like the man with a less pointed nose and more defined chin. The youngest of the group held his mothers eyes but was a miniature version of his father in a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt.

“Hi can I help you?” Travis asked gently eyeing them closely.

“Are you Travis Pastrana?” The man asked boldly, squaring his shoulders. Travis took note of the Hispanic accent and his mind automatically produced a picture of the actor who played Zoro. Thought that actor and this man looked nothing alike they had similar accents.

“Yeah?” He licked his lips confused. “Is there something I can help you with Sir?” He asked politely. The man was rather intimidating.

“Yes there is.” A forced smile graced the man’s thin lips for only a few short seconds. “I’d like my daughter back.” He hissed. Travis stood up right, a little off his crutches. “She has no need being with an imbecile or cripple such as yourself.”

“Excuse me.” Travis licked his lips. “But I don’t think you have a say in that. Also I’m not enjoying your tone sir. You’re at my home, not yours.” The man’s eyes narrowed. “Besides,” he sighed. “how do I know you’re her father. The only one in her family I’ve ever meet is her aunt,” Travis was grateful his mouth was smart enough to not call her aunt ‘crazy’ like his brain had. “And her uncle.”

“I’d like to speak with Eloise.” He growled.

“He means Ellie.” The woman added gently, smiling softly up at Travis.

Slowly he nodded, trying to keep his jaw rolling in distaste. On t he Brightside of this moment it was clear what side of the family Ellie’s aunt came from.

“Please come in. I’ll go get her for you.” He stated. Closing the door behind them he forced a smile.

Travis moved quickly towards the kitchen, the sound of footsteps echoing quickly behind him with speed. Catching Ellie’s attention was easy. The slight movement in the archway caused her to look up and smile at him. Her smile faded at his unhappy expression. But before any words could fall off her hands they rushed off Travis’s.

Her eye brows went up as the man pushed past Travis roughly. His hands began moving swiftly to talk to her. Ellie turned her attention to Travis, almost pointing a blame on him for the man being their.

Travis shrugged confused at what was going on only to jump as the man took one of Travis’s barstools for the kitchen island and slammed it against the floor aggressively. Ellie’s attention was on her father once more as the vibrations from the stool’s impact violently shook the hair and vibrated the wooden floors below her bare feet.

Silent incased the kitchen as Ellie and her father stared at each other. Travis had no words for what had just happened. He couldn’t even register it. Her father took in deep breaths to calm himself as he licked his lips.

“Who’s the dick in the suit?” Andy voice annoyed, still eating his frosting.

“My name is Bernard Raymundo.” He stated officially making Travis nod. That last name pointed everything out to him. “and you,” he pointed at his daughter. “are leaving.” He stated reaching for her.

Travis moved between them. If he didn’t let her aunt, his dad, or even Satan’s little helper Liz get between them then he sure as hell wasn’t going to let her dad.