Read Inherited Magic for Free Online

school. She
grabbed her favorite Sex Pistols t-shirt and worn out jeans, completing the
look with her all black vintage Chucks. She ran a brush through her hair and
was ready to go. When she went back into the living room, Ruby was sitting in
her recliner and had a twenty-dollar bill ready.  “Thanks, Mamaw.”
    She bent down to kiss Ruby’s cheek
and when she did, an image flashed into her mind. It was Sam and Wes. They were
slow dancing, and then Wes gave her a quick kiss, just a peck on the lips. Sam
blushed. The image was gone in an instant. Allison felt underneath her nose to
make sure it was not bleeding. Ruby was staring with her eyes narrowed.
    “Are you sure you’re okay?”
    “I’m fine,” she assured her
grandmother.
    “If you’re ready, I’ll take you
down there.”
    “Yeah, I’m ready. Can I drive?”
    “When you have your permit.”
    “That’ll be forever. I can’t even
get into Driver’s Ed until next semester.”
    “Oh, that’s not so long,” Ruby said
while they walked to the Buick.
    There was not much entertainment in
Mason Springs. There was the game room, which didn’t even have a real name,
just a sign that read, Arcade and Pool Tables. The sign was not even accurate;
there were games and one pool table. It should have read Arcade and Pool Table.
Outside of the comic book store and movie theater, the game room was all there
was for entertainment.
    When she entered the game room
Allison got lucky, the pool table was free. She made change and walked to the
table with a pocket full of quarters. She picked a good stick and began her
game. She hit the pool balls, and thought about the vision she just had. She
hoped it was true, laughing at the thought of Sam blushing. Allison focused on
her next shot. She got two balls in two separate pockets. She liked to think of
herself as a decent pool player. She was too focused on her game to notice the
tall boy walking up to her.
    “As bad as you are, I’m going to be
waiting on this table for an hour.”
    Allison looked up to see who was
insulting her. She had no idea who he was, but it was a shame he had to be such
a jerk. This encounter summed up how her luck was going. She is approached by
an attractive boy, so of course he says something rude.
    “You’ll be waiting longer than an
hour. I have plenty of quarters,” she said.
    “I see,” he turned to walk away.
    Allison rolled her eyes and
continued the game. She sunk a ball on her next shot.
    “Tell me that’s bad,” she muttered
to herself.
    “Okay, you’re not too bad.”
    She turned to see the tall boy was
back, this time with a pool stick.
    “What are you doing?”
    “Since you’re going to take all
day, I might as well join you.”
    “I don’t think so.”
    “I don’t blame you, I am pretty
good. I guess if you don’t play anyone else you don’t have to worry about
losing.”
    “Fine. Set up a new game, and
you’re paying.”
    “What about your pocket full of
quarters?” he asked.
    “You want to play, you can pay.”
    “Fair enough.”
    She knocked the remaining balls in
various pockets while he inserted three quarters and set up the game. Allison
was not sure what to think.
    “You can go first,” he offered.
    She approached the old pool table,
with its tattered green felt and warped surface. Allison concentrated, wanting
her shot to be good. She hit the cue ball as hard as she could manage and balls
went in every direction. She knocked in both stripes and solids.
    “So do you want stripes or solids?”
he asked.
    “Stripes.”
    “That figures.”
    “What figures?”
    “I have a theory.”
    “About pool balls?”
    “Yes. I believe most people prefer
stripes to solids because they’re flashier. People always go for the flash.”
    Allison sunk one ball and looked
up.
    “Now you’re calling me shallow?”
    “Not shallow, just human.”
    Allison laughed, “I suppose you
always pick solids?”
    His smile widened, “No. I like
stripes.”
    “Doesn’t