play,” she says casually, and I wonder if she’s understating it so I take her skills for granted or something. “So you think you’re pretty good, huh?”
Now I wish I wouldn’t have said anything. She might think I’m cocky, and I won’t be able to sneak up on her. “Yeah, I suppose,” I say with a shrug, trying to minimize things a bit. “I haven’t played in a while, though.” It’s true. We don’t have a table in my dorm, and I’m not sure who I’d play with. Neither Jaden or my roommate Lucas are much into pool.
“Do you want to break?” Kori asks, and I shake my head.
“No, you go ahead. Why don’t you show me what you’ve got.”
What she has is a more powerful shot than I expect, and it results in a good break, pocketing one of the balls. “Nice,” I say. “Maybe I do have my work cut out for me.”
“That’s the idea,” she says, her lips curling into a smile. Her next shot misses, though, and she mutters something under her breath as she steps away from the table.
“Better luck next time,” I say, and I can’t stop the teasing grin that tugs at my lips.
“My hair got in the way is all,” Kori says. She reaches into the pocket of her jeans and takes out a ponytail holder and uses it to pull her hair back. It gives her a completely different look, and I must be staring at her, because she gives me a funny expression. “What?”
“Nothing. You just look different with your hair like that,” I say. “Pretty.”
“So I didn’t look pretty before?” she asks, and I know I messed up. Yeah, my skills with girls could use some work.
“That’s not what I meant.” I try to do damage control. “You always look pretty, but I can see more of your face and your eyes with your hair pulled back,” I say. “I like it.” I realize I’m flirting, and I wonder if she’s going to close up and withdraw like she sometimes done.
Instead, she smiles again. “In that case, thanks.”
I nod. “You’re welcome.”
“It’s your shot,” she reminds me, and I stop looking at her and study the layout on the table.
“Three ball, left corner pocket,” I call, then easily sink the shot. I briefly think about backing off and letting Kori have another turn, but my competitive spirit takes over and I make two more shots.
“I guess you weren’t kidding when you said you were good,” Kori says.
“I gained a table at home when my dad married my stepmom,” I tell her. “I sometimes like to shoot balls around to relax a bit, and we have family tournaments sometimes, like me and my dad against Liz and her daughter.”
“Sounds nice. Sounds happy.” Her voice takes on that edge again, like she’s mocking happiness, or at least doubting whether she’ll ever experience it again.
“It gets easier. It gets better,” I say.
“Whatever.” She shrugs. “If you say so. It’s still your turn.”
It is, but my competitive edge is gone now, and I miss the shot. Kori takes over and runs the table, but the easy, kind of flirting mood we had at the beginning is gone too. I’d like to get it back, but I don’t know how, so I just say, “Good game.”
“Thanks,” she says, but it lacks feeling. She may have won the match, but she didn’t enjoy it.
“Maybe we can do it again sometime,” I say as I place my cue back in the rack on the wall. “And maybe I’ll see you at my game tomorrow. I’d still like you to come.”
CHAPTER NINE
––––––––
~Landon~
I t’s a nice day for baseball and I get the start against Keene State. Naturally, my parents are in the stands watching, and they cheer louder than probably anyone else. They’re certainly in the top three of loud parents, anyway. Maybe I should be embarrassed, but I like having the support. It beats having no one come watch me play.
Today I have someone else watching and cheering me on. Okay, maybe not cheering out loud—or not loudly enough to challenge my parents in any contest—but I like to think
Now I wish I wouldn’t have said anything. She might think I’m cocky, and I won’t be able to sneak up on her. “Yeah, I suppose,” I say with a shrug, trying to minimize things a bit. “I haven’t played in a while, though.” It’s true. We don’t have a table in my dorm, and I’m not sure who I’d play with. Neither Jaden or my roommate Lucas are much into pool.
“Do you want to break?” Kori asks, and I shake my head.
“No, you go ahead. Why don’t you show me what you’ve got.”
What she has is a more powerful shot than I expect, and it results in a good break, pocketing one of the balls. “Nice,” I say. “Maybe I do have my work cut out for me.”
“That’s the idea,” she says, her lips curling into a smile. Her next shot misses, though, and she mutters something under her breath as she steps away from the table.
“Better luck next time,” I say, and I can’t stop the teasing grin that tugs at my lips.
“My hair got in the way is all,” Kori says. She reaches into the pocket of her jeans and takes out a ponytail holder and uses it to pull her hair back. It gives her a completely different look, and I must be staring at her, because she gives me a funny expression. “What?”
“Nothing. You just look different with your hair like that,” I say. “Pretty.”
“So I didn’t look pretty before?” she asks, and I know I messed up. Yeah, my skills with girls could use some work.
“That’s not what I meant.” I try to do damage control. “You always look pretty, but I can see more of your face and your eyes with your hair pulled back,” I say. “I like it.” I realize I’m flirting, and I wonder if she’s going to close up and withdraw like she sometimes done.
Instead, she smiles again. “In that case, thanks.”
I nod. “You’re welcome.”
“It’s your shot,” she reminds me, and I stop looking at her and study the layout on the table.
“Three ball, left corner pocket,” I call, then easily sink the shot. I briefly think about backing off and letting Kori have another turn, but my competitive spirit takes over and I make two more shots.
“I guess you weren’t kidding when you said you were good,” Kori says.
“I gained a table at home when my dad married my stepmom,” I tell her. “I sometimes like to shoot balls around to relax a bit, and we have family tournaments sometimes, like me and my dad against Liz and her daughter.”
“Sounds nice. Sounds happy.” Her voice takes on that edge again, like she’s mocking happiness, or at least doubting whether she’ll ever experience it again.
“It gets easier. It gets better,” I say.
“Whatever.” She shrugs. “If you say so. It’s still your turn.”
It is, but my competitive edge is gone now, and I miss the shot. Kori takes over and runs the table, but the easy, kind of flirting mood we had at the beginning is gone too. I’d like to get it back, but I don’t know how, so I just say, “Good game.”
“Thanks,” she says, but it lacks feeling. She may have won the match, but she didn’t enjoy it.
“Maybe we can do it again sometime,” I say as I place my cue back in the rack on the wall. “And maybe I’ll see you at my game tomorrow. I’d still like you to come.”
CHAPTER NINE
––––––––
~Landon~
I t’s a nice day for baseball and I get the start against Keene State. Naturally, my parents are in the stands watching, and they cheer louder than probably anyone else. They’re certainly in the top three of loud parents, anyway. Maybe I should be embarrassed, but I like having the support. It beats having no one come watch me play.
Today I have someone else watching and cheering me on. Okay, maybe not cheering out loud—or not loudly enough to challenge my parents in any contest—but I like to think
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