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in
there.”
    â€œI’m sure I don’t have to have a college degree to be an assistant football coach,”
Greedy said, defensively. “You know I’ve been working with the kids at the Y for
the past two summers. If I can just get in front of the right person, I’m sure I
can get a job there. I’m telling you, I know how to talk to people.”
    â€œWell, Greedy, since you know how to talk to people,” Justin started, “Get one of
these girls’ numbers behind us.”
    Greedy looked at the two women who were shooting pool.
    â€œThose two over there?” Greedy asked.
    â€œYeah,” Justin smiled. “And if you can’t get one of their numbers, then you have
to buy the next round.”
    â€œOkay. That’s a bet,” Greedy agreed. “And after I get the number, Adrian has to give
my resume to someone at the school.”
    â€œHey, man. That’s y’all’s bet,” I told them. “I’m not in it.”
    â€œWho cares,” Justin said. “It’s not like he’s going to get their numbers anyway.”
    â€œOkay.” Greedy smiled, up for the challenge. “Watch and learn, boys.” Greedy was
always trying to prove that he could get more numbers than we did, so we always pointed
out girls for him to talk to. He usually got shot down, but that didn’t stop him
from trying.
    Both of the girls looked Hispanic. One was smaller, with long, dark hair, and dressed
in jeans with a plain white T-shirt. The other one was a heavyset blonde with shorts
and a tank top.
    â€œLadies, ladies,” Greedy said, walking to their pool table. “You’re doing it all
wrong. I couldn’t help but notice the way you both have been holding your cue sticks,
and it’s not the right way.”
    â€œIt’s not?” the smaller girl asked.
    â€œNo, not at all,” Greedy said, reaching for her cue stick. “Here, let me show you.
See, it’s best to hold the stick here—that way, you’ll have more power when you hit
it.”
    â€œAnd you’ve been watching us this whole time hold it wrong?” she asked.
    â€œI have.”
    â€œWell, you must not have been watching close enough, because that’s exactly how I’ve
been holding it!” The girl smiled and went back to her shot.
    Justin and I cringed after we heard that. I knew Greedy was embarrassed, because
he was looking over at us.
    Greedy smiled and looked back over at the girl getting ready to make her shot. She
stretched across the top of the table. It looked like she was aiming to have her
cue ball hit one of her object balls into a bottom corner pocket.
    â€œYou’ll never make that shot,” Greedy warned her.
    â€œWhy not?” the girl asked him.
    â€œBecause you’re stretched all the way across the table,” Greedy explained. “You don’t
want to stretch for a shot if it’s out of your reach.”
    â€œI’ve made it before. I’m sure I can make it again,” the girl insisted.
    â€œOkay, okay,” Greedy said, and crossed his arms.
    The girl went for the shot and missed it. Greedy smiled even wider as he walked over
to get a mechanical bridge. “See, this is what you need for that type of shot. This
is called a mechanical bridge. Some people call it a crutch or a granny stick, but
this is what you need to make that. Here, let me show you.”
    Greedy demonstrated how to use the mechanical bridge. “First, you want to make sure
that the bridge is placed flat on the table. Then, you’ll put your cue stick right
into the shaft of the mechanical bridge. You’ll want to hold the end of your cue
stick like you would a dart. Do a couple of warmup strokes and . . .”
    Greedy sank the shot that the girl had been trying to make.
    â€œOh, okay.” The girl sounded impressed.
    â€œSee how much easier that is?” Greedy asked.
    The girl nodded.