Page 18 of Overdue Feelings
“Let’s play,” he said.
“You keep UNO cards in your emergency backpack?” I asked, stunned.
“Don’t question the method. It saved our lives that day,” Ares said, passing the deck to the kids.
“That it did,” Zae added, making the boys laugh as Raylin eagerly shuffled the deck.
“Why were y’all together so much!” J’Marcus asked. “Coach Bishop always telling us a story about the three of y’all.”
My eyes shot to Zae and then to Ares.
“Because we all used to be best friends,” I said.
“Y’all not best friends anymore?” Raylin asked, his eyes darting between the three of us. “Is it ’cause you and Coach are a couple now?”
I choked on a breath, and Zae dramatically cleared his throat.
“Dang, y’all just ask anything now,” Zae muttered, grinning. “Kids ain’t got no filter.”
Ares rubbed the back of his neck, and even in the dim glow of flashlights and emergency lights, I saw the awkward look on his face.
“It’s… complicated,” I said quickly.
Ares shifted, squatting down so he was eye level with the boys. “Grown-ups mess up sometimes. And sometimes, it takes a while to say sorry.” He looked over at me, then at Zae, then at the kids. “But real friendship can make it through anything, even time, distance, and stupid mistakes.”
There was a pause between us all. Even the kids were silent as if we were all sitting with his words.
“Maybe you all will be friends again one day,” Raylin said, then immediately tossed a draw two card on the pile. “Your turn, Coach. Draw two!”
“I don’t even know why I started playing this.” Zae laughed and shook his head.
“Stop whining and pick up your two,” I teased just as thunder shook the windows again. The laughter paused briefly as everyone looked around.
“We’re okay.” I reassured the boys. The emergency walkie in the corner sounded.
“Any updates on the library? Still no power?”
Zae walked over and picked it up, then pressed the button. “Still dark. We’re good, though, just waiting it out with a few kids from practice. Their parents must have gotten held up by the storm.”
“Okay. It looks like the storm is calming. Can one of you go check the secondary breaker panel in the back? Maintenance can’t get over there just yet, and you’re already on that side.”
“I got it,” Zae said, standing up. He stretched his arms before giving me a quick glance. “Y’all good in here?”
“Golden,” I replied.
He walked toward the back hallway with a flashlight, and the second he disappeared, Ares dropped back into the circle with the kids and picked up the UNO deck and started talking trash again like nothing had changed.
“Alright,” he said, cracking his knuckles dramatically. “Now that the competition is gone, let me school y’all real quick.”
“You stay talking trash like you ever beat me in a game,” I replied.
“Don’t let these kids gas you, Creek.”
“Ain’t nobody gassing me. You just make sure you don’t rage quit this time.” I threw down a reverse.
Raylin gasped. “That’s so disrespectful.”
“Thank you!” Ares said, holding his heart. “You see what I’m saying?”
