Page 34 of The Player
Eventually, the hours passed. Water and stale ham sandwiches were slid into the room and reluctantly eaten. And then, the lights went out, bathing us in a darkness that never seemed to end.
I gave a low sigh into the blackness weighing down on me, and then I lay down. I felt the mattress dip beside me as Will lay next to me. Staring up at a ceiling I couldn’t see, I tried to dull the screams in my head.
“Tell me about your childhood,” he asked, and I knew right away what he was doing. Making me think about our loved ones on the outside. Reminding me of the life we had to go back to.
“Why?” I asked a little too sharply. I bit my lip with regret. Taking it out on him wouldn’t solve anything.
“Because I want to know more about what makes you tick,” he replied.
“Tell me aboutyourchildhood first,” I shot back. I didn’t have the energy to talk, not yet.
“My childhood was very wholesome,” he announced proudly. “And I’ve been trying to fill those damn holes ever since.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at him.
“Very funny, Will.”
“Being the son of a genie was pretty tough.”
“What?” I chuckled.
“My mum. She was a genie… she spent most of my childhood in a bottle.”
Well, that joke went south quickly.
“Oh my God, is that true?” I asked.
“What, the genie part or the alcohol?”
I lashed out, smacking him playfully in the chest.
“The alcohol, you dumbass.”
“Yeah, it was true. Can’t say I blame her though. She had it tough. My dad died of cancer when I was seven. She had to raise me and my little brother alone. It wasn’t always easy. We spent a bit of time in care in the early days after he died, but she did her best.”
“That’s terrible,” I replied, and I meant it. I knew all the soldiers of Brinton Manor had had a tough life, but it wasn’t something Will ever dwelled on. When you met him, you’d think he’d always been the happy-go-lucky joker he was today. I guess humour could mask a lot of sadness, and he wore his with pride.
“But enough about me, what was it like growing up in the Masters’ house?”
I paused. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to open up a little about my childhood. It’d help pass the time away. But I wasn’t going into any great detail. I didn’t have the energy for that sort of soul searching.
“My mum was pretty much like yours, only without the genie part. Her and my dad had a rocky relationship. One minute they’d be arguing, fighting tooth and nail and saying how much they hated each other. The next, they’d be locked in their bedroom, leaving me and my sisters downstairs in front of the TV for hours. I wasn’t sure which was worse, the ornaments that went flying, smashing against the walls, or the bed frame banging against it.”
Will gave a low chuckle that, despite our dire and shitty circumstances, made my stomach do a little flip. I had to do something to distract myself from my traitorous feelings, so I turned the spotlight back on him.
“So, I have a question,” I announced. “Why did you throw me in the pond last year at your Halloween party?”
There was no low chuckle this time, and I could sense him tensing beside me. Then he cleared his throat before he began to give me an explanation.
“I guess… well, I know, I kind of…”
“Spit it out, Stokes. Why were you the epitome of an asshole last year?”
“Because I wanted you to notice me.”
His words struck me dumb. Totally floored me.
“Whenever you were with us, you and your sisters, you and I always seemed to gravitate towards each other, and yet, I never seemed to get any time with you, if that makes sense? You’d always be focused on what Shelley was doing with Colton or where Kate was. So, I went a bit… rogue. I just wanted you to see me.”
