Page 12 of Puck Your Feelings
"Neither am I," I add.
"And yet, here we are," Groover says cheerfully. "In a bag."
Kane returns to his book. I return to my phone. Groover returns to bothering Mateo about something I tune out because if I don't, I'm going to throw something.
My phone buzzes with a group chat notification.
Wall: Taking bets on how long until Kane and Becker either fight or fuck.
Jesus.
Ace: WALL!
Wall: What? I'm providing a valuable team service
Petrov: I bet fight. Becker cannot keep mouth shut
I huff through my nose and start typing.
Becker: I'M IN THIS CHAT
Wall: I know. Makes it more fun
Groover: My money's on them being secretly into each other
Becker: I WILL END YOU
Washington: Everyone shut up or I'm turning this bus around
Wall: You can't turn a bus around on the highway
Washington: Watch me
I glance at Kane to see if he's noticed, but he's still focused on his book like nothing in the universe exists except Cormac McCarthy and whatever bleak prose he's consuming.
"Do you ever check the group chat?" I ask before I can stop myself.
Kane turns a page. "No."
"Why not?"
"Because it's chaos."
"It'steam bonding."
"It's twenty-three men acting like middle schoolers with unlimited texting plans."
He's not wrong, but I'm not about to admit that.
"You're going to miss important information," I point out.
"If it's important, someone will tell me in person."
"What if it's time-sensitive?"
"Then they'll call."
I stare at him. He stares at his book. This conversation is going nowhere, and I don't know why I even started it.
