Page 29 of Fortunate Misfortune
Instead of shaking his extended hand, I use the large man on stage tapping the microphone as my way out and slide my chair further away from Kenneth.
“Hello, trivia people! Welcome to Big Mic’s Brewery. I’m Mic. Don’t forget all food and drinks are half off tonight. As usual, there will be eight rounds with ten questions per round. Round one is logos. Question one. The Olympic symbol consists of five interlocking rings. What are the colors of the rings?”
By the end of the last round, Kenneth and I are tied. The Goal Gals are in second place as a team, and we’re on fire. Not only is everyone contributing to the score, but the smiles on my teammate’s faces are brilliant. Even Jo has managed to look like she’s enjoying herself.
And it’s all because of him.
I’m almost too aware of my ability to take something that’s meant to be enjoyed and squeeze the life out of it. The phrase ‘it’s just a game’ should be tattooed on my skin considering how many times it’s been said to me. Fun has always been something to be earned. Growing up, if I wanted to do something that wasn’t related to soccer or school, everything else had to be taken care of first. If I didn’t take care of the house or my mom, who would?
Even now I justify my few nights out by spending every other moment being productive. Helping. Growing.
It’s not like I don’t try to enjoy things. I swear I do. My internal monologue is constantly reminding me to have fun. It just won’t stick.
With Kenneth here, he fills in the gaps I can’t. He makes jokes when we mess up. He hypes up Jo and Shay until they can’t help but smile, and he victory screeches with Adri. He nudges my arm when I secure a point, and he fist pumps the air when he does.
I’d give anything to let loose for once.
“Alright nerds. This is the last question of the literature round and the last for the night.” Mic waits for everyone to quiet down. “One of my favorite shows isNew Girl, and my favorite character is Nick. I’m a lot like him because I consider myself to be a loft troll. What famous author does Nick Miller compare himself to?”
I smile proudly. Nobody at this table has watched my favorite show, even though I talk about it constantly. With this point, I’ll secure my lead tonight and in our game.
“Hemingway!” Kenneth whispers, and Adri scribbles down the answer.
My mouth falls open because he’s right, and I can’t believe it.
“How did you… When the hell did you watchNew Girl? Last I heard, you called it crap humor, which is false, and not worth your precious time.” I add a tally mark to Kenneth’s side, leaving him with a point.
10-10.Damn.
His freckled cheeks are dusted with pink. “Over holiday break. All you ever do is quote it and sing the little jingle. I wanted to see what all the hype was about,” he admits with a little shrug.
“And?”
“If they ever need a replacement for Schmidt, you’re a total shoo-in. That part was written for you. Dramatic and driven? That’s my Eddie.”
I shove him away, because Schmidt is my favorite character. “Shut up.”
It’s hard to fight the smile that comes to my lips, and it matches the one on his. We’re only three weeks into the semester, and this one feels different from the rest. While Kenneth is still playing the game and giving it his all, he’s hellbent on being civil. A year ago, you couldn’t have paid me a million dollars to play trivia with Kenneth and enjoy it.
But here I am. Enjoying myself.
A grimace curves my lips downward. “I know what you’re doing, Gray. Call off this nice guy act already. I’m not going to fall for it.”
Draping his arm around the back of my chair, he leans in so close that I can see the individual freckles across his nose. “Who says it’s an act?”
Of course it’s an act. It has to be. The fake flirting. The incessant need to get under my skin. Showing up at my favorite places.
But there’s a sincerity in his words that scares me, so I run.
The metal stool screeches across the ground as I bolt away from the table like it’s on fire. I’m halfway to the restroom before I hear him call my name, but I don’t look back. I slam the restroom door into the wall, startling Shay at the sink.
“Dammit, Mallory!” she shouts, grabbing her chest. “There better be a murderer coming after you. What’s wrong?”
I sit on the counter. “Nothing. Everything. I don’t know.”
“Say the word and we’ll go home.” She hops up beside me and leans against my shoulder. “We might have to invite Kenneth again. Tonight wasn’t that bad with him here, surprisingly. He even brought me Oreos.”
The reminder of how fun and thoughtful Kenneth is makes me wince. I still haven’t forgotten how I acted at the carnival. I was upset and overwhelmed, stupidly telling him that I’m jealous of him.
