Page 40 of Light Up
“You can play up to four cards in each game,” she said.
“One for me, please,” Corey said. “My brain won’t work like that.”
“I’ll have four.”
Corey shot him a look. “I thought you hadn’t played before.”
“I haven’t.”
“You’ll have to be quick. They probably call the numbers out very fast and you’ll need to check four cards.”
Tal scanned the cards he’d been given. “That’s okay.”
Corey sidled closer, but didn’t touch him. “Can you remember them?”
“Yes.”
“Bloody hell. Is there no end to your talents? I feel desperate to find something you’re bad at.”
“Are we all ready?” Jefferson called, and distracted Corey. “Off we go. Winnie the Pooh, forty-two… Down on your knees, forty-three…. Thee and me, twenty-three.”
Corey wasn’t marking his card. Tal could feel him staring.
“Man alive, number five,” Jefferson called. “Ask for more, thirty-four… Young and keen, fifteen.”
Tal began to mark Corey’s card too. This was surprisingly addictive.
“Staying alive, eighty-five.”
A few moments later, every number on Corey’s card was marked off. “That’s all your card done,” Tal said.
“Bingo,” Corey yelled, then asked, “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
People were clapping and Jefferson was calling Corey to come up with his card.
“Want to hug me?” Tal asked as Corey rose to his feet.
Corey gaped at him. “You complete bastard. I am having that hug. Just wait.”
He brought a box of chocolates back to the table. “Cadbury’s Heroes are my absolute favourite! But they belong to you, really.”
His face was so electric with pleasure, Tal could hardly catch his breath. Then in a flash, Corey’s expression switched to one of pain.
“What’s wrong?”
“My head… I don’t feel…”
Tal rose to his feet and shook his head when Claire offered more cards. “Let’s go back to the room.”
Corey staggered slightly as he stood and Tal took hold of his elbow. But once they were through the doors, Corey straightened up. “I’m okay. I don’t know what that was. I just felt really odd.”
“Do you need to go to the hospital? Maybe you have internal injuries.”
Corey furrowed his brow. “Great! That’s not what I want in my head. I’m fine.”
Tal watched Corey on the stairs in case he fell but whatever it was that had come over him seemed to have passed. He’d had odd sensations too, moments of feeling very cold, and wished he could ask Louis whether it was something to worry about. He’dguess Louis would tell him they should have been checked out properly after the accident whether they felt all right or not, but that hadn’t been possible.
