Page 84 of We Shouldn't Be Together
“Ah, that sucks,” I say aloud. I type behind her back:"Yes, okay."
“Are you gonna come back and play?” Jamie asks, waving a controller in the air. “You’ve been in the bathroom for ages.”
“What? Do you wanna know all the details?” I ask, rounding the couch.
She hurls the controller at me. “Eww, no.”
I catch the controller and wince.
Jamie squeaks. “Crap. Did you hurt your stitches again?”
I bite through the pain and sit on the couch beside her. “Don’t you mean, didyouhurt my stitches again?”
She grunts and waves me off. “Look, are you gonna play or what? I wouldn’t have picked a two-player mission if I'd known you’d be dead weight.”
“I thought you had everything under control.”
“Dude, look at the screen. I’m being attacked by ogres over here.”
“Good lord, James, I left you alone for two seconds.”
My text chime goes off, and Jamie takes her eyes off the TV and lands on my phone. “Have you been texting while I’m dying here?”
“No.”
The text chime goes off again. Dang Tabitha and her double messages.
“Who are you texting? Who could be more important than backing me up on this mission?”
I definitely shouldn’t answer that. “Can you focus on the game? How are we gonna kill these ogres if you’re worried about a stupid text?”
Jamie shakes her shoulders and leans forward with the controller. “Okay, you’re right. Game-faces on.”
Man, I feel crappy. I shouldn’t keep this from her. But what good will it serve her to know?
It’s just until the assignment is done. Then I’ll have no reason to speak to Tabitha Jones ever again.
I think.
I hope so.
Maybe.
I swing my blade through an ogre’s beefy neck, and the satisfaction puts my thoughts on ice. I slink down on the couch and mellow out to the sounds of swords swishing through the air, guttural screams of dying ogres, and the disgusting blood splatters coating every surface.
18
OnWednesdayafternoon,Kaiand I are back at Village Coffee. Kai texted me he’d find his own way here, and he didn’t need my brothers manhandling him into the car. I’m still kinda surprised Kai went along with it that day. But, I guess, when Drew and Freddy are together, they can appear intimidating.
Kai joins my table, wearing his Ashworth Academy Hawks hoodie, athletic shorts, and sneakers.
“You changed?” I ask, stating the obvious.
“I can’t stand the uniform,” he says bluntly. “I like to change before leaving school, if I’m not going straight home.”
“I would, but I don’t carry a sports uniform around with me.”
Kai pulls at the front of his hoodie. “I’m not wearing a soccer uniform under this. I just keep this stuff in my locker. And it’s comfy.”
