“Tough nuts,” he acknowledged.
“Fine, then,” Kyle boomed, turning his body toward the ball that sat under the brightest spot of light. “We’ll win it without you.”
“I’m coming!” Jared threw one wistful glance at me—at us—and ran to get in on the game.
I wasn’t the best scorekeeper. It was too dark to see the ball from where I sat. It was too dark even to see the players well when they weren’t right under the lights. I began counting from Jamie’s reactions. His shout of victory when his team scored, his groan when the other team did. The groans outnumbered the shouts.
Everyone played. Maggie was the goalie for Andy’s team, and Jeb was the goalie for Lily’s. They were both surprisingly good. I could see their silhouettes in the light from the goalpost lamps, moving as lithely as if they were decades younger. Jeb was not afraid to hit the floor to stop a goal, but Maggie was more effective without resorting to such extremes. She was like a magnet for the invisible ball. Every time Ian or Wes got off a shot… thunk! It landed in her hands.
Trudy and Paige quit after a half hour or so and passed me on their way out, chattering with excitement. It seemed impossible that we’d started the morning with a trial, but I was relieved that things had changed so drastically.
The women weren’t gone long. They came back with arms full of boxes. Granola bars—the kind with fruit filling. The game came to a halt. Jeb called halftime, and everyone hurried over to eat breakfast.
The goods were divvied up at the center line. It was a mob scene at first.
“Here you go, Wanda,” Jamie said, ducking out of the group. He had his hands full of the bars, and water bottles tucked under his arms.
“Thanks. Having fun?”
“Yeah! Wish you could play.”
“Next time,” I said.
“Here you go…” Ian was there, his hands full of granola bars.
“Beat ya,” Jamie told him.
“Oh,” Jared said, appearing on Jamie’s other side. He also had too many bars for one.
Ian and Jared exchanged a long glance.
“Where’s all the food?” Kyle demanded. He stood over an empty box, his head swiveling around the room, looking for the culprit.
“Catch,” Jared said, tossing granola bars one by one, hard, like knives.
Kyle plucked them out of the air with ease, then jogged over to see if Jared was holding out on him.
“Here,” Ian said, shoving half of his haul toward his brother without looking at him. “Now go.”
Kyle ignored him. For the first time today, he looked at me, staring down at me where I sat. His irises were black with the light behind him. I couldn’t read his expression.
I recoiled, and caught my breath when my ribs protested.
Jared and Ian closed ranks in front of me like stage curtains.
“You heard him,” Jared said.
“Can I say something first?” Kyle asked. He peered down through the space between them.
They didn’t respond.
“I’m not sorry,” Kyle told me. “I still think it was the right thing to do.”
Ian shoved his brother. Kyle reeled back but then stepped forward again.
“Hold on, I’m not done.”
“Yeah, you are,” Jared said. His hands were clenched, the skin over his knuckles white.
Everyone had noticed now. The room was hushed, all the fun of the game lost.
“No, I’m not.” Kyle held his hands up, a gesture of surrender, and spoke to me again. “I don’t think I was wrong, but you did save my life. I don’t know why, but you did. So I figure, a life for a life. I won’t kill you. I’ll pay the debt that way.”
“You stupid jackass,” Ian said.
“Who’s got the crush on a worm, bro? You gonna call me stupid?”
Ian lifted his fists, leaning forward.
“I’ll tell you why,” I said, making my voice louder than I wanted to. But it had the effect I was after. Ian and Jared and Kyle turned to stare at me, fight forgotten for the moment.
It made me nervous. I cleared my throat. “I didn’t let you fall because… because I’m not like you. I’m not saying that I’m not… like humans. Because there are others here who would do the same. There are kind and good people here. People like your brother, and Jeb, and Doc… I’m saying that I’m not like you personally.”
Kyle stared at me for a minute and then chuckled. “Ouch,” he said, still laughing. He turned away from us then, his message given, and walked back to get some water. “Life for a life,” he called over his shoulder.
I wasn’t sure I believed him. Not sure at all. Humans were good liars.
CHAPTER 37
Wanted
There was a pattern to the wins. If Jared and Kyle played together, they won. If Jared played with Ian, then that team would win. It seemed to me that Jared could not be defeated, until I saw the brothers play together.