Page 54 of Josh’s Play

We proceeded to talk about fucking hockey for a really long time. Devon tried to include me in the conversation, but every time he did, Cam clammed up, and Noah had to jump in and fill the awkwardness. He and Devon were doing a lot of heavy lifting to keep our conversation going.

Eventually, I gave up, standing to the side and avoiding looking at Campbell, stepping out of the conversation entirely. I could feel the anger coming off him, and I hated it. Every time I looked at him, it was like he was purposefully looking anywhere but at me. My ears buzzed, and the room swayed, and I wanted to yell at them to shut the fuck up about fucking hockey.

Eventually, I muttered the word “bathroom” and escaped to a long line. When I was done, I found my brother talking to a small group in his corner of the kitchen. More importantly, I had open access to one of the kegs. I downed one drink and filled my cup again before heading over to Vance.

“Hey, Vern!” From behind me, someone had grasped my arm, hard.

“Cam,” I almost whined, but it was Devon’s voice in my ear, and he spun me to face him, dragging me away from the group.

“Do not out your brother’s pen name while he’s hanging out with his students. Christ, did you have another drink?”

“Two,” I said, flashing two fingers before booping him on the nose with one of them.

“For fuck’s sake, I’m getting you out of here.”

“I need to talk to … my project partner guy. There are only a few weeks of school left.”

“Yeah, well. I saw you two when we came back. I don’t think that guy wants to talk to you, Josh.”

“Why, Dev?” God, who sounded so desperate? Was it possible it was me?

“I don’t know, Josh. I’m sorry.” He clamped my upper arm again and took my drink from me, taking a sip himself before sighing and putting it down.

“Keep your fucking mouth shut until we’re out of this place. Do you understand?”

Devon was being very stern. My face could be stern. I twisted it up and nodded. “Mm-hmm.” Devon cracked a small smile but turned serious again. “Not. One. Word,” he said before starting to walk forward and saying, “Vance.”

My brother and his gaggle of enamored students looked at us. “Josh and I are leaving. The twins are still here, fleecing frat guys out of their money at the pool table.”

Vance laughed. “Sounds about right. Good night, you two.”

“Goo nigh, Ver …” Devon interrupted me.

“Night, Vance. We’ll see you back at the house.”

I don’t remember much after that, other than that I woke up fully dressed the next morning on the pullout couch in the den, the bed my brother Jamie was supposed to be using, to the sound of laughter and one chatty little girl coming from the dining room.

I shuffled to the bathroom, then to the coffee maker before joining the family around the table. I took one glorious sip of hot, black coffee, then folded my arms and put my head down.

My family bustled around me, eating breakfast and planning their day. Devon showed up eventually and dodged my mother’s question as to why I had slept in the den, and he and Jamie had shared a room instead.

For some reason, my family started talking about football, and all I could think was that I couldn’t escape stupid, manly sports. I may have been dozing off, not thinking about how Cam looked when he was roughing up the ice in front of his goal, when Jamie grasped me by the shoulders and gave me a firm shake.

“What do you say, Josh? Some fresh air? A little family competition? Good for what ails ya’.”

“Ungh,” I responded to what appeared to be a question about playing a family game of touch football.

“Excellent! Uncle Josh is on my team,” Jamie said, looking at his daughter.

“Can I be on your team too, Daddy?”

“Of course, little one.”

This was going to require lots more coffee, I thought as my phone buzzed in my pocket. I swiped my mug, which had cooled down a bit, and chugged it as passionately as I had chugged a beer or two the night before. Oh fuck, I thought. How many beers had it been? Definitely more than two. I didn’t remember ending up in the den. What else didn't I remember?

I took the opportunity of refilling my mug to check my phone.

Finn: Who is he?