Page 36 of My Family

I look around the big old gym. No Jack at the busted trampoline, no Jack at the basketball hoop, no Jack at the Mortal Kombat machine or the foosball table or the card tables. Actually, there's nobody there I know well enough. I've been at Aspire long enough to know everyone by sight, but my actual people are Ethan, Jack, Miles, and Harry — Miles is serving detention, and Harry is too much of a bastard to have a real conversation with.

I feel like a loser with nowhere to be.

I think about going back to the room — we're allowed to stay there instead — but I know I'll just be more depressed alone. Jack won't be there. When he doesn't want to talk to anyone he disappears into corners of the facility I probably don't even know about. Ethan would've known. Ethan knows every inch of this place.

That's when I hear a voice next to me.

"Hey, pretty boy. You on your own?"

Reed. We'd all showered after MMA, and he's in a black facility tank top that shows off those enormous arms, the gray sweatpants that hide nothing, dark hair still damp, eyes bright.

"Hey, Reed," I say, trying not to sound weird.

"Come hang with us. Don't stand there in the corner just because Daddy's not around."

"Actually I was thinking about going back to the room. I'm kind of tired."

"No way," he says. "I know you're bummed about being alone. And I get it. It's shit. I felt the same way when Mason left." He says it like it's nothing, and I'm surprised he admits it out loud. "Being by yourself doesn't help. Come meet my guys. We can play foosball. You know how?"

I nod.

"You don't have to play if you don't want. Just come hang."

I raise my eyebrows. I wasn't expecting him to be this decent about it.

We go over to his usual table. His guys are all built like him. One is Santana — shaved head, cobra tattoo on his skull, which I think is genuinely badass. Another one they call Daniel, Black, just as tall as Reed, dreadlocks, sleeve tattoos, and teeth so white they can't possibly be natural. He smiles when he sees me. The third is Gabriel, heavyset, round glasses, looks like good people. All of them smile and we do the whole handshake thing.

Reed drops into his seat and says, "You guys probably know Liam. He's flying solo today so I pulled him over." He introduces everyone by name even though I already know them.

"Bro, you're really good at MMA," Santana says. He's in the class too. We've gone against each other a few times without ever really talking.

"Shit, if I'm good, imagine what bad looks like," I say.

They all crack up like it's actually funny.

We talk for a long time. Mostly about this girl Gabriel is convinced is waiting for him, while Daniel keeps saying "man, give it up already." Then Santana tells the story about the time he sold drugs to a cop who never arrested him because he didn't want to lose his connect. Everybody laughs.

Reed says, "I fucking hate drugs."

I'm surprised, because I could've sworn that he was into them.

"You know those steroids you're always taking are basically the same thing, right?" Santana pokes at him.

Reed smacks his hand. "I've said it a hundred times: I don't take anything. This is all training. You have no idea what actual effort looks like," he flexes his arms.

They keep roasting each other, but I believe Reed. Something about how he says it makes me sure he isn't lying.

"What about you, Liam? What's your thing?" Daniel asks. I shrug. I don't know if I have a thing, which is depressing.

"Liam definitely sneaks off to have a ton of sex, I'm calling it," Reed says before I can answer. I feel my face heat up, which is the most humiliating thing that can happen to a person.

"Where did you get that idea?" I say.

"Come on. I know Ethan. The man has an office. There is no way you two aren't going at it like rabbits in there."

"Speaking of Ethan, where is he?" Daniel asks.

I tell them about the clinical placement.