Page 53 of Line Change

“I eat a lot of things,” Pope says.

“Name three.”

“We’re moving on,” the producer cuts in.

I add my point before Bobby can decide mine should be smaller. He watches me do it, suspicion beginning to replace outrage.

The producer goes to Bobby’s questionnaire. “What’s the first thing Bobby does when he gets into a hotel room?”

The room answers at once. Caleb calls, “His mom.”

Anton goes with, “Checks under the bed.”

Sindre lifts both hands. “Steals the good pillows.”

“All of you are disqualified,” Bobby shouts. He twists around on his stool as more answers come from both sides of the room. “Pope, they’re cheating for you.”

“I haven’t written anything.”

“Because you’re listening.”

Pope turns his empty board toward him. “To six wrong answers?”

Bobby looks personally betrayed by that.

Every road trip, Bobby ignores his bag in the doorway and stands there in half his suit until his phone connects.

Pope and I finish at the same time.

CHECKS THE WI-FI.

Bobby holds up his questionnaire when the producer reads the answer. “Because hotel Wi-Fi is unreliable.”

“You play a phone game,” I say.

“A competitive strategy game.”

“You grow digital corn.”

That brings Anton out of his stall. “Is that why you were late to video in Vancouver?”

“My harvest window was closing.”

The room gets loud enough that the producer has to wave both hands to settle everyone down. Pope takes the scoring board from me and adds a point under each of our names. Bobby makes another grab for it. Pope lifts it out of reach without even getting off his stool.

The producer waits until Bobby stops threatening to file a grievance. “What does Nolan always keep in his stall?”

Bobby writes BACKUP MOUTHGUARD.

Pope’s marker moves once.

My own answer is folded in the producer’s stack, but I can already see his. She lowers the card. “Turn them.”

MINT GUM.

My laugh gets swallowed by the rest of the room. Bobby looks between us while the producer awards Pope the point.

“He chews it every practice,” Pope says.