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‘Aiden,’ I say pointing at him, since he’s holding the cue, and I’ve yet to make it over to the wall to reach mine.
‘Right,’ Beanbag Boy says to Aiden. ‘You pot first. Hit a stripe. That’s what you’re aiming for. Hit a plain, you’re aiming for that. Get me?’
Aiden nods, but his eyes aren’t on Beanbag Boy, they’re on me.
‘Need help, Kay?’ Aiden asks.
‘I’ve got it,’ I say, closing my eyes for a moment before I hobble forward. I take down the remaining cue and hold it across my chest like a warrior ready for battle.
‘Your shot,’ Beanbag Boy says.
‘You look like you wanna play more than me,’ I say, offering my cue to him.
‘Nah, Healthy Boy here thinks he can take you on. I say let him have it.’
‘Healthy Boy,’ Aiden snorts under his breath as he searches under the table for something.
‘What’s your name?’ I ask.
‘Sean,’ beanbag boy says with a lisp, and I see that his jaw doesn’t open and close properly when he’s trying to speak.
I hate myself for gasping. I’m missing half a leg, for God’s sake – I’m not one to be shocked. It’s just, Sean seemed so normal, so unaffected; his struggle catches me off guard.
‘Got it,’ Aiden says, straightening and holding a plastic triangle above his head.
‘It’s mouth cancer,’ Sean says, ignoring Aiden’s announcement. ‘And before you say anything, I don’t drink or smoke, I’m fourteen, gimme a break. But yeah, it sucks. And yeah, I’m screwed.’
‘Knee,’ I point to my padding and plaster. ‘Well sort of, more the bits around it, but my knee is still mangled.’
‘Ouch,’ Sean says.
‘What’s your excuse, Healthy Boy?’ Sean smirks, his eyes shifting to Aiden. ‘Why are you here?’
‘I’m visiting. Just visiting,’ Aiden says.
‘Ha,’ Sean snorts. ‘Alright for some.’
‘Aiden is my mate from school,’ I say.
‘Just a friend?’ Sean asks.
I laugh, probably a little harder than is necessary. ‘God, yeah. We’re not going out. That would never happen. Not in a million years.’
‘Okay, Kay,’ Aiden grunts, as he gathers all the balls into the plastic triangle that he’s placed in the centre of the table. ‘I think he gets it. We’re just mates.’
‘So, do you have a boyfriend, then?’ Sean asks.
I glance at my plaster and wonder if he’s flirting.And if he is,why? Look at the state of me. Who would want to flirt with me like this?
I hear the crack of balls knocking against each other and I look up, relieved to find Aiden has started the game. Maybe we can get back to talking about pool and Sean will stop making this awkward.
‘Nice break, Healthy Boy,’ Sean says. ‘You’re stripes.’
‘Please stop calling me that,’ Aiden says.
‘Healthy Boy, Healthy Boy, Healthy Boy,’ Sean chants.
‘Seriously, dude. What are you? Like six? Cop on,’ Aiden says, slamming the cue down onto the table. Some of the balls rattle and move from position. The blue one rolls into the middle pocket.
