Page 7 of Six Years
“Do you play sports?” I try. Maybe asking fewer personal questions will be easier for him to answer. “You look like you play sports.”
“Yup.”
I hum, thinning my lips into a satisfied smile while bobbing my head. So personal questions are off the charts for now, but I can work with surface stuff. “NCAA?”
He nods but doesn’t confirm with his voice.
So he’s still in college then? “Are you a senior?”
“Graduated this year.”
Aha, okay. Yeah, that makes more sense. He looks like he graduated. I don’t know what having graduated college looks like, but if I had to guess, just like him. It doesn’t make sense at all, but it does to me.
“So, what do you play?” I ask, taking a sip from my apple juice.
He hesitates to answer, but I suppose that’s understandable. For someone who claims to not know him, and then knows he has two siblings, it doesn’t exactly scream I’m someone he wants to get to know. But I will prove him wrong.
I am someoneeveryonewants to get to know.
So let’s do this.
“Wait, no, don’t tell me,” I say. “I want to guess.”
“Okay.”
I take in his body. Underneath those baggy clothes, I think he might be pretty muscular, but that doesn’t say anything about his sport. “American Football,” I guess. I don’t think he plays American Football, it would be too basic for him.
Grey shakes his head, seemingly unbothered but there’s a slight hint of resentment on his face. At least now I know he does have feelings. Sports guys are easily offended when associated with any other sport but the one they play.
“Well it’s definitely not soccer,” I say. “You don’t have a soccer body.” What a soccer body is, I am yet to find out, but as long as my guesses draw out some reactions, I am good with it.
“What’s a soccer body?” he asks in return, seeming genuinely interested.
I shrug. “You know, bruises, abrasions, scars everywhere.” My description makes perfect sense, however, it fits a lot of sports.
There are only a few kinds of sports that don’t leave scars. Ones where the players wear more protection than anything but even with those sports, injuries happen. Blood flows in every sport, even swimming.
“You can get abrasions playing football,” he says. “Or field hockey, lacrosse, baseball. Possibly even golf if you trip.”
I laugh. “Got me there.”
“Keep on guessing,” he challenges. So there is a fire inside of him somewhere. I’ll find it, I’ll just have to figure out how first.
But that’s the thing with games, right? There’s always a way to win, and those wins come almost as soon as you figure out how to play.
Chapter 5
“I speak in grey to match the shade on the inside of my brain”—Colours Of You by Baby Queen
June 2022
He’s so eager, it’s kind of enticing.
Something about Luan is mesmerizing. Unlike everyone else who ever found out who my parents are, Luan still talks to me and I’m not sure why that is. He still tries to get answers and reactions out of me despite barely getting any.
It’s intriguing. A freshness I didn’t know I’d need.
“Something that covers you up entirely,” he speaks to himself, still thinking. “Or a water sport. Do you swim?”
