Page 15 of End Game

We load our plates and head towards the table that’s become ours over the years. Dee takes the seat next to me, letting me sit on the end like I prefer. Across from me, Wes pulls out his book and proceeds to ignore all of us. He’s not exactly what I’d call sociable. Simply being around us is enough to tire him out some days.

Mason, Sam, Greg, and Amir monopolize the conversation. It’s quickly decided that we’re going to head back to the house, watch tonight’s episodes of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!, and then we’ll turn on Monday Night Football. We don’t usually watch the pros in our house—after a long day at practice, the last thing we want is to devote more of our brains to football. Sometimes it’s nice to have a break from it. But Greg’s favored Titans are going up against Sam’s Seahawks, so it’s sure to be a good game, full of lots of good-natured trash talking and taunting.

Diana is quiet. She concentrates on her meal, playing with her food more than eating it. I nudge her with my elbow.

“You okay?”

She looks up, her brown eyes wide. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

“How was your first day?”

She shrugs. “It was fine. Back at school. You know how it goes.”

“Yeah.” My accounting classes are going to be a beast. I honestly don’t know if I’m going to pass my Tax Ethics course. Being on the five year plan, my advisors and I have been creative with my course assignments, trying to pick the harder classes for spring semester, when I have more time, saving the easier classes for fall term. Not that there are many easy accounting classes. Still, this close to graduation, I don’t have that much flexibility in which classes are available for me to take. I’ve been putting off this Tax Ethics course for the last three years. It’s only offered in the fall term. And it’s finally my day of reckoning.

I don’t like the pain in her eyes. “You sure you’re okay?”

She sighs. “Just in a weird mood. Talked to my parents, and I—”

Covering her hand with mine, I squeeze, trying to reassure her. “Your dad is going to be fine.”

“He might not be.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I know. I just…” She sighs. “I’m worried.”

“I know.” I squeeze her hand again. “He’s strong. He can make it through this.”

“I really hope so.”

I don’t know what to say to her. The mood is subdued as she robotically eats her dinner. Tucker suggests ice cream, and she doesn’t even perk up.

I can’t ease this burden for her. Her father is going to get sicker and sicker. He’s going to fight, but there are no guarantees. All I can do is be there for her, be a shoulder she can lean on when the going gets tough. Because it’s going to get tough. There’s no doubt about that.

Tugging on one of her curls, I direct her focus back to me. “You still up for tonight?”

She gives me a small smile. “Yeah. I need a distraction.”

Once everyone has finished their dinner, or in Tucker’s case second dessert, Wes puts away his book and we begin the walk home en masse. While we don’t always eat every meal together and go home together, we try to schedule a few nights a week to hang out, all of us. We’re roommates and teammates, but more than that, we’re friends.

With Miles and Tucker now dating and secure in their relationships, our cohesive bond is starting to fracture. It used to be that all of us would spend our time together, day in and day out. Now they spend a significant time locked away in their rooms, having sex or otherwise occupied with their new partners.

I don’t begrudge them their happiness. I’m glad they’ve found people that make them happy. I just wish sometimes that I could find something that makes me even remotely as happy as they have.

Miles and Sam curl up on the couch. I take my usual spot on the other end. Wes is in his favorite armchair by the window. Tucker and Mason curl up on another chair. Even though we’ve just finished dinner, Greg goes to make us all a few bowls of popcorn.

“Sit,” I tell Diana.

She frowns. “There’s no more room.”

All the chairs are occupied.

I catch her hand and pull her on top of me. “Sit.” She falls, her comfortable weight warming me all the way through.

“You want me to sit on your lap?” She twists sideways, her legs spread over my thighs.

“Don’t make it weird.” I set my hand on her hip.