Page 76 of Sideline Play

“Okay,” Remi slowly responds, biting into a mini pecan pie. “Why do I have points beside my name already?”

Pausing as I bring the bottle to my lips, I look at my dad.

“Not me,” he answers, eyes turning across the fire to my brother.

Glancing around as we all stare at him, Roman lowers his soda and asks, “What?”

“Nothing,” I smile, getting up from Remington’s lap.

Slowly making my way over, Roman shoots up from his chair and puts it between us as he warns, “Squeaks…”

“Ro-Boat…”

“No, uh-uh. You’re not making this into something.”

Following every attempt he makes to put distance between us, I sing-song, “You like him. You really, really like him.”

“Fuck no,” he responds, eyes darting every which way. “I’m tolerating him. Completely different.”

Smiling even wider, I taunt, “Yeah you do. You like my fiancé. Admit it.”

“Over my dead body. I simply pointed out that it wasn’t fair for him to join eleven months into the year because, unless he wins every game from now until New Year’s, he’s all but guaranteed last place.”

“So you and Reeves and Dad all spotted Remington and it was your idea.”

“Don’t look so smug, Squeaks. We made you spot him too.”

“That’s okay,” I assure, feigning to the right. The moment Roman darts to the left, I charge, tackling him with a hug. Arms locked around him, I look up and murmur, “Thank you,” squeezing him even tighter as he grumbles, “You’re welcome,” hugging me back and kissing my head.

“Love you, Ro-Boat.”

Ruffling my hair, he returns, “Love you too, Squeaks,” before squatting to lift me up and throw me over his shoulder, a high pitched squeal leaving me as the world flips over. Walking back to the circle, my brother taking great care to make sure I’m jostled with every step, Roman stops in front of Remi and says, “I believe this is yours,” unceremoniously dropping me like a sack of potatoes onto the dormant grass much to the amusement of everyone else.

“She most definitely is,” he answers, helping me up and brushing the dried earth off of me. As I settle back in his lap, he asks, “So how long do we get to answer for everyone?”

“Sixty seconds,” Dad answers, already reaching for the start button on his phone’s timer.

Scrambling for his marker, Remi swears, “Shit,” before uncapping it with his teeth, tip poised just above the white board. “Okay, I’m ready. First question: ‘who was your first celebrity crush?’ Well I’m gettin’ at least ten points so the round won’t be a total shutout.”

“Fucking cheaters!” I yell, grabbing one of the mini pies and lobbing it at Reeves while Dad and Roman laugh so hard they’re wheezing and Remi furiously writes his answers on his board, his stupid lips quirking up in a smile as his chest rumbles with suppressed laughter.

Catching the pie and savagely sinking his teeth into it while he grins, Reeves says, “After playingBeat Shazamin August, you’re up by more than 5,000 points. I’m just trying to level the playing field for everyone else.”

“You’re the worst,” I grumble, putting my marker to my board and beginning to write out my answers.

I’m scribbling my final answer as the timer goes off, the name of my dad’s celebrity crush nearly illegible in my haste to finish.

“Markers down,” Dad calls out, looking like the damn Cheshire Cat as he drums his fingers on the back of the board. “Remington, it was your question so you go first.”

Combing his fingers through my hair, Remi checks, “Just to be sure, I’m assuming no one here will let it fly if I say, Scar.”

“Not a chance in hell, lover boy,” my dad confirms.

“That’s what I thought,” he nods. “So I changed my answer to Elle Woods,” turning his board around so we can see.

“That’s a character!” Roman argues while I wiggle a little victory shimmy in Remington’s lap. With a check by my correct answer, I hum, “How’s the cheating working out for you, Reeves-e’s?”

Not giving up on his challenge, Roman repeats, “She’s a character; she shouldn’t count!”

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