Page 68 of True Sight
“Sure, yeah, whatever. I’ll come. What day?” My need for organization and a schedule kick in, trying to figure out when I’ll be able to see Henry now that I’m making these plans.
“We’re going out on Saturday, so y’all can get together then. Entertain one another while us girls go out and have a good time,” Bailey quips and flaps her hands at us.
“Saturday it is,” Hank confirms and we all nod.
Once the girls are gone again, it is finally my time to take my roll. As the die falls from my hand, I feel my phone buzz in my pocket and I can’t help myself from pulling it out and checking to see who it is.
1 New Message: Sweets
“Hey, no phones at the table,” Malcolm barks next to me and goes to grab my phone but I pull it away in time.
“Yeah says you, Mr. Perpetually Late,” I scoff, sliding my thumb across the screen to read his message.
“You know for a guy who is a stickler about everyone else following the rules, you do a pretty piss poor job of following them yourself,” Hank comments, only half amused.
“Guys, just let him be,” Kolbi says, holding up a hand to put a stop to their harassment. He looks at me through his lashes and I flash him a tight smile. Kolbi is like the big brother of our group, our den mother we like to joke, and he plays that role well.
I glance around the table at my friends before looking down at my phone to read his text.
Hello there love. I just wanted to send you a message and let you know that I’m thinking about you. I hope you’re having fun with your friends tonight. Text me when you make it home safe
I try not to react to his message so I don’t tip off my friends but I can feel the corners of my mouth threatening to turn up. I click the lock button on my phone and slide it back into my pocket.
“Who is it?” Malcolm chastises.
“Why would I tell you that?” I say flatly.
“Because I’m your best friend and best friends tell each other everything,” he replies quickly. He’s leaning on his elbows on the table and staring at me inquisitively.
“That’s hilarious seeing as how all three of you have kept things from the group in the past.”
“But we’re in a new era of adulthood. We’re older,wiser, all getting closer to thirty. We share things with each other now, so come on, share.” He smacks me hard on the back as if to force my secret out of me with brute strength.
“There’s nothing to tell, Malcolm. Drop it.” I start to roll the die in my hand and toss it across the table.
“Of course there’s something to tell. This is the second time you’ve been on your phone at the table and youneverlet us get away with that before. What’s up, Connie, got a girlfriend?”
‘Got a girlfriend?’
Of course he would think I’m talking to a girl. That’s always where people go, as if the person on the other end of any man’s phone has to be a woman.
“I don’t have a girlfriend,” I sigh, and keep my eyes glued to the table.
“Oh please. You’re the last one left of us without one and the way you look at your phone nowadays gives you away immediately. You have no poker face.”
“Malcolm, leave him alone,” Kolbi begs, sighing as he does. We exchange another glance across the table.
“Why? I’m happy for him, clearly he has a girl in his life and I think that’s really nice,” Malcolm exclaims. The urge I have to yell at him that it’s not a girl and he’s a fucking tool for assuming so is strong enough that I almost get up from the table to walk it off. My brain is getting more and more confused on what I want and what everyone else clearly expects of me.
“Let’s just move on with the game, please,” Hank finally adds.
“Yes, please. Tolith, what’s your roll?” Kolbi asks, looking at me sympathetically. I know he thinks he knows what’s going on with me and that Idohave a girl in my life, but thatisn’t the whole truth. I call out my roll, hoping to seamlessly bypass this conversation.
“Are we seriously going to just move on from this?” Malcolm snorts.
“With that roll, Tolith, you take out the dark wizard and move to join Auffroy in the pursuit of the golden chalice. Your roll, Auffroy.”
Ignoring Malcolm entirely, Kolbi, Hank, and I play through the next bit of the game while he pouts in his chair. After a few minutes he seems to get over himself and joins in on the gameplay once more. While we continue to play through, I look at my three friends and wonder what they would say if they ever find out that the ‘girl’ they all think I’m with is really a guy. It isn’t that I think they’ll judge me, it will probably be the complete opposite actually.
