Page 26 of Check the Halls
“Nah,” I say sliding it back in place on the shelf. “I’ve already read it.”
“Did you like it?”
“It’s one of my favourites.” Not because of the story orthe characters, but because the time in my life it brings me back to.
Sam shifts on his feet before saying, “You might like Hattersville, then.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s Manga, which is like Japanese graphic novels,” he answers, looking at the bookshelf in front of him.
I don’t tell him I’m familiar with Manga because this is the most he’s said to me unprompted and I want to keep him talking. “Okay.”
“Hattersville is a modern Wonderland reimagining. The Mad Hatter is like this disillusioned rebel leader that goes against the corrupt government.” He glances up at me, like he’s measuring my interest. “There’s no Alice and it’s kind of violent, but the drawings are really good.”
“That sounds awesome,” I tell him. “Do they have any copies here?”
Sam shakes his head, his shoulders dropping a little. “No, I already checked. It’s a pretty new series. Only three have been released so far. I borrowed the first one from the library–the public one. My school doesn’t carry them because they’re too violent.”
“Makes sense. Why don’t we head over to the mall. There’s a bookstore there that will probably have them. And, I don’t know about you, but I’m getting kind of hungry. We could hit up the food court before I take you home?”
He hesitates and I worry I’ve pushed too far. “Could we get slushies?”
“Hell yeah.”
“Why are raspberry slushies blue?”I ask as we sit in the food court, enjoying our frozen sugar water while people watching. Not only did the bookstore have the entire Hattersville series, they had a special edition box set with all three books. I bought them, telling Sam he could have the set if he let me borrow the first one. He seemed pleased with the deal.
“It’s because there are so many red flavours. Cherry, Strawberry, Fruit Punch,” Sam states matter-of-factly. He takes another sip of his cherry slushy while casting a sideways glance at my blue one. “That and blue foods tend to appeal to children.”
I narrowly avoid having slushy come straight out my nose as I laugh mid-drink. I lean over, choking on coughs and laughter until my eyes water and I can’t breathe.
“Are you okay?” Sam asks sheepishly.
“I’m fine.” I cough again and wipe at my leaking eyes. “I’m just going to need to remember to wear sunscreen the next time we hang out to protect me from your sick burns.”
This earns me a smile, and a smile from this kid is worth the near-death by slushy. Sam has been a tough nut to crack, but these rare moments where he lets his guard down and I get a glimpse of his wicked sense of humour are worth it.
“So,” I use a napkin to wipe my mouth. “Tell me about chess.”
Sam shrugs, stirring his slushy with his oversized straw. “I’m good at it.”
“I bet you’re good at lots of things. What do you like about it?”
He takes a moment, like he’s really considering myquestion. “I like the strategy. Trying to anticipate your opponent's move and defend against it.”
“I do a lot of that with hockey.”
Sam rolls his eyes dramatically.
“Jeez. You really don’t like hockey, do you? It’s true, though. Strategic thinking and problem-solving are a huge part of my job as a defenseman.”
He stares at the condensation on the cup, scraping some away with his index finger. Just when I’m about to change the subject he says, “My dad liked hockey.”
Fuck. The dad who is not in the picture. “Yeah?”
Sam nods. “I guess he probably still does. He left when I was eight.”
I have no idea what to say to the smart, funny kid in front of me. My dad was not only there for me growing up, he was super involved in my life. I can’t imagine what my childhood would have been like without him. It’s no wonder Sam is slow to trust.
