Moose and Goose

Chapter Thirty-seven

Khalíd and Manuel are standing over Eric as he plugs his Atari into the wall. Mary has her back to the coffee table and sectional, her arms folded at Judith.

"I live around here," Judith answers with a questioning tone. "What're you doing here?"

"My friends live here, and I'm on the team, so I gotta practice too." When she doesn't respond, Mary draws her lips between her teeth to discreetly lick them, and she huffs. "So – how long are you gonna be here because we need to focus."

"I didn't realize that I was such a big distraction," she says monotonously. Jerome descends the stairs with his short dreads weighed down by his conditioner and water.

"She's not leaving until Jerome makes her. I think they're a thing," Xavius says from the kitchen. He slams the fridge door shut once he's put the food away, and he returns to the sofa. Jerome stands between Mary and Judith.

"Really?" Mary's voice rises as a smile creeps onto her face. Khalíd and Manuel turn to look at them along with Eric. The sudden attention makes Judy's face glow red, and she catches Jerome's gaze with hers, longing for him to say something. "When did this happen?"

"We're not dating," he says with a calm rolling of his eyes, contrary to what Judith expected. Eric turns his head forward, finishing up what he's doing. "She's just here chilling with me."

"That's a lie," Xavius continues, and Jerome glares at him, Judith gives him pleading eyes, and the others gaze with wonder. "I saw you two dancing in his room to, um, what was it called – ah, Tears on my Pillow! The slowest and saddest song I can think of."

"Aw, how romantic," Mary sarcastically fawns with her brows lowering and her hands against her chest. "I'm so glad you're over David. I told you Jerome is much better arm candy."

"He said we're not dating," she reminds her, her voice a pitch louder. Her heart is pounding like a drum in a marching band, but she doesn't understand why.

"Yeah, well, what do you say?" Judith glances up at Jerome for help, but when the loading screen appears on the television, he walks toward his friends. Mary snickers and sits next to Xavius on the end of the sectional facing the crowd.

"Yes! I finally got it set up," Eric cheers before darting upright. He claps his hands together, turns to them with a smile, then asks, "So, who's first?"

"The amateurs can go first," Mary says while leaning forward so her elbows can rest on her knees. Her hair is in a crimped ponytail that lays across the left shoulder of her floral blouse. "So, Manuel, Khalíd, Eric, Jerome, then me."

"No fucking way are you the best player," Manuel yells, looking her up and down with contempt.

"Wasn't I the one who beat Jerome's score like three times?" Jerome walks toward Judith's bag and sits in her place. She strolls toward him, stepping between the arguing pair.

"Please," Khalíd scoffs. Judith sits to the left of Jerome. "Just because you barely beat his score two or three times doesn't mean you're the grandmaster of Space Jungle."

"Keep doing that shit, acting like you're above us, and I'm done," Manuel says, ending the conversation. They walk toward the couch, but only Khalíd and Manuel can sit, leaving Eric standing at the end looking at the occupied seats.

"Okay, well, Khalíd can go first, then Manny," Eric says before taking Khalíd's seat when he stands up. Khalíd unzips the bag on the coffee table, removing a cube-shaped controller attached to a cord.

He carries it to the Atari, kneels in front of it, then hooks it into the front. They watch him calibrate it, and then when he's finished, a bubbly jingle plays from the television. He sits with his legs crossed and his back slouched.