Trial X6

Gossamer

  Standing around a pool table in Crash, we were watching Alec beat people left and right at the game. He was betting while at it, gaining cash from the losers and being cocky.

  "Oh, thanks for playing. Always a pleasure." He was smiling as he took money from his most recent victim. Alec laughed before looking at us. "Who's next? Anybody? Sketchy, what do you say, buddy?"

  "I don't know man, I already owe you two paychecks."

  "I'll let you break." Alec said while rubbing the blue cube on the wooden stick they used for the game.

  "No, nope." Sketchy shook his head.

  "I'll play left-handed. You can blindfold me." Alec tried to persuade Sketchy.

  "No, man."

  "No? Okay." He then pointed at Max while making a face.

  "Nobody likes a show-off, Alec."

  "Ma~ax! Come on, fifty bucks, and you get to humble your old buddy, Alec. What do you say?"

  "Yeah, right."

  "Thanks anyway." He turned away. "Anybody? You?" He started pointing at people. "You? You? Come on! It's not that- Logan!" He stopped and hit the pool table. "What do you say, pal? Wanna play me in a little game of pool?"

  "Oh....uh...." Logan glanced at me. "How about you play Shadow? I don't think I've seen her play yet." He shrugged.

  "It's because she doesn't know how to. Come on, just play me, man!" Alec leaned against the pool stick. Standing out of my chair, I glared at the male transgenic.

  "I've watched enough to know the rules."

  "I wouldn't challenge him if you've never played, Shadow. Man's gonna steal your money." Sketchy warned me.

  "Oh, is that a challenge?"

  "Yes, it is. Now, hand me that other stick thing." I held out my hand. Sketchy and Original Cindy shook their heads while Alec let out a short chuckle and handed one to me.

  "You can break." He said. "How much do you bet on me losing?"

  "Seriously, Alec? She's never played before." Max rolled her eyes.

  "Let's start with fifty. That's the price you said with Max, right?" I walked to the front of the table.

  "Yup." He grinned. "Oh, this is going to be so easy. You sure you want to do this?" He asked while putting the balls into the black, plastic triangle. Putting the white ball on the table, I bent over to line up the shot with the stick. Following in a straight line from the white ball to the first ball in the triangle formation at the other end of the table with my eyes, I shot. A few solids went into the holes on each side of the table. Alec whistled and glanced at me.

  "Beginner's luck." He said, and I went around the table to the white ball to line up another shot. When it went in, I lined up yet another shot. This time, Alec stood incredibly close to me and was staring at my targetted ball.

  "Alec...."

  "Yeah?"

  "Get your dumbass away from me." He held up his hands as if in surrender and took a few steps back. When I shot, I heard some cheers and looked up to see that some occupants of Crash were watching.

  "Well, well, well," Alec tapped the ground with his pool stick while looking at the table. "Not too shabby." Again, I lined up the shot. "Want me to, uh, get you another beer?"