The Evolution

9

"Wait, her last name is Ahn?" Ben whispered to Gray. 

Gay nodded. "But she doesn't know what happened to him," he whispered back.

"Are you gonna tell her?"

"Sometime later."

They watched Stephenie strike her third ball into a pocket. Eugene was starting to get the hang of the game. He was able to hold the cue properly and bend at the position he was comfortable with. Pushing his glasses up, he steadied his focus and struck an orange ball. It didn't roll into the pocket he was aiming for, but it did push a purple one into a different pocket. He pumped his fist, "Yes!"

Stephenie chuckled.

"The first time we talked about Stephen, she never asked about what happened to him. I wonder why."

"If I had a sibling who, you know, I would've been very curious about them."

Gray nodded again. He and Ben looked back at Eugene and Stephenie laughing together. Alex was sitting in a booth swiping through his phone. Gerard was writing in a notebook, looking at the alluring purple-haired lady sitting at her counter desk reading a book. She tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear, revealing her round petite face, pale skin, and long eyelashes.

Teddy told Rowan about the new cat he took in with Eugene. He even showed some pictures of Sprite playing with yarn and drinking milk. Rowan gushed at the pictures like an elementary school girl.

"Yes!" Eugene cheered for himself again, but much louder. This time, he wasn't whispering. "I just won my first game of pool!"

"You're still no match against Gray," Teddy said from across the room, "or any of us."

Eugene crossed his arms, "Way to ruin the vibe!"

"Stephenie probably went easy on you!" Rowan added. Stephenie looked up puzzled. "Don't play dumb."

"I'm not playing dumb. I am dumb. I haven't played pool in like, what? Five months or something?"

Gray and Ben kept whispering back and forth, discussing when they should break the news to Stephenie. 

"Maybe we should-hey! Wait!" Gray called.

Ben stood up and waddled to Stephenie, his knuckles stuffed deep in his pockets. Gray reached out to grab him, but Ben was already right behind Stephenie, who was ready to play another game of pool with her new friend.

Eugene noticed Ben standing right behind her. "Uhh, Steph?"

Stephenie looked up from her pool stick. Then, the presence of Ben lurked around her. She turned around and asked, "What were you doing behind me while I was bent over?"

Everyone in the room laughed. Though Gray was covering his smile with his hand, everyone else cackled freely. Ben pressed his lips together and stomped back to his seat next to Gray, who couldn't even look at him.

"Really Gray?! You too?"