Page 4 of Trash Talk
Chapter 2
Ruby- 15 years old
“Do you always have to win? We’re tied. There isn’t time to score again. Can’t we just call it a draw?” Knox asks me.
“How long have you known me? That just seems like a really stupid question at this point, don’t you think?” I gently push the puck into his goal while keeping eye contact. Winner, winner, chicken dinner! “And why would I lie?” He gives me a look like he doesn’t get what I’m talking about. “Winners don’t tie games. There’s always time to score one more. Maybe that’s a lesson for another day though… you know; when you actually win something?” He chuckles along with me. “Apparently, those three extra inches you grew this year do as little for your air hockey game as they do for your ball game.”
“Hey! That’s just mean. You were much more gracious when you were younger.” He’s laughing when he says it. It’s a lie, but it’s how we are. We talk a lot of trash, but I’m usually the only one backing it up.
“Sorry, did I bruise your delicate ego? You want to get some ice cream to cool the sting of defeat?” I’m on a roll and I really can’t stop. He’s still laughing with me though; a good sport. He puts up with me almost as well as Emma, HK and Poppy. Actually, he has a bit more patience. They don’t understand my competitive nature and have no time for my ridiculous need to win at everything. Poppy thinks all my shit talking will come back to bite me one day. She’s a good friend and is only trying to give me solid advice, but I’m young. I don’t want advice. This is the time of my life where I get to make bold mistakes. Act a fool. Be wild and free. And it won’t go down on my permanent record. So, as much as I love Pop, I do what I want.
And right now, I want ice cream with my best guy.
“Come on,” I link my arm in his, “winner buys.” We walk out of the arcade at Wild Creek Adventures together, matching smiles beaming at each other.
“Yeah, that’s great ‘cause I just lost my last ten bucks on that game,” He says, handing me the ten-dollar bill he bet me.
“Ever the generous victor; I will split the winnings with you over milkshakes.” I do an exaggerated courtesy.
He bows in response, “thank you, your magnanimousness.”
“Magnanimousness? Is that even a word? I thought you went to private school,” I tease.
“Shows how much you know. It was one of my vocabulary words last week.”
“Y’all still have vocabulary?”
“Yep.”
“I thought that subject was over in elementary school.”
“Maybe it was for you public school kids. Obviously, you could benefit from it though,” he ends on a smirk. Touché. All thoughts of being a gracious winner fly right out the window.
“I guess I could always just invite Pop and Em for ice cream if you’re not interested.”
“You’d leave me hangin’ like that? No money, no treats, taking home the L. That’s cold, Shorty.” He pretends to be hurt and even though it’s not real, I feel a little twinge in my chest. Of course, I’m not going to leave him hanging. Knox is one of my best friends. I’d never do that to him. But I am going to make him sweat.
“Toss my bike in the back of your truck and I’ll see what I can do.”
“You usin’ me for my ride, Kendall?”
“Well, that and the boost of confidence you give my ego every weekend. I’ve never known a bigger glutton for punishment.” We’re laughing again now. He really is one of my favorite people to hang out with, even when we aren’t betting or competing. I love talking to him. He’s a great listener, plus, he gets me. And I love listening to him. There's something soothing about the sound of his voice. I’d tell him all of that too, if I thought he didn't already know or that it wouldn’t make his already ginormous head, even bigger.
“It’s your sparkling personality I can’t get enough of.”
“Admit it; you’d rather hang out with me every weekend than anyone else. And you don’t even mind losing to a girl. You can’t get enough of me. And if letting me prove that I’m better than you at ninety-nine-point-nine percent of everything we do, allows you some time near this much magnanimousness,” I sweep my hand across my body, Vanna White style, “Then you’re happy to lose every cent of your hard earned wages to me for the chance.” I end on a giggle.
He has a look on his face I haven’t seen before, and it makes the last few steps to the truck uncomfortably quiet. Awkward even. I may have taken it a little too far this time. “I’m just joking, Knox,” I say quietly.
Almost at the same time, he says “Yeah.” Huh? Is he saying that about knowing I’m joking, or does he really like spending time with me that much? Knox is my friend; I’d like it to stay that way. I shouldn’t have pushed him. I always take it one step too far. I’m about to apologize when he glosses over everything.
“I know you’re jokin’. It’s what we do, right? You can repay me for your sass with a strawberry shake.” He smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. Note to self: don’t poke the bear so hard after a loss.
“Okay, but I don’t know why you waste your time on a clearly inferior drink. Chocolate is the best. With whipped cream and extra cherries. Mmmm.”
“You do you, Kendall.”
“Fair enough,” I say as he lifts my bike into his truck bed. We drive downtown for shakes, and he drops me at home an hour later. That evening as I’m getting ready for bed, I can’t stop the anxiety that settles in my tummy. It feels like something happened earlier. Something significant. I remind myself for the hundredth time that my smart mouth isn’t for everyone. Next weekend I’ll keep the trash talk to a minimum.
Probably.
