cool kids , fulton reed

nine

"hey, coach," he said, approaching bombay. "it's good to see you," he said, hugging bombay after he stood up.

"it's good to see you!" bombay said, wrapping one arm around charlie as he gripped his cane with the other.

"we really missed you," charlie said and pulled away.

"now you got a bum knee to match mine. just need the scar now," sloane said and motioned toward his knee while she leaned in to hug him.

"yeah, i really hated hearing you tore your acl and mcl right after season," bombay said as he slowly pulled away. "i'd have came and seen you if i wasn't so far."

"i know. at least it was right after season. i'm released to play now," she explained and shrugged as she slid her hands into her back pocket. "got a good scar on both sides of my knee. really adds to my cool kid reputation."

"she almost blew her meniscus too," charlie added as he stared up at bombay. "she had a big tear but it healed because they did surgery and made her rest before it could completely blow out," he said and softly glared at sloane.

"it's fine," she said, waving her hand at him as she let her head roll back and to the left.

"oh, you just almost destroyed your knee but it's whatever," bombay joked and rolled his eyes as he leaned heavily on his cane. sloane turned around and backed up at stand beside bombay when jan entered the room humming.

"for breakfast, my specialty;" he began, stopping at the open french doors with a tray of food in his hands. "jans hasenpfeffer and eggs," he finished with sloane, bombay, and charlie.

"i thought i smelled something burning," bombay joked as he, sloane, and charlie sat down on at the small table.

"i see you've met my new apprentice," jan said, tilting this head toward charlie as he sat across from the trio.

"jan told us you did this job when you were our age," charlie said and looked at bombay. 

"that's right. i hope he pays you more than he paid me," bombay answered, glancing at charlie before taking the plate jan was handing him.

"you got paid?" charlie asked, his eyes slowly going wide.

"jan and hans won't let me train charlie because that mean he'd have to go on payroll," sloane said as she fought a smile while taking the plate jan was extending toward her.

"that's why you're not training me?" charlie asked and leaned around bombay to stare at sloane in shock.

"yeah. they paid me during my training because they needed me. now that i'm here, you're just an added bonus," she said as she stabbed at her eggs with her fork. she threw up her left arm to cover her face when charlie hit at her.

"eat, everyone, before the hasenpfeffer gets cold," jan said briefly glaring at charlie and sloane before smiling at bombay.