Game Theory × NH

067 | holmium

Removing the image from the chemicals, I walked over to the clothesline and pinned the last photograph up to dry. When I turned back around, I nearly tripped on the little boy who was right behind me.

"You're Lynn Mercury," he said, looking at me like I was a real G.I. Joe doll.

I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. I didn't like kids. I didn't know how I was supposed to treat them or what I could say to them. So seeing this little boy look at me like that put me in the worst possible position ever.

"Jonah, stop staring," Liam said. "Sorry, he's kind of a big fan of yours."

"No, it's okay," I said, even if it was a little uncomfortable. "I'm finishing up here and then I'm leaving. I'm going back to California and I've never been happier to not have practice for a whole week."

"You don't like practice?" the little boy pressed.

Liam grabbed Jonah's hand and dragged him away from me. "I'm sure it gets tiring, Joe. Everyone deserves a break."

The boy didn't take the hint to shut up because he had removed his hand from Liam's and walked over to me again. This time his face wasn't full of amazement, but of curiosity. Jonah was clearly pushy and not shy in the least, and I had a strange feeling that he could easily get me to spill any secret with those wide, brown eyes of his.

"I watched your last game on the telly," he said, his voice high with interest. His shaggy brown hair was falling into his eyes and he quickly brushed it away before continuing. "You won, but you seemed really mad..."

"Jonah," Liam warned.

I only smiled at the boy, because he was right. It could have easily been noted because I had gotten a bloody nose and was forced off the field, not to mention the game ended up in a stressful shoot-out, but this little kid seemed to look right through that and see.

"I was angry," I confirmed. "I wasn't scoring any goals and I was fed up with myself."

"You shouldn't play soccer just to win," he said, his brown eyes wide. "You should be playing it because it's your passion. Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you have to do it."

Liam walked over to the boy and handed him some money. "How about you go out in the hall and get a snack from the vending machine. I'll meet you out there as soon as I clean up, okay?"

The boy took the money and skipped out the door and down the hall like he didn't just turn my whole world upside down.

This kid I had only talked to for a moment was telling me something I couldn't seem to grasp until that very moment. I enjoyed soccer, really. But lately... I shrugged off the thought, coming to the conclusion that I only felt like that because of the stress I was under.

"Sorry about that," Liam said sheepishly. "My cousin can get pretty nosey."

"Your cousin is pretty wise," I told him. "I probably tarnished the image he had of me because of this. I'm really not all about winning, I've just been under a lot of stress and it's taking a toll on me."

"I don't think it's tarnished. Like you said, he's wise. He'll only think of you as human."

I smiled at that and finished up what I was doing before helping Liam clean up. A few minutes later, we were walking out of the room together, finding Jonah eating a chocolate bar on a bench.

"Oh!" Liam said. "I almost forgot. I have something for you."

I watched as Liam sat his backpack next to Jonah on the bench and dug in the opening. He pulled out a white envelope and handed it to me. Before he could explain, I opened the flap and looked inside. They were my pictures I had developed the last time I was in the darkroom. I had completely forgotten them considering I was in a rush to get out of there for that stupid wedding I had to attend.