Rune Keepers

Ten

"So, Jase, what time is Amber coming? Didn't you say she was finally driving over?" Imogen asked, taking a sip of her rum and coke that looked identical to my coke with ice.

I leaned towards the table slightly, I was interested in meeting this mystery girl of Jason's. From what Imogen had told me she was basically a walking barbie doll.

He paused and took a sip from his glass, then leaned back and gave Joel a long glance before saying, "she's not coming, we kind of broke up."

"What!" Lisa exclaimed next to him just as Imogen crossed her arms across her chest saying, "what do you mean kind of?"

"As in she called me last night and broke up with me," a muscle in his jaw tensed as he looked out towards the front of the bar.

"Bitch!" She uncrossed her arms and folded them on the table, I could see the instinct to protect her friend wash over her face and found myself thinking of any possible reason why someone would break up with him. He seemed pretty darn perfect to me.

"Imogen!" Joel nudged her with his arm warning her and she flicked her eyes over to Jason who was still looking away.

"Sorry," she muttered and looked down, finally noticing Jason's sudden change.

"It's fine, I think I knew it wasn't going to work out anyway," Jason gave her a weak smile and lifted his glass to his lips again, still not quite meeting anyone's eyes.

"Well if you need to talk, we're all here for you," Lisa put a hand on his arm. He looked down and gently squeezed it with his.
Her eyes looked genuinely concerned for him and that's when I noticed it.
I wanted to kick myself, I couldn't believe I didn't see it before, the reason why her eyes darkened when Jason spoke to me in the cafeteria on my first day. And why she was always ensuring she sat next to him and rode up the front in the truck. She didn't just have some protective claim on him, it was something much more than that! Frankly I didn't blame her, but gods it made so much sense.

"Thanks Lis, but really, I'm good. It's a kick in the balls to the ol ego but she wasn't the one for me anyway, now how about that game?" He nodded over towards the group of men leaving the pool table.

"I'm down," Lisa piped up.

"Is there a score person because I can do that," I put a hand up, volunteering. I wasn't ready to completely embarrass myself considering I had never played before.

"Oh come on newbie, you have to play."

"If I play, someone is bound to lose an eyeball, plus there's five of us. That would make the teams uneven," I said to Imogen and she looked around the table contemplating something and before someone even suggested skipping the first game I assured her that I would play the next round.

She seemed satisfied with that and I just hoped that the first game lasted long enough that it was time to head upstairs by the time it finished.

"Alright, boys versus girls then?" Jason slid out of the booth and stood up, sinking the rest of his drink back.

"You rack up and I'll get another round of drinks," Joel motioned for Imogen and I to slide out in front of him.

I was about to follow Imogen, Jason and Lisa over to the pool table but Joel caught my elbow first and asked if I had changed my mind about drinking. I looked between him and the three others walking away, they seemed completely fine. They weren't swaying or slurring their words, so surly one drink would be alright, right?

Five minutes and a whole lot of embarrassing trash talk later, we all had our drinks and Joel and Jason had already sunk a red ball, thanks to Jason breaking the triangle.
Jason scattered more balls around the table on his second shot, then Joel missed on both his by just an inch.