The remaining high balls were in perfect positions for me to run the table. Which was exactly what I did. I didn’t feel the need to hold back.
“Nicely done,” War said when I’d finished. “Another?”
I checked my phone. Almost seven already. “Not tonight,” I said. “I have to go.” I shrugged into my jacket.
War came over to shake my hand. “That was a hell of a game,” he said.
He let go of my hand. “Sounds good,” he said with a smile. “I’ll be here practicing.”
His smile felt genuine. It seemed kind. It lit up his face in a way that reminded me of the only nice teacher I’d ever had.
Jeff Ross is the author of many novels for young adults, including several titles in the Orca Soundings and Orca Sports series. He teaches scriptwriting and English at Algonquin College in Ottawa.
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