Camille rolls her eyes. “That’s all anyone cares about around here. Oh, sure, they’ll show up for Stephens City this weekend and all the other games, but Taylor is the one they’re all waiting for.”

Elijah’s knee starts shaking under the table a little bit.

“It’s overhyped,” I say, hoping he’ll stop shaking. “Meridien loves their football, and Taylor’s the thing that keeps them all talking.”

“I’d hate to be the guy who screws it up. I mean, they’re still mad about a game we lost twenty years ago! I wouldn’t want to be the reason people are complaining at bingo twenty years from today,” he says, biting his lip.

“O 71. O 71. O… 71,” Birdie calls.

“Hey, you’ve almost got bingo.” Camille points to Elijah’s card. “You’re just missing G 47.”

Elijah looks down, and his smile lights up his whole face, and my chest aches in spite of itself. I find myself missing that thing. No, not the final bingo number. That thing when you trust someone and there’s an unspoken bond between you. That thing when just a shared look can mean more than an entire conversation.

“G 47. G 47. G… 47,” Birdie calls.

“Oh my god! Camille! Look!” Elijah, his cheeks bright pink, shoves his card toward Camille.

“Yeah! You won! Call out bingo before someone else claims it!” She gently pushes his winning card back toward him.

Elijah jumps up excitedly, his chair tipping and clattering to the floor. “Bingo?” he squeaks out, the pink in his cheeks turning to bright red in an instant.

“Well, are you sure?” Birdie says into the microphone. “Loud and proud if you’re sure, Mr. Vance!”

Elijah laughs, and his face returns to its normal hue. “Bingo. BINGO!” he yells.

· ten ·

ELIJAH

“Hey, let’s walk home,” Camille says to us as we’re wiping the tables down after bingo. “I could use a milkshake.”

“Burger Barn?” Julian asks her, loading the last of Birdie’s things into the trunk of her car.

“Absolutely. Elijah, you up for it?” Camille asks.

“Oh. Um. I don’t have to come with you,” I say, glancing toward Julian. His face isn’t exactly friendly or vicious. Just sort of… blank.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Camille sucks her teeth. “Of course you have to come. Winners get milkshakes. It’s a rule I just made up.”

I look at Julian and he shrugs. “I don’t care.”