She served. The ball came fast to the far-right corner and I stepped under it, bumping backward to Frankie, who set it over the net. Randall picked it up and bumped it to Franson, who spiked it hard back over off Frankie’s wrists. The ball went flying in a wide arc toward the FOB. Frankie and I stood and watched it until we realized Ahmad had jetted after it, his gray perahan barely visible against the dust and glare.
“Look at him get after it!” Frankie called.
“Go Ahmad!” I yelled.
He came back smiling, but defeated, with the ball in his hands. Frankie gave him a pat on the back.
Ahmad said something and pointed to his eyes.
Majeed said, “Ahmad said he almost got it but the sun got in his face.”
Without a second thought, Frankie took off his sunglasses and gave them to Ahmad. Ahmad put them on, and I had to hold in a laugh at how much they dwarfed the rest of his face. But Ahmad just tossed the ball up and caught it, slapping it, ready for business.
“That’s better,” Frankie said, winking at me.
Franson served again, but this time the ball went out of bounds. It was our team’s serve.
“Whose turn is it?” Frankie said pointedly, turning up his hands in exaggerated curiosity. It definitely was either mine or Frankie’s. Franson was right, Ahmad had served every time.
“Hm, not mine,” I said.
“Not mine, either,” Frankie said.
Over the net, Franson and Majeed smiled, shaking their heads. Randall scoffed.
“It’s Ahmad’s turn, for sure,” I said, and tossed him the ball.
He ran to the line, holding his sunglasses in place, and the game carried on.
Cassie
“It’s ba-da-da-ba-da-da ba duh-duh-duh be-dum be-dum and then I come in,” Nora was telling Toby.
“Uh uh.” Toby wagged his drumstick like a finger.
I laughed. Nora did not find it amusing.
Toby continued. “It’s ba-dada-ba-dada ba duh-duh be-dum be-DUM, you come in on the DUM.”
“Cassie, tell him.” Nora looked at me, flipping her pick between her fingers.
“Uh.” I lifted a shoulder. Toby was right. But only this time, and I didn’t want Nora to think I was taking his side. “Let’s just play again and find out!”
We launched into “Merlin,” and I went into the forest. This song was less about foraging and more about chopping undergrowth. Staccato blades, an easy rhythm, bossa nova–influenced. Toby really was at the heart of this one, keeping the beat driven forward but the overall mood of the song light. With the wrong production it could sound like the theme song to The Jetsons, but it was in good hands.
Nora stopped again. “I’m not feeling that, Toby. I can’t pick that up. I have to come in after the be-dum.”
“Mm,” Toby said, and played a quick train beat. “Fine. Let’s just call it. Cassie and I wanted to catch a movie anyway.”
“Do you want me to pick this up or not?” Nora said, looking back and forth from me to Toby. I avoided her eyes, and popped open a can of sparkling water.
Toby said slowly, “I do, but I’m tired.”
Nora said something like “poor baby” under her breath. “Cass? For real?”
“I’m good with giving it a rest,” I said. “It’s Thursday.”
“What the hell does Thursday have to do with anything?” Nora checked her phone. “It’s seven thirty! It’s been an hour. We can’t call rehearsal now.”
Toby said, “I’ll do whatever Cassie wants to do,” but he was already standing up, setting his sticks in place on his snare.
“Um.” I weighed the options. We wanted to catch a showing of Tombstone in Pease Park. “I’ve never seen Tombstone, and we wanted to get a blanket and a bottle of something. à la Paree,” I joked. I turned off my keyboard.
Toby stepped over his set and wrapped his arms around my waist. “Plus I quote it all the time . . .”
I put my hands on his hands, running them up his solid forearms. “And I never know if he’s quoting something or just speaking nonsense words.” I looked up at him. He stuck out his tongue. I giggled.
“We can pick this up over the weekend, Nor,” I told her. “I promise. It’s just been a long week.”
Toby looked at Nora. “You can come if you want.”
“I’d rather die in my own vomit, thanks,” Nora said. She lifted her bass strap over her head.
“No, come!” I broke from Toby, and hooked my arm in Nora’s.