Jamdown

Chapter 18

Terry Arden

Vanessa leaned back and shook her arms in the cold suffocating air of the night. I yawned when I exited the van. We had parked across from Baker’s house. 

Vanessa walked with such strut and confidence from the front door to the back. Something that resembled a prominent statue that stood tall.

She might be better for this job than I thought. I slowed when I saw Irwin pulling out a black duffel bag of equipment next to Vannessa. He was struggling, as his muscles tensed under the weight of the helmets. 

I went over saying, "Hold one side." My hands moved to lift the other side. Irwin pulled away from me in an instant. I froze.

Irwin glanced away saying, "Me good. Me no need no help Driver boy."

Huh?

Irwin pulled himself up straight and tried to look tough with the duffel bag. Where it looked more like it was about to rip his arm off his torso.

I shrugged. "Do you ting'."

Irwin walked off, shifting step for step like some pulsating Strongman winner.

“What’s his name again?” Vanessa asked me, gesturing at Irwin's shrinking back.

“Who, Irwin? He's an idiot.”

Vanessa tilted her head at me. I avoided her curious eyes. “I do not know him that well.” I shrugged. Though it was likely I knew more than I needed to. He might be the thief. That running, that speed, it had to be him. 

Donavan, Tallman, and I were there when I saw that thief running away. I returned that laptop for Donavan, and found it odd how he got it in the first place. 

Maybe I was thinking too much, but this was a small community, and I knew of no one as fast. It had to be Irwin, but Malt was crazy to recruit him. 

I understood the team was struggling for players, but this was a bad idea. Its possible I could have been wrong. It wasn't like I knew everybody in Berryhill. Donavan could not be that desperate, or I hoped he wasn't.

“He is pretty good, him just cut through them like butter,” Vanessa said.

The Doctor Bird's team was bullying the Assassins team. Minutes later, It was like sunlight and nighttime with that matchup as the Assassins were moping the floor with them for some reason.  Not sure why, maybe, because there was so much good happening in their favor after Irwin got a touchdown. 

The game was called. The Assassins won thirty two to thirty. 

Vanessa was on her feet cheering and waving at them. I could not have understood those people getting invested in that sport. It was weird for me. I mean I was happy for them, but this was ridiculous.

Then again—She knocked me out of my wistful thoughts. “Hey, you okay?” 

I said, “Yeah.”

“Just tru' you looked bored when we watching them.”

“This is not my sport.” Not to say it was not interesting to watch, but it was hard to understand what the hell I was watching. It was still confusing to me. 

She laughed. “I already like it.”

I frowned. “I did not think you were that easily pleased.”

She shook her head. “I am not actually. Just because I like something does not mean it comes from a place of longing. You can just participate, try new things. It does not have to be your life goal or something."