“Me too,” Blake says. “Sucks sometimes, huh?”
Adrian shrugs. “Yeah. The nurses are nice but I don’t like not being able to do normal stuff.”
“Like what?”
“Soccer and go to school and sleepovers.” He wrinkles his nose. “But it was kind of nice not having to do homework.”
“I bet,” Blake says with a laugh. “What about video games? You have time to do those?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“What about Legends of the Dragons? You play that one?”
“Yeah! I’m a level ten mage and my dragon just hatched…”
As he continues to talk, I pass the phone off and turn toward the building, intending to eavesdrop—just a smidge—to make sure Kylie’s doing okay.
But when I rotate toward the doors, I realize I’m not alone.
Kylie’s there, a man and woman—presumably Adrian’s parents—standing beside her…and all of their gazes are locked on mine.
And none look happy.
Shit.
“Hi,” I say quietly.
The man looks at Kylie. “Who is this?”
“Colt Madden,” I tell him, sticking out my hand. “I had the pleasure of meeting Adrian a few weeks ago in Ms. C’s class.”
“The hockey player?” the woman asks.
I nod.
Adrian’s mom’s face gentles. “I thought you looked familiar. Adrian said you were hurt and in the hospital. Are you recovered?”
“I’m getting there.”
“Who’s he talking to?”
It’s a sharp question from Adrian’s dad and I can’t help but understand. “Um, I didn’t mean to overstep. Adrian just looked a little sad and my brother…he, well, he’s been ill his whole life and in and out of the hospital. I thought he and Adrian might have some things they could talk about?—”
“Your dragon is level eighty?!”
We all turn at the exclamation and my mouth tips up.
When I look back, Adrian’s mom’s face is even softer…and though his dad is harder to read, I think I detect the ice around him thawing somewhat.
“We need to go.”
I nod, head over. “Hey, A-man,” I say because he lit up when my brother used the nickname, same as he does now. “I think your parents are ready to go.”
“Okay,” he says, but his tone is disappointed.
“Bye, bud,” Blake chimes in. “And if your parents say it’s okay, maybe we can play Legends of the Dragons sometime.”
“Really?”
