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They crowded around a square dining table that was surely a hand- stain on the pale wood that had probably been red wine The basement had wall-to-wall carpet with its fair share of faded stains as well, although the apart on the coffee table by the couch, but it was clean overall Jereo poke around

He fiddled with the sleeve of a neeater Max had encouraged him to buy Max had liked it on hied into it in the café bathroom at lunch It was fuchsia pink, which Jereay Which he kneas bullshit internalized homophobia, but he still braced for Max’s friends tochips and talking more fantasy football while Max and Honey served drinks in red plastic cups

Jeremy wondered what his parents would say if they saw the pink sweater Also what they’d say when they got the credit card bill, even though he’d mentioned to his ht more than he planned, but they wouldn’t be mad, would they? He’d always been responsible with his card, which they’d given hihteen

Even though everything eird and tense now, they wouldn’t cut hi at an electronics store all through high school, but that wouldn’t last long if his parents stopped paying He’d have his meal plan for the rest of the school year, but what then? What if—

“You good?” Max asked quietly, nudging Jeremy’s knee under the table with his own

Nodding autoulped theover what you taught me about poker”

Honey’s eyes lit up “What do we have here? A virgin in our ether with a flourish, thu each side

Jereo hot and kneas beet red even if Honey had just lasses and took another gulp

Max said, “He’s a natural, so don’t get too excited”

“Don’t worry, buddy,” Mike said “We’ll be gentle While we take alllll your money”

“I thought ere just playing for change” Jereain and the what-ifs He and Max had stopped by a laundroe machine that still serviced equally ancient coin-operated washers, so he had a baggie of quarters as well as whatever randoe he’d had in his wallet

“We are,” Max assured hiet real excited about nickels and dimes”

“That’s the fun of it,” Honey said as he dealt “All right, let’s see what you got, kid”