Episode 57: Scene Four
Trace stuffed his hand deep into a pocket of his dark khaki shorts. After searching for a few moments, he managed to pull out a crumpled dollar with a bit of lint hanging off of it. He smiled faintly before taking it off and placing it in the attendants hands. "I guess it's been in there a while."
"Yeah, I guess so," the attendant was unamused. He then turned to the person next to Trace and took his dollar as well.
"So do you think you'll be able to make enough baskets to win a prize?"
Trace turned to look at his opponent. His eyes became dull and emotionless. "Can't you find another place in line?"
"No, I think I'm fine right here," Cliff responded. "I've been looking for you so that we could talk."
"What's there to talk about?" Trace returned his attentions to the ball that was now being placed in his hands. He felt around for a few moments before finding his grip.
"Well, you just lost someone that you loved, and I was partially responsible for it," Cliff picked up his own ball and began awkwardly rolling it around in his hands. Cliff wasn't exactly what you could call a basketball all-star.
Trace turned to look at Cliff briefly. He studied Cliff's expression briefly, and when it betrayed no feelings, he said, "I don't want your sympathy. In fact, I don't want anything to do with you now that Kim's dead. In case you haven't noticed, I'm trying to move on from this."
Cliff nodded in understanding before squinting at his goal. "So we're supposed to shoot it this far?"
"It's not that far. You're going to lose against me, so why don't you just pair up with someone else?"
"I don't want to pair up with someone else. I spent just as much time in this line as you did, so I'm going to take my turn just like you are."
"Fine, then I'll switch with someone else," Trace put the ball down and turned to find a place farther back in line.
"Sorry, buddy. The bell's about to ring, so we don't have time for you to trade off with someone else," the attendant put a hand on Trace's shoulder.
Trace jerked his body out from under the guy's hand and glared at him. "Fine. There's no need to get physical about it."
"BRRRIIIIIING!" the bell screamed above the two.
Trace and Cliff shot their first balls, then picked up the next one in the rack and shot it and so on. When Trace noticed that Cliff was throwing the ball over the backboard, off the rim, and just about every other place except for the hoop, he laughed and continued making his shots with ease.
After thirty seconds, the bell rang again. Trace had won against Cliff twenty-four to three. Trace had a good laugh over that one while Cliff merely shrugged and smiled.
"I tried to warn you, man," Trace managed to gasp out between spasms of laughter.
"Yeah you did."
Tears beginning to come out of his eyes, Trace asked, "Why didn't you listen to me?"
"I don't know. I guess I just wanted to see for myself."
Suddenly Trace ceased his laughter and stared at Cliff. After a couple of moments of silence, he said, "You knew I was going to win all along, didn't you?"
"Yeah, I guess I did. I'll see you later," Cliff turned and began walking off towards another carnival game.
Trace barely noticed the attendant holding out a brand-new basketball out towards him. When he did, he took it blindly and continued watching Cliff walking further and further away from him. His eyes fell to the ground in confusion for a few seconds before he looked back up again. A small chuckle escaped his lips as he began bouncing his ball to his next station. Trace finally realized what Cliff had been trying to do all along, and it took a lot of weight off of his shoulders knowing that.