Autumn in Kensington

Where Do Supernovas Come From

A/N: Hey everyone! Persepctive changes about halfway through to more of a third-person and then switches back. 

“This is a nightmare! It’s just a nightmare!” Thank goodness there was another telly near the pool table behind the bar. We had finished our first round of drinks and were preparing the first game of pool for the evenin’. Part of me actually wished there wasn’t a telly back here because Manchester was really letting me down tonight. I could feel Roger’s chin on my shoulder as he was leaned over me watchin’ how this run was gonna’ turn out.

 “That’s gonna’ be an offside on Leeds” he said.

 “Damn it! Not callin’ a time out it won’t.” I shook my head. “Roger…” I looked sideways at him. “…do you even know how to play pool?”

 “Of course, I do!” He pulled away from my shoulder and racked the balls together on the table. Roger and I were standin’ at the head of the table, Chrissie and Brian to my left on the side, Veronica, John and Freddie to the side on my right.

 “Crack, ‘em Freddie.” I gave him the go ahead. I glanced over to see how Chrissie was doin’ and it was very apparent to me that she was doin’ just fine. I had noticed that Brian had stopped at one Guinness tonight and I had, of course, put Chrissie on a one drink limit. The best part about ordering food for seven is that you can order about four things and pass them around. About the time Chrissie passed a plate of ridiculously hot chicken wings to Brian, she learned he was a vegetarian. I traded her the plate of onion rings for the wings, handing those right over to Roger. I knew he would be the only one to tolerate anything that spicy.

 There was a spark. There was a definite spark between Chrissie and Brian. I could sense it in the way Brian’s face had this incandescent glow that I had never noticed before. I cold hear it in Chrissie’s laughter. In the back of my mind I wondered what the hell would happen when we broke up this little party tonight. I sure as hell knew she wouldn’t go home with him. Hell, even I kept it classier than that.

 Freddie had broken the rack of balls and our game was off to a start. “How did you three get this pool table for us?” John asked.

 “Money talks.” Veronica whispered to him, shovin’ his hair behind his ear. She had looked over to me when she said it.

 “Go Brian!” Freddie insisted. He was in the middle of a sentence to Chrissie. As he was takin’ his shot, Chrissie looked over to me with that dreamy look in her eye.

 “He was exaplainin’ to me what a supernova is!” she told me softly. Chrissie’s smile across her face was too perfect. I planted my palm in the middle of my head.

 “Chrissie! I can’t believe you! Talkin’ about supernovas and you just met! You’re awfully forward!” I teased her and rolled her eyes. She hit me in the arm.

 “Rog! Your turn.” Freddie told him. There was a commercial interruptin’ the game and so that was a good opportunity for Roger to get this shot in. Veronica was next, followed by Chrissie and I was last.

 “You didn’t even call it regarding whether we were playin’ solids or stripes!” I told Freddie.

 “We’ll play them all, darling!” Freddie said.

 “Oh, so this isn’t real pool?” I asked him.

 “It’s always real pool!” Freddie insisted. The commercial break had ended on the telly as Freddie walked around and took another shot.  Chrissie and Brian had their pool sticks but their backs were toward the table.

 “BRIAN!” Freddie yelled at him. It was his way of telling Brian to take his damn shot. Roger and I were watching the game once again.

 “That was miserable…” Roger muttered at the telly. It was his turn again. I had decided that there was no way Roger could look any sexier than leanin’ over a pool with his shirt bunch up above his belt. I was so glad he took his denim jacket off and left it at our table…because a tank shirt…definitely did him justice. I could have so easily put my arms around his mostly bare shoulders. I snapped back to the telly when I heard uproar from the bar. It was about time Manchester scored. Roger spun around to watch with me. John took his second shot, missing his aim entirely. He was saying something to Veronica after the fact.