Page 63 of November

She pointed to the one in the blue-and-white wrapper that she had come to love after eating way too many of them from the leftover Halloween candy bowls at work.

“Sure,” he replied.

“The popcorn is safe?” she asked Maisie.

Maisie pulled out her wallet and said, “It’s popular, so they have to make it fresh. It doesn’t get stale that way, and yeah, I’ve never had an issue with it.”

Maisie then pulled out some cash and handed it to the guy.

“No, I’m getting this,” India said.

“Credit card?”

“Yeah.”

“They don’t take credit cards here,” Maisie told her.

“Oh. Really?”

The man handed India her food, and they turned to go.

“Thank you,” India added.

“No problem,” Maisie said and paused for a moment. “Thank you for coming, India.”

“No problem,” she replied with a soft smile.

They sat down in the third row of crowded bleachers, and India kept her bag in her lap, not wanting to set it on the dirty metal below or next to her, and also not feeling like she could set it down without it getting stolen. That made eating the popcorn very difficult, though. She balanced everything as she put the water bottle in the bag and allowed herself a few handfuls.

“So, what’s going on out there?”

“Soccer,” Maisie replied with a laugh. “You don’t know the rules, do you?”

“I know they score goals, and the team with the most wins. Is that good?”

“Yes, that’s good,” Maisie said. “Hey, after this, Paige, Lainey, and I are going to grab a drink and some real food. You should join us.”

“Oh, sure,” India said, excited by the invitation. “I also have your shirt in my car. It’s been washed, so it no longer smells like milk.”

“Thanks,” Maisie replied and ate a handful of popcorn.

“So, no one is winning right now?”

Maisie pointed and said, “We’re the team in white and green. The enemy is in blue and red.”

“The enemy?”

“This is the state tournament. If you lose, you’re done for the year. Besides, Lainey and Paige get a small incentive bonus if the team wins the state, so we want them to make a little extra cash, too.”

“Yes, extra cash. Got it.”

“Lainey has been picking up a lot of extra shifts at the shop lately. I think she might be saving up for a ring.”

India turned to her and asked, “Yeah?”

“They’ve been together for years, and I know they’re in love.” Maisie smiled. “It’s a guess, but I think it’s a good one. When Lainey first started working at the shop, it was only during the off-season. She’s been working this whole season, though, and she has another part-time job, too. I think she wants to make sure she’s planning for the future.”

“What do you want foryourfuture?” India asked.