72. Letting off steam

"Bro, are you ready for the test tomorrow?"

Albert asked as he placed the pool balls into the triangle holder. Elliot thought about his answer as he chalked up the point of his pool stick. The obvious answer was he didn't have a choice but to be ready. That wasn't the truth, though.

"Honestly, I've been nervous since I heard about it the other day."

Albert stopped spinning the balls so that the numbers on them were facing up and looked up at Elliot. Worried occupied his face.

"What are you worried about?"

He lifted the triangle rack and stepped away from the table so Elliot could take the first shot.

Elliot lined up his shot and took it. The solid white cue ball slammed into the triangle of other balls and sent them all scattering across the table. None of them went into any pockets, though.

"Dammit." Elliot thumped the wider end of his pool stick off the floor and stepped away from the table so Albert could take his shot.