Steve Richards hasn't returned from his trip in search for more alcohol, so it's just me, TC and Lance right now. I haven't seen Alfhild in a while either... If she didn't play for the other team, I'd come to the conclusion that she and Richards were getting it on. What the hell, I'm gonna come to that conclusion anyway. I gotta remember to tease her about new boyfriend Stevey when she comes back. I wonder if that makes Richards a lesbian too...?

"No, but it probably makes you gay to be askin' that kinda questions," Larry says.

My jaw drops. "You... You can read minds?!"

"Uh, no..."

"Then how did you know what I--?!"

"You said it out loud, kid," TC says. "You also mumbled something about 'not getting a pony' like a minute ago..."

"Ah, my 16th birthday. Painful memories always come back to haunt me when I'm drinking."

TC laughs. "You call that drinking? 90% coke 10% rum doesn't qualify as drinking, buddy."

"Listen to the man," Lance adds. "TC knows his booze. He once became an alcoholic and recovered three times over in one afternoon."

I sit up and set things straight. "Okay, first of all, this is diet coke, thank you very much. Secondly, I could drink every drop of alcohol in this place in two seconds at super speed, and then get past the hangover in two more thanks to my metabolism... if-if I wanted."

TC shakes his head and grins. "You're not challenging me to a drinking competition." He looks at Larry. "He's not challenging me to a competition, is he, Larry?"

"He damn better not be!" Lance exclaims. "Not Tobias Christopher, the fastest liver in this dimension."

"Wait... Your last name's Christopher?" I ask.

"Yeah, that's what the 'C' stands for."

"That's funny, my mom's maiden name was Christopher. Two speedsters named Christopher... what are the odds, huh?"

"Not very big, I think..." He looks intrigued. "What's your mom- ehh, what's her name?"

"Vanessa. It was Vanessa," I answer. Silence. He's looking at me. TC's expression remains as stoic as ever, but there's something about that face in this particular context that creeps me out. For a second I'm not sure how he's gonna react.

"Well, whadda ya know," he finally says, taking a sip from his can of beer. "Looks like we're cousins, Will Du."