Growing Up and Other Tall Tales

Chapter 89

Round One

Maybe the questions won't be that invasive, I reassure myself. Maybe this whole thing won't be so humiliating after all.

"Question one," Valentine begins and quietly breaths out, "What is you and your partner's favorite romantic spot?"

Well, fuck me.

I sigh. What have I gotten myself into? What did I do wrong in life to end up here? Lyra's not even looking at me, she's just glaring at the wall to her left like she's willing it to burst into flame that would take her so she wouldn't have to suffer. I am most definitely paying for this later.

I look around, and Rider and Jonas have already finished writing. So have Sandy and Missy, and now Missy is awkwardly leaning over, trying un-covertly to read from Rider's board. Eventually, even Lyra starts writing, slowly and carefully wielding the marker, though she looks the opposite of thrilled about it.

I try to scrounge up an answer, but nothing's coming to mind. It's not like we share romantic spots, since we are not a couple, and the only fancy place we've ever been to together was this five star restaurant because I knew the chef and I had no one else to go with (you can't exactly take your one night stands to fancy restaurants) but I would hardly call that a positive experience, seeing as Lyra got super sick from the food and I spent the whole time nursing her back to health by forcing her to drink bottled water.

Honestly, as far as I am concerned, the only place that really seems special for us is the cafe, where we work together, accidentally exchange each-others' drinks too busy to actually look up, throw crumbs at each other; the place where Lyra reads to me and I rant to her about how the photocopy machine was broken and the latest episode of Family Food Feud was a fluke. This was the place where we met under normal circumstances and not because I needed to warn my foster sister who ran away to be careful from her psycho mafia parents.

I groan.

"Alright all, let's wrap it up!" Valentine calls, like a high school teacher ending breakout time, and I resign myself to my fate. I just want to get this over with. Halfheartedly, I uncap my marker to scrawl café.

"Time's up!" Valentine turns towards Rider. I can feel the excitement of the spectators in the room as they wait for the reveal. "Couple one. Your favorite romantic spot."

He flips the board in his hands. "Phuket," he says, all smug like he already knows he's right. Jonas, looking smitten, turns his board around to reveal the same. "We went there together a year ago and it was amazing."

Wewentanditwasamaaaazing, Missy mimics soundlessly, tossing her head back and forth. Sandy snorts.

"Well done, couple one. That's one point. Couple two, why don't we share what's so funny over there?"

The smile doesn't leave Missy's face as she turns her board. "Our favorite romantic spot is his bedroom."

"Oh god," I mutter

Sandy shrugs laughing at the way Missy's voice drops low and seductive, turning his whiteboard as well, "My bedroom."

"Dude," I groan and Sandy raises his eyebrows at me, "Gross,"

"You don't know what we've been doing in there?" Sandy says quietly grinning and I know exactly what they've been doing in there

"Remind me to never again sit on his bed when we're over," I mumble to Lyra who's scrunched up face swelled with disgust eases up into a little laugh. An immediate smile itches at my own mouth.

"How...honest," Valentine says, blinking. "Thank you so much for sharing. A point for you two as well."

His expression turns placid as he turns to look at me.

"Capo," he says with false sweetness, "what is yours and Lyra's...favorite romantic spot?"

I shift uncomfortably at the encouraging uproar and I flip up my board. "The only thing I could think of was, uh...the café,"

I prop my elbow up against the edge of the board and I look at her defeated.

There's a pause, during which Valentine blinks at him.

"That's where we...frequent," waiting for Lyra's eye roll that comes right on cue as I look at her

Missy flashes Sandy a victorious look.

It feels like the entire room is about to burst into laughter, and then Lyra cuts in, "Actually."

All heads turn to her.

Lyra turns her board for everyone to see.

Café, it reads.

"I said café too."

Valentine looks ready to explode.

"We got it right." I mumbled, stunned. Then, a little louder, I repeat, "We got it right."

"Holy shit," Cindy breathes.

"Wait, really?" someone whispers.

"I am surprised," Ace says tonelessly slurping his drink throwing finger guns at Lyra

"So do they get a point?" asks Cain quietly

"Well—well," Valentine says, stunned, "Indeed! It looks like our friends-with-benefits have earned themselves a point!"

"Please don't." Lyra mutters

"You two might give the lovebirds a run for their money!" Valentine adds rigidly.

Missy laughs loudly and nervously looking pointedly at me.

"Is her eye twitching?" someone murmurs

"They earned the point, so let's stop discussing it!" Valentine steamrolls. "Here we go! Question two."

I can't help smiling at Lyra. She rolls her eyes back. But she doesn't seem quite so angry anymore. I count it as a success.

"This side." Valentine indicates Lyra, Missy, and Rider. "What would your partner never consume?"

Lyra's eyes widen and she looks at me excitedly. I watch her shaking hand scribbling it down. I raise my eyebrows at how the girl is practically bouncing off her seat and I had momentarily forgotten how competitive she could get.

"Lyra?" Valentine finally asks. "What would Capo—"

"Coffee," she rushes out, flipping her board

I wordlessly turn my board around. The crowd comes alive.

"Well," Valentine says, surprised once again, "That's two points for every team!"

"Another point!" Lyra hisses to me and I laugh at her.

"I know," I say easily happy that she no longer looks like she wants to drive a six foot pole up my ass

"You all." Valentine points to my side, "Last question of the round. Tell us your partner's most-contacted person in their phone, besides yourself."

Hey now, I feel like I'm starting to get the hang of this.

"Nick," I proclaim when it's my turn

"It's embarrassing but he's right," Lyra concedes. In the crowd, Nick punches the air with pride and Amy pinches his cheeks to calm him down. Valentine looks like he's sucking on something sour when he allows us the point.