Growing Up and Other Tall Tales

Chapter 90

Round Two

"This game is a great way to instigate a breakup," I mutter to Lyra, as we watch Rider and Jonas argue over the latest compliments they've given each other.

"You said my shoes looked good," Rider insists. "It was just this morning. Doesn't that count?"

"I said it looked fine," Jonas responds. "You asked, does it look alright? And I said, yeah, it looks fine. Also I said the shoes are alright, not you. I don't think that's a compliment. Is it?" He looks to Valentine

"Then—do my shoes not look good? Do I not look alright?" Rider asks, stricken and Jonas stares hard at his boyfriend before in a controlled voice explaining that it is not what he meant

"Relationships are terrifying alright," Lyra mutters back. She flexes her fingers to stretch her sleeves over her hands, turning them into sweaterpaws. The movement yanks the collar of her sweater down just low enough to expose the notches of her shoulders.

"You cold?" I ask when she immediately draws up the sleeve after a shudder

"Talking is not allowed between the couples before they answer!" Valentine sings over them. Lyra stiffens, caught out. "Lyra, what was the last compliment Capo gave you?"

"Um," Lyra says, reluctantly holding up her whiteboard in a way that keeps her from having to look at it. "Aiden told me he liked my hair. Or something."

Sometime between this round and the last, a good chunk of the crowd had migrated to rooting for Lyra and I as the underdogs, and they make a collective oooooh at Lyra's answer. I turn my board to show the same answer. "And when was this?" Valentine asks, clearly very angry that we are bending his rules by winning

"Earlier this evening," Lyra confesses, flustered. "Before we came here."

The oooohing intensifies. Lyra flushes angrily. I think being angry at everything keeps her warm.

The participants of the game however, are silent and still. I feel them steadily being threatened by a rookie pair. Valentine doesn't say anything and lets the crowd have its vocalization for a while. I avoid looking at Missy.

Valentine shuffles his notecards and moves onto the next question. "This side," he says, pointing towards Lyra's row. "The better dressed ones." Jonas boos. Sandy and I both frown down at our clothes. "Write down your partner's biggest fear."

I notice that the atmosphere of the room sobers a bit with this question. Even our audience gets quieter.

Valentine begins the answers with Rider.

"His fear is not having his art," he says.

"I said not being able to make art anymore," Jonas confirms. The tips of his ears are a bit red.

"Ooooh," Valentine coos, subdued, "very close. Should we count it? What do you all think?"

Their audience buzzes in agreement.

"I think we'll count it," Valentine tells them. "Missy, what's Sandy's fear?"

"Not being part of the family," says Missy, with so much sincerity that it knocks me a little off-kilter. I look at Sandy who quirks his mouth into a solemn half-smile, he nods and turns his board as well. The two hold eye contact and then she smiles one of those special Missy smiles, the ones she only reserves for family. For Sandy.

The room is nearly silent as Valentine turns to me.

"Last but not least," Valentine says, "Capo and Lyra. Capo, what is Lyra's biggest fear?"