Shards fell and luckily I was wearing pants, but they fell at my feet. I kicked off the shards and brushed them off as I stood. Looking up I saw Intratcher lying on the ground and rubbing his head. It took me a few seconds to process that my pushing...
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Laughter filled the living room, Tampcent hiding his face in Taylors' shoulder as they sat down. I hadn't told anybody about the night I had with Tampcent. What I couldn't fathom was how somebody could go out proud of a murder without shame in what he does.
"I broke up with her!" Albert groaned in my ear, gritted teeth. I didn't know the entire background of what happened that night. "The audacity to think for a minute that I want a second chance from her." The blood was still freshly dripping when the cops came and everyone saw the car wreck he was in. Tampcent stood across the scene, seemingly horrified as I. My memories rewrote him as menacing. "Intratcher, hey, are you listening?" Albert asked, bringing me back to the present.
I wanted to jump up and tell everyone to back up from him like I hadn't suggested he'd be here. It felt wrong not to invite him, I wanted to make things right but I was afraid. The dots connected, his blood-drenched face and feverish look.
"I swear," I didn't want to keep thinking about Tampcent, so I tried to grasp the conversation I let fall out of my ear. "I told you, dude, she's crazy."
Liv was narcissistic, not crazy. Crazy was murder, harm inflicted on a loved one. Crazy was how Nancy, Tampcents least favorite person knew about Victor before me. "She started crying on me too, like right here on my chest. I wanted to be friends but I'm not sure anymore." He pointed to the wet stains on his chest. Wiping his hand on it, remnants of mascara rubbed between his fingers.
Wincing, I turned to the hall where Liv was weeping. Melody was parallel to her, wiping Liv's tears. "Damn." I placed a hand on Alberts's back. The New Year wasn't looking promising.
"Do you all think charades would be fun?" Taylor asked out of the blue, sparking my attention. The microphone wire for karaoke was wrapped around her wrist as she put it up. "If so Evelyn and I want to be partners. Sorry Intratcher, sorry Tampcent." Nearly in sync, Tampcent and I push a fake laugh. We frowned at each other, although not for the first time that night. When he came with Taylor on his arm, astonishment fell over me. Nothing seemed to be going right.
As we agreed to play charades, Albert and Mason grouped, then Liv and Melody as they came from the hall, Nancy and Kota, and by the time we were all ready, I found myself sitting on the couch beside Tampcent.
Tapping my finger on my knee, I tried to keep my composure. The rough texture of my dress pants against my hands kept my mind on another subject. "Whale!" Dakota yelped before Nancy frantically spun the wheel on her phone once again while holding a thumbs up. I wondered if Nancy knew something I didn't. One key fact that kept her on the mend.
Glancing over at Taylor while Dakota continued to spew out anything that popped into her head, she was giving Nancy bad looks too. The awareness that at least one person hated another in the room kicked in and I felt self-conscious. The alarm rang. "Six correct! We're a good team." Dakota gave Nancy a high five. "Tampcent, Intratcher, it's your turn." I handed Tampcent the phone and he began spinning the prompts off on a digital wheel.
