True As Cheese

Thanksgiving Pt2: Don't Believe Tessa

         My heart beat hard as his intense eyes pierced my soul, knowing my secret. I keep my head up, staring the detective down. He leans back, the nurse talking with the final victim. The detective's eyes examine my face, a small smirk on his lips appears when he finally puts the pieces together. He knows I'm the mafia.

          We decided to play this game, mafia. It's a card game where you've got to figure out who the mafia is. If you get the King card, you're the mafia. You have to kill everyone off and go without being caught. If you get the Queen, you're the nurse. Your job is to guess who the mafia might kill and save them. If you get the Jack, you're the detective. Your job is to figure out who the mafia is and convince everyone else they're the mafia. The rest of the cards are innocent villagers, or also known as the mafia's victims.

          Michael was our story teller, he comes up with outrageous stories as to how everyone dies and is the only one who knows who everyone is. I am he mafia, and I know for certain Bear is the detective, ever since we started this game he's been interrogating everyone. The nurse, I'm unsure. I think it might be Jim, Bear's dad, or Leo.

          I've killed everyone but Bear, Leo, Jim, and Preston. Why haven't I killed off Bear? You'll see soon enough.

          Bear glances at me, his eyes accusing. He knows I'm the mafia. My job? To convince Jim, Leo, and Preston that Bear is the mafia instead. If I can play off that I'm the detective, they might believe me instead. Bear is catching on quickly, I have to act fast or he'll win. They'll vote me off as the mafia and I'll lose.

          "Jim, how do you feel about the community garden?" I joke, everyone becomes speechless before they shake their heads, chuckling.

          "I attend every cucumber washing meeting and even restock the bean seeds!" Jim defends himself as everyone laughs, a smile growing on my face. The game continues, and so do my questions. I interrogate Leo on his grass length, and Preston on his fence needing repainted.

          "I will not let his community go to shit!" I've slowly killed everyone off, all that's left is Bear, Leo, and I. Bear's eyes stare into mine intensely.

          "She's the mafia." His eyes glare before he turns to Leo, attempting to convince him I'm the mafia. If my plan goes as planned, Leo will believe me and choose to save me.

          "Leo, you're the nurse, right?" Leo nods, leaning back in his chair.

         "Save me and we'll know who's the mafia." This wasn't about winning, I could easily kill off Bear or Leo. No, this was about making Leo trust me more than Bear. My pride was at stake.

          "Everyone, close your eyes. Mafia, please open your eyes." Michael says as I lift my head. Everyone giggles, some gasp at the new knowledge.

          "Mafia, who do you want to kill?" I smile evilly, pointing to myself. A confused look crosses his face, gasps fill the room again.

          "Are you sure?" I nod, closing my eyes.

          "Detective, who do you think the mafia is?" Silence fills the room as Bear points, clearly to me. Michael probably nods, revealing Bear is correct.

          "Nurse, who do you want to save?" The silence fills the room before Michael asks everyone to open their eyes. Everyone sits on the edge of their seats in anticipation, the atmosphere tense.

          "Everyone wakes in the morning, big yawns everyone!" Michael says, dramatically yawning. Everyone joins in, stretching and rubbing their eyes.

           "Everyone wakes, but one person... Tessa!" Everyone gasps, I feign shock as he says this.

          "Everyone rushes around her, to find she'd been buried under a new swirly slide at the elephant exhibit at the zoo! Luckily... The nurse had seen Tessa being crushed by said swirly with elephants sliding down, and dig her up! Tessa, has survived the mafia attack." Leonardo leans forward, looking at Bear suspiciously. Bear stares at me, a smirk on his face.

          "You evil genius." He licks his lips, staring at me intensely.

          "It's time to vote." Leo glances between us, unsure. Then he points to Bear. That's it. I just won.

          "Bear is voted off, and is in fact NOT the mafia. Tessa, you win!" Michael says, smiling big. I stand up and cheer, dancing my victory dance. Leo curses and throws his hands in the air, wondering how he could fall for that.

           Bear stands, his eyes never leaving mine as he circles the table. He wraps his hands around my waist, throwing me over his shoulder. I scream out, grabbing for help but everyone just smiles at me and waves.

           "Theodore Elijah Alfredo, if you don't put that poor girl down, I'll send you to your room!" Louise's voice makes me freeze, a giant smile growing on my face.

          "I'm already on my way there, Mom." He says, climbing the stairs as I laugh hysterically.

          "Your name is THEODORE!?!" I laugh, not because I don't like the name. No, because I've been calling him Teddy Bear, and his name is Theodore. That's like the opposite name of a mafia leader.

          Bear's bedroom door slams shut, cutting my laughter off as he throws me on his bed, standing above me as the bed bounces slightly.

          "You've never been more attractive than when you turned my own men against me." He says, slowly unbuttoning his shirt. I suddenly can't breathe. His eyes stare at me intensely as he slides his shirt off before crawling above me, his lips inches from mine.

          "True as cheese." I wink, biting my lip. He freezes, a smile growing on his face.

          "What?" He questions, clearly not hearing me correctly.

          "Uhh... True as cheese?"

          "What does that even mean?"

          "You know, cheese is true."

          "You're an idiot."

          "Well at least Cheese is never wrong." I point to myself, smiling in victory.

          "That's my girl." His words barely process before his lips are smashed against mine.

        I don't think I've ever slept that well.