From Within

Chapter 3

Fun fact about Uno: it can fuck up any relationship in a matter of minutes. Trust dissipates like a smoke cloud. Lovers turn enemies, using false affection as deceptive ploy.

In Deci's trembling hand she held three green cards and one plus four. To her left, Tom sat with his legs crossed, gaze fixated on James. After deliberating for a minute, James eventually placed a red six on the pile, looking to his friends for their reaction. Tom's expressionless face stayed blank. Deci bit her lip. Her friend wasn't the best at keeping a poker face unless he was confident he could win. She called it his reverse poker face. A quick glance told the young woman that she could play a six, switching the colour to green. Tom only had two cards left and as she played her card, she uttered a silent prayer.

The brunette barely even blinked. His thumb held the couple of cards loosely in his left palm. Two of his right fingers pinched a single card and placed it atop Deci's. It was a blue six. Deci felt her stomach twist and drop. Through a haze she heard a monotonous 'Uno' slip from his lips. All she had was green. A two and an eight and a draw four. The older of the three flicked his eyes between the teenagers. Game night was his favourite night. In fact, he had a notebook full of the best moments: it was mostly full of the arguments that ensued afterwards, especially after Twister, but there were a few gems sprinkled throughout. With that in mind, James slipped a green eight onto the pile and braced himself for the explosion.

Deci felt her heart rate speed up and her tongue felt rough like sandpaper. You know when you can feel the beads of sweat leak from your fingertips? She could feel them grow hot and sticky and eyes burning a hole through her head.

Play the card. Just do it. Play the draw four.

What if he challenges?

No, he wouldn't.

You know damn well he would.

Just do it.

Don't do it.

Do it.

Don't do it.

Do i-

Her heart took over and flipped the black card onto the table. There it sat in all its black and ominous glory. Pure power. The blank expression shifted. A flurry of confusion and admiration and suspicion. Deci shuffled back a little at the sight of Tom raising an eyebrow.

'I don't buy it.' He said quietly. 'I challenge it.'

Fuck. 'I- Er, erm. I only have yellows.' The less than confident lie stuttered its way out.

'Show us.' James softly said from a safe distance. Tom nodded his head in agreement, arms folded with his single card placed between his fingers. False confidence drowned out the terror and Deci narrowed her eyes. Swallowing, she moved her eyes up and stared Tom down.

'No.'

Tom's raised eyebrow lifted even higher. 'No?'

With a smirk, Deci pursed her lips and stood her ground.
'I wouldn't lie to you Tom. I respect you and we've known each other way to long to lie to each other, especially over something so important.' Her green eyes bore into his. From a curled up position James reached for the living room stopwatch.

'Timer?' He asked.

'Timer.' Tom confirmed, jaw set. The two young adults heard the signalling beep and it was on.
'No freezing time again,' Tom warned. 'You did it last time and don't say you didn't because I felt it.'

She half growled through a deep exhale. 'Fine.' The staring match continued. Every muscle behind Tom's lenses were on fire but he mentally dug his heels in and powered on through. He'd never won a match before, mainly due to Deci's habit of cheating. This time he was determined to beat her.