It's been a while
Since I could say
That I wasn't addicted
It's been a while
Since I could say
I love myself as well as
It's been a while
Since I went and fucked things up
Just like I always do
And it's been a while
But all that shit seems to disappear
When I'm with you
--from It's Been A While by Staind
"Connubial."
Micah placed the final tial on the board with a flourish. "Okay, that's... 15 points, including the double letter score for the 'u'... plus a triple word score.." He paused to calculate the total in his head, then nodded. "So that's 45 points in all." Micah sat back with a smug smirk. "Go on, write it down" Gabe glared at the gameboard, pencil poised in her hand.
"You made that up," she said slowly. He blinked in surprise.
"No I didn't!" Micah jabbed a finger at the tials. "It's a word! 45 points, mark it down!"
"Oh, come on," Gabe scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "It doesn't even sound like a word." He frowned and huffed angrily.
"It's a word! It means 'dealing with marriage'. Look it up if you want." She arched a brow, smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. It was obviously giving her great pleasure in annoying him.
"It would just be easier to say you were wrong and pick a new word."
"It would be even easier," Micah said slowly, making a fist and shaking it at her, "if I just hauled off and slugged you." Gabe rolled her eyes with a grin.
"A little competitive, are we?" she chuckled, but wrote down his score anyway.
"Only as much as you," he said sweetly. She totaled the points mentally and scribbled them onto the pad of paper.
"Shut up. Okay, so that leaves you with... 206 points, and I have--" Gabe scowled at the result. "-- well, it doesn't matter. Scrabble is a stupid game anyway." Micah grinned and swiped the scorepad away from her.
"How much?" He answered his own question by reading the scribbles. Unable to help it, he laughed out loud. "32 points?"
"All I have are consonants," Gabe muttered, and he tossed the pad back at her.
"Su-u-ure. Blame it on the lack of vowels, Gabe." She stuck her tongue out at him.
"I could blame it on Elian Gonzales or El NiƱo if I wanted to."
Ding-dong.
"Doorbell," Micah said cheerfully. The girl grinned and got to her feet.
"Thank you, Captain Obvious." She started for the door, then paused. "I'll be right back. No cheating." Micah smothered a mock gasp.
"Moi? Cheat?" He put the back of his hand to his forehead and let out a shuddery sigh. "I'm hurt, Gabe. I'm truly hurt."
"Smart ass," Gabe snickered, disappearing into the entryway. Micah looked back down at the gameboard and smirked.
"Besides. Why would I need to cheat? I'm winning by nearly a zillion points anyway."
"I heard that," she called distantly. He laughed into his hand.
"Sorry." The door opened in the hallway. Micah sat at the coffee table boredly, fiddling absently with the brake on his chair. Voices could be heard distantly, but they were too quiet and far away to be clear. He thought he caught Jeremy's voice in the muddle.
(Poor guy. There's some of the truth from that article.)
Feeling a sharp pang of guilt, Micah wheeled towards the front door.
"Hey, Gabe," he said slowly, struggling over the low bump into the entryway. "If it's Jeremy, tell him he's welcome to play Scrabble with us. I don't mind." But he fell silent as he neared the front door. Gabe was arguing with someone.
"Look," she snapped at the visitor, "if you're here to stare at the so-called 'Hemmingford Horror', you can just turn right around and march back to that fancy car of yours. I will not have--"
"Calm down, Miss Sterling," murmured a low voice. "We're not here to do any staring." Micah stopped his wheelchair just out of view of the front door. There was something about that voice.
(familiar you've heard it before)
"I don't care!" That was Gabe again, still sounding considerably angry. "You're not going to upset him any more! You have no idea what he's been through--"
"I have an inkling," muttered the other voice, and the odd familiarity poked at Micah's mind.
(you know that voice)
"Gabe," he said slowly, finally taking hold of the wheels and pushing forward again. "Gabe, who is it?" There was a moment of silence.
"No one, honey. Go back into the living room." He didn't obey; Micah moved closer.
"Miss Sterling, there's something we really need to settle with Micah. It'll only be a moment--"
"I told you to leave!" cried Gabe, clearly out of patience.
"No," Micah said slowly, rounding the corner. "Gabe, wait, I want to see who--" And then he could see who was at the door. His hands froze, and it felt as if his body had gone numb.
(oh god)
"Do you know these people, Micah?" asked Gabe reluctantly. Micah couldn't answer. He was staring at the group: a tall man with brown hair, a dark-haired woman, a pretty blonde girl, and a handsome blonde boy.
("KILL THE OUTLANDERS!")
John Garrett,
("The blood of those who defileth the corn must flow into the earth!")
Angela,
("Cut out her tongue and carve out her heart!")
Lacey,
("She is the first to be sacrificed!")
and Danny.
("Please, Danny. You're my friend.")
"Micah?" Gabe said again, but he couldn't look away from them. Memories flooded his mind like a stinging rush of acid.
(the pain oh god the pain)
Danny stared back grimly.
(he just watched while I was dying)
"What's wrong, Micah?" Gabe asked, sounding alarmed now, but Micah had already begun to wheel backwards.
("Please--")
He pushed faster, desperate to get away from the staring eyes.
("--Danny--")
The low step down from the entryway gave the wheelchair a hard bump, but he hardly felt it.
("--you're--")
"Micah?" cried Gabe.
("--my--")
Micah regained control of the wheelchair and gave the wheels a frantic push, heading down the hall.
("--friend.")
He bumped past the open door and into his room, where he promptly covered his face with his hands and began to cry.
("Please, Danny. You're my friend.")
