"I can't wait for tonight," I gleam as at six o'clock everyone's coming to the apartment for some 'Would You Rather.' Ike answers the door as Sketch and Davey show up with Evan and Maggie. They don't do much but play with Lucy, Cole and now Bella and Luke. Walking into the main room, I see Minnie lying on the floor curled up into fetal position.
"You okay?" I ask handing her a glass of water. She slowly arouses herself and gradually takes the glass with her good hand.
"Just tired that's all, I promise." She smiles.
"I can't believe you found me," I laugh, "you didn't even know my name and it's almost eight years later."
"Well, you can get sympathy and sometimes what you want. Now, I don't know about what you remember, but you did tell me your name and for some reason, it just stuck with me," she says, gulping down the water, soon she's done and sets the glass on the floor.
"So how long will you be in Manhattan?"
"Just for today, but obviously more than that now."
"You can stay here!"
"Really?"
"You'd have to be in the main room, but we have a lot of bedding."
"Thank you so much."
"No problem really."
"Hype, can you get the door?" Ike yells from the nursery, putting Bella and Luke down, or at least trying too. I smile at our visitor, excusing myself to find Sketch, Davey, Nicole and Mike at the door; now only for everyone else. I motion to put food in the kitchen as I once again open the door to Star, Blink, Smalls and guess who else: Specs. Right, forgot that Smalls and Specs, this can't be good.
"Does anyone know where Ella, Jasper, Elsie and Les are?" I ask as I carefully knock on the door.
"No one has seen them for a few days." Sketch comments.
"Jasper hasn't been at the Lodging house," Les adds.
"How strange," I whisper, opening the door to see Star alone. No Blink, he doesn't like us, I think. He talks to Ike sometimes though, but he doesn't talk to me which suits me just fine.
"Try calling them," Minnie smiles, folding her hands on her lap. All heads turn as she repeats her statement. "You could call them, I'm sure they'd answer, maybe."
"How would I call them?" I ask to her. Minnie, she was always the odd one out in the factory, the odd one out now.
"Use the telephone," she says, pointing to something out of my view.
"The tele-what?" I ask as Star sits next to her.
"The telephone," she says slowly, "the thing you can talk to people with without leaving your apartment…"
"A tele-what," I repeated.
"Never mind," she smiles sweetly as I go to the kitchen and bring out a plate of muffins, or as Ike believes from a game of would you rather I had with him, children. I bet my life he'll use the muffin/baby option.
"So you may know why you're here," I smile, taking a seat on the floor next to Ike; unwrapping a blueberry muffin. "And you may not. Earlier today I got really bored so Ike and I played 'Would you rather,' so we will do that now. We'll go in a circle starting with Nicole and go clockwise."
"Oh, okay" she stammers, hating and regretting to be the person to start things off.
"And you can ask anyone, you just have to address them." I cut in; she gives me a small nod.
"Well then, Mike, if you ever got in a fight, would you get even with that person or get over it."
"Over it," he simply states as Nicole motions to the person on her right, who just so happens to be Sketch.
"Ike, would you rather be punished by your mom or disciplined by your dad?"
"Punished by mom," he reasons. "She doesn't get as mad. She just reads or talks and bakes muffins and stuff."
"Great way to describe your mother," I smile, mostly to myself.
"But like, Dad could be really uptight about something really stupid," he continues.
"Next." I butt in, "Davey go."
"This one's for Sketch. You'd still be with all your friends and me, but would you rather be a kid forever or an adult forever?"
"Tough one, but I'd have to say kid forever, just because, I have no idea." She says, reaching for another muffin.
"I'd rather be an adult forever with you," Davey smirks and we all know why because of that stuff, maturity wise.
"Hype," Ike addresses me, "would you rather kill off one person free of guilt and punishment or bring someone back to life?"
"Kill off Race," I say promptly.
"Looks like someone is a little hothead sometimes," Specs whispers as he side hugs Smalls. It make me feel awkward for some reason, I've never seen Smalls and Specs interact as the other's lover.
"Ike," I smirk making him cringe, "would you rather play spin the bottle and be the only male or play truth or dare and kiss a girl other than me," instant reaction of everyone laughing as he turns an even darker shade, cracking under the choices. A wave of silence hits us as we all notice Ike still hasn't chosen.
"Truth or Dare also known as interrogation or abuse." He whispers softly.
"Okay then Ike, I dare you to kiss," I pause, looking around at all the bright red cheeks and sly smiles, "kiss Sketch."
"We're playing would you rather," he protests as I notice how red Sketch and Davey are.
"Yes, you picked truth or dare, and I just dared you to kiss Sketch." I laugh, poking him.
"Fine," he mutters, crawling over to Sketch and pecking her cheek, then crawling back. She grows very red from embarrassment as Davey gives Ike a death threat in which we all know is a lie. We love each other way too much.
"Yes, a new rumor at the Lodging House," Specs blurts out randomly.
"Davey you okay?" I ask as I see his face beet red.
"Ike you will die." He smiles.
"Anyways, Specs go." I cut in.
"Smalls, would you go back in time a hundred years and meet your ancestors or go into the future to meet your great grandchildren?"
"Future, because that just sounds amazing." She smiles. "And also because I know what would happen to my family tree. Minnie, would you rather be good at something you hate or bad at something you love?"
"Bad at something I love, because if I love it I would want to get better at it," she replies, "hey Star, would you not be able to tell the difference between a muffin and a baby or change gender every time you sneeze?"
"I wanted to ask that," Ike shouts, shoving muffins in his face as everyone looks at him.
"Muffin children," Star exclaims excitedly, "good thing I didn't have any tonight." We stare at Ike again, who ate at least ten. Silence as I try to figure out if everyone got a turn.
"Who hasn't gone?" I ask. No show of hands, of course, no one kept track if they asked anything. "Specs, did you go…?" he nods. "Anyone want any muffins?"
"No way, not after the muffin/baby option," Sketch smiles as Davey grabs a few more causing everyone to laugh.
"Well then, that was fun and interesting," I say, "now get out I'm going to bed."
"Hype-" Ike objects, too late, because I slam my bedroom door shut and crash before he ever said anything else.