Every Happy Family by Dede Crane Read Free Book Online Page A

him, the miniature was going to be one of her Christmas presents, and he’s debating if it would be pathetic to give it to her anyway. He’d texted her last weekend. “Missing you, Laur. Wanting to hold you, and more.” The word “want,” he felt, was key. When he didn’t hear back, he texted and said that his personality was “accommodating” – that was the descriptive he’d settled on because it contained the word dating – and that, if given the chance, he’d be more “demonstrative.” He chose that word because it contained the word demon, a.k.a. vampire. His mother, the linguist, taught him that words had subliminal power beyond their intended meanings.
    â€œYou’re from here, right?” Vanessa asks.
    â€œHere?” He points to the table.
    She smiles, waiting.
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œYou live at home, then?”
    â€œWith my folks. I have my own entrance though.” He just shouldn’t speak.
    She’s still looking at him. Should he ask where she’s from? In the gap, she looks away. Quinn takes a long drink.
    Todd’s voice next to his ear is a heated whisper: “Van loves to fuck.”
    His brain momentarily frozen, Quinn looks at Todd who shrugs, palms raised in innocence. Thrown off-centre in another way now, his brain races around the possible reasons Todd just confided or fabricated such a thing and glances at Vanessa to make sure she hasn’t overheard.
    â€œQuinn, know this game?” calls Ritchie.
    â€œExcuse me?”
    â€œRing of Fire.”
    â€œDon’t believe so.”
    â€œEveryone takes turns flipping over a card,” Mandy says.
    â€œWhoever loses the game indicated by the card,” explains Rebecca, “has to take a drink and give one to the cup.” She points to the empty cup in the middle of the table. “The game ends when someone turns over the fourth king, and then that person has to chug the mix of booze in the cup.”
    As Ritchie explains the rules for each card, Quinn only half follows. The cards are then spread face down in a ring around the cup.
    â€œI’ll go first,” says Mandy and flips over a six. “Rhyme time. Okay, booze,” she begins.
    â€œCruise.”
    â€œLose.”
    â€œFuse.”
    â€œJews,” says Todd and points to Jehoy-something who waves good-naturedly.
    It’s Quinn’s turn. “News.”
    â€œMEWS and MUSE,” spells Vanessa, then hikes up her legs to sit cross-legged on the couch. Her knee now pushes against Quinn’s thigh. Accident or signal?
    â€œClues.”
    If he glances over at her or at her knee, he’ll be making something of it when she might not be. Some girls are just naturally touchy. His sister, Pema, drapes herself over complete strangers.
    â€œGlues.”
    If he doesn’t glance over, she could construe it two ways: casual cool or indifferent.
    â€œUse.”
    â€œOoze.”
    Now the moment’s past, so either he blew it or it didn’t matter in the first place.
    â€œShmooze,” says Todd.
    Quinn can’t think.
    â€œTen seconds,” calls Ritchie and starts tapping a spoon against his glass.
    â€œScrews,” he blurts and people laugh out loud, Todd the loudest. Blushing, he forces himself to laugh along.
    â€œBOOS,” spells Vanessa.
    â€œMOOS,” spells the next person.
    â€œChoose.”
    â€œShoes.”
    â€œDues.”
    â€œPoos,” says Todd.
    â€œRuse,” Quinn says, relieved.
    â€œHues.”
    â€œFooz, as in fooz ball.”
    â€œThat’s not a word,” says Mandy, but everyone ignores her.
    â€œVuse, as in pirating music.”
    â€œCoos.”
    â€œBlues.”
    It was back to him. “I’m out of rhymes,” he says.
    â€œCould have done crews or chews,” says Vanessa, her head tipping right then left.
    â€œOh, yeah.” He hits his head with an open palm, takes a drink