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“But I’m always Professor Plum.” It was Gansey’s voice, the hint of a whine finding its way into his words.
There were six of them gathered around a table at Monmouth Manufacturing, six restless bodies hovering over an early edition of Clue. To Gansey’s right, Blue sat, rolling her eyes as she picked up one of the game pieces. She toyed with Miss Scarlet between her fingers before setting her back down on the board. On Gansey’s left, Henry was busy placing three cards into an envelope labeled Confidential.
“It doesn't matter.” Ronan, who sat across from Gansey, said. He had chosen Colonel Mustard for himself, the same character he always chose. Ronan, Gansey noticed, was in a terrible mood. He suspected it was because of Chainsaw. The others had voted to not allow the bird to join them, convinced she had helped Ronan win the last time they had played. The results seemed to leave Ronan more hostile than usual.
“I can pick someone else.” Noah handed Professor Plum over to Gansey, an apologetic smile on his face. Whenever there was game night, Noah seldom participated. It was Ronan who had convinced him to play tonight. Before Gansey could protest, Noah held up Mrs. White. “See?”
Ronan mumbled something that only Adam appeared to catch. Adam merely shook his head and took Mr. Green for himself, leaving Henry with Mrs. Peacock.
After a quick rundown of the rules, Gansey announced that the game had begun. He quickly dealt out the remaining cards, allowing everyone time to cross off items, rooms, and people, before handing the dice to Blue.
“You’re up, Miss Scarlet.”
Gansey had meant it as a joke, referring only to the character Blue had chosen. One look from her, and Gansey could tell Blue did not, in fact, find it funny. He quickly added a sorry, earning a snicker from Ronan, as Blue rolled the dice.
One.
She moved the game piece one place, not able to enter any rooms, and therefore unable to make any accusations. Her turn ended and Noah took the dice.
The game continued as such for several turns, each player taking hold of the dice and trying their luck at finding out who committed the murder – and where, and with what. Several turns were enough for Ronan to try out his strategy.
He tried it every time they played, a simple trick meant to do nothing more than stir the pot and cause doubt to settle over his opponents. When it was his turn, he announced in an almost bored tone, “Scarlet, conservatory, revolver.”
Ronan looked around the room as the other players studied their cards, each trying to find something Ronan had rattled off. They made it all the way around the circle, not one person appearing to have anything Ronan had said. Satisfied, Ronan pretended to check items off on his sheet.
It was a farce, his way of getting people out quickly. In his hand he held all three of the cards; of course no one else would have been able to show him one. By the way silence fell over the room and the uneasy glances shared by the other five, Ronan knew that what he had done was working.
Adam’s turn was next, but instead of making his formal accusation as Ronan thought he would, he was able to move Mr. Green into the conservatory. “Miss Scarlet in the conservatory with the revolver.”
Just as before, no one had any of the cards. That is, until it fell on Ronan. Wearing a deadpan expression, he begrudgingly slid one of his cards over to Adam.
“Thank you,” Adam said, sliding the card back. He allowed for his hand to brush across Ronan's arm, a gesture meant to let Ronan know that he was on to him. Or perhaps this was Adam Parrish's way of flirting. Whatever his intention, the gesture left Ronan flustered.
Ronan clenched his fists, nails digging into palms. Someone would fall for it, he told himself, his eyes looking at anything or anyone but Adam.
Henry took his turn, then Gansey, then finally Blue. When it fell on Noah, he announced that he was going to make his formal accusation.
“If you’re wrong, you're no longer allowed to participate,” Gansey warned, while Ronan said –
“Let him make it.”
Noah shifted a little in his seat, his voice small as he made his final guess. “I think it was Miss Scarlet in the lounge with the revolver.”
Ronan reached over to give him a pat on the shoulder as he opened the envelope. He had missed all three. Noah didn’t protest, didn’t argue, he simply placed the cards back in the envelope and announced that he had been wrong.
The game continued.
Uneasiness began to manifest itself in the room as the remaining five continued to play. Everyone was getting close to figuring it out, but no one wanted to risk joining Noah on the sidelines. Of all of them, Adam seemed the most confident. When his turn came around he shrugged and announced that he would be making his formal accusation.
“Colonel Mustard,” Adam began, looking at Ronan as he said it, “in the kitchen with the rope.”
There were several nods of agreement, and as Adam opened the envelope a smile flashed across his face, a warm and brilliant thing. He let the cards fall to the table. He had won.
By the smile on Gansey’s face, one would have thought that he himself had won. He gave Adam his congratulations. Henry, who hadn’t spoken much, addressed the group.
“Did you know there's a 1985 movie adaptation of Clue?”
“Who the hell would watch that?” It was Ronan’s voice, resentment over losing now evident in everything he said.
Gansey appeared to ignore Ronan’s comment, directing his response toward Henry, “I’ve seen it, several times actually.”
“We should watch it.” Adam watched as five pairs of eyes settled on him, his own looking around the room to meet everyone’s gaze. He seldom suggested group activities, as seldom as Noah joined in game night. But there was something about Gansey’s smile, about Henry’s enthusiasm, that made Adam want to culminate the evening by watching the film.
Gansey pointed to Adam, as if he were giving a lecture and Adam had made a very convincing addition to the discussion, “Great idea.”
Across two couches, the six of them sprawled themselves out. On the first, Adam rested at one end while Noah took up the other. Ronan lay across the two of them, his head just touching Adam’s thigh, while his legs stretched across Noah’s lap. On the other, Gansey sat in the middle. Blue’s head leaned against his right shoulder while Gansey's left brushed against Henry’s.
They became a mess of interwoven parts, tangled together as they watched. There was an unspeakable sense of ease that had fallen over Monmouth Manufacturing, the feeling of time standing still. No one seemed to mind that Ronan complained until the last line was delivered, or that Gansey and Henry bounced film trivia off of one another. The six of them were together, and they were safe. They were happy.
“Guys,” it was Henry, face illuminated by his phone screen after the movie ended, “there’s a modern adaptation of Clue that came out in 2011.”
Certainly no one protested when Gansey found a link. They settled back into themselves, prepared to keep this feeling going for as long as they could.