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"What should we play?" Angie asked, flopping onto the sofa. Their father was out somewhere and their mother had taken the littler kids out, so they were left to their own devices.
Theodosia, who had come by as her father was off on a business trip, shrugged.
"I don't know. What is there to do at your house?"
"Board games," Alexander Junior, or Andy responded, holding up a deck of cards.
"Let’s play Old maid," Philip suggested. That was their family's favourite, and the Hamilton's all lit up. Theodosia suppressed a cheer. She had confidence in her poker face, and all the Hamilton's were easy to read. This would be a piece of cake.
"That's a good game," Theodosia agreed. Andy gave her a sharp look, clutching the deck close to his chest.
"Old maid is not a game," Andy said, anger colouring his words. Theodosia didn't see how that could have possibly offended him, but the Hamilton's were always weird.
"Old maid is psychological warfare!" Philip agreed. Angie swatted him over the head.
"Stop annoying my friend. Come on, Theo," Angie said, leading Theo to the kitchen. The boys chased after them.
"Oh, come on!"
"Can we play too?" Andy asked. Angie thought for a second before grinning evilly.
"Uh oh," Philip muttered. Whenever Angie had that face, it usually meant trouble.
"Sure you can play!" Angie smiled. "But let's make a bet. The winner can make a request of the loser!"
Philip weighed his options. On one hand, doing nothing for the entire day was mind numbing. On the other, the last time he had agreed with Angie's plans, it had involved a burning tree, gasoline, and getting suspended.
"We'll play," Philip decided. At least Angie's plans were never boring.
"Great!”
Angie dealt the cards, and they set down their doubles, glancing feverishly around.
"Okay, Philip, you can choose first!" Angie exclaimed, holding out her cards. One of them was set out further than the others, purposely goading Philip. He tried to discern Angie's reactions, as he skimmed over her cards, but his sister was the master of the poker face. Or rather, her smile. He took the protruding card and groaned. It was the old maid.
"Too bad Philip!" Angie giggled. She always tricked him into taking the old maid.
"You're not supposed to tell them that I got it!" Philip snapped.
"But you just told them!"
While Philip pondered the truth of that, Andy took the chance to snatch one of the cards he knew wasn't the queen.
"No fair!" Philip argued.
"Everything's fair in love and war," Andy smirked. He put down a double and offered his deck to Theodosia, who was shocked. She had never experienced such an intense game of Old maid before. The Hamilton's never did anything halfway, did they?
They continued in that same fashion, all of them trying to utterly destroy the others. Theodosia was just trying not to be swept away. Luckily, she discovered that Andy's right eyelid twitched whenever her hand hovered above the old maid. With this information, Theodosia was confident she wouldn't lose.
Theodosia let out a relieved sigh when Angie took the old maid, which the two brothers instantly picked up on. Their eyes followed the card Angie picked.
"Sorry," Theodosia said guiltily. Angie's smiling face didn't change.
"No worries!"
Angie quickly shuffled her hand under the table, bringing it out with one card sticking out yet again.
"I'm not going to fall for that again, Angie!" Philip exclaimed, taking the card directly to the right of the protruding card. He got the old maid.
"Almost!" Angie grinned as Philip sank down in defeat. Then he straightened up. If Angie did win, which she would, then he couldn't be last. Angie had too much dirt on him, and there was no way he was going to let her tell Theodosia.
Angie ran out of cards first, giggling.
"Looks like I win!"
It was then everyone understood the gravity of the situation. No one wanted to be subjugated to Angie's whims, and they redoubled their efforts. Andy was down to two cards, and his eyelid twitched when Theodosia touched the one on the right. Feeling victorious, Theodosia snatched the left one, only to find it was the old maid.
"What?" Theodosia gasped. Andy smirked. It was then Theodosia understood. Andy had been faking it this entire time just to do this in the critical moment. She marvelled at the Andy's planning abilities. It had been wrong to underestimate him. Andy won the next turn.
“It's just you and me,” Philip said, reaching for a card. Luckily he got a double. Theodosia went next. Philip only had two cards and Theodosia had three, one of them the old maid. She needed to get a double, which she did.
Philip's hand hovered over the two cards. Which one? Which one would seal his fate? As he touched the card on the left, Theodosia made an inadvertent whine. They both froze. Philip pinched the other card, and Theodosia slumped, defeated.
What would happen if he chose this card? Theodosia would have to go through whatever hell Angie decided. Philip bit his lip. He didn't want to do this, but he couldn't make Theodosia suffer. He took the old maid and gave her his other card, the two of diamonds. Theodosia gasped in surprise.
“Philip, why?”
“I can't make you suffer through this, Theo,” Philip said, as if he had just sacrificed his life for her. Which, in a way, he had. Angie started clapping.
“Bravo! That was a fun show!”
Philip turned to his sister in defeat.
“What do I have to do?”
Angie wickedly smiled and bent down to whisper in his ear. Philip's eyes went wide and he flushed. Theodosia watched curiously.
“No way!” he protested when she drew away. “I-”
“You got to play by the rules!” Angie exclaimed.
“But I-”
“Remember when you made me eat grass? Consider this payback.”
Philip, blushing head to toe turned to a curious Theodosia and took her hand. Andy gasped. It was like watching a real life soap opera.
“Theo…”
By this time Theodosia was blushing too. Angie knew about her feelings, and perhaps her brothers as well. Could it be?
“Yes?”
“I'm not confessing to you because of the bet-well, I am, but I've loved you for a long time. Will you.. go out with me?”
Theodosia stood up. At first, Philip thought she was going to reject him, and he winced, but then he felt her lips on his. Theodosia was kissing him! He stood too, and pulled her close, or close as he could considering they were making out over the table.
“Damn,” Andy whispered, passing some of the popcorn to Angie. She was laughing her head off.
Of course, this was the precise moment Alexander walked in. Upon seeing his son kissing his rivals daughter, he predictably hollered,
“What in God’s name is happening?!”
“Oops,” Philip grinned, finally disconnecting himself from Theodosia. Alexander reached for them, but Philip slipped out of his grip and took off, a furious Alexander chasing him. Theodosia sat down, head spinning.
“Too much?” Angie asked, smiling fanatically.
“Your family is crazy,” Theodosia replied. This set Angie off again.