The Ordinary Haunting

12. The Awkward Step - Part 2

"Alpaca?"

Off, Alice and I fell backwards and screamed with laughter at the ceiling. Arm frowned and lifted the sketchbook so near to his face that it touched his nose and he went cross-eyed. With his splotchy red cheeks and sweaty underarms, we only laughed harder. Even New buried his face into his hands as his shoulders shook.

"What idiom is just the word 'alpaca'?" I cried from somewhere close to under the table. I felt the book slap onto my stomach.

"What wassit, Off?"

Off crawled over and leaned on Arm's knee, trying his best to look up at him through his rapidly blinking eyes.

"'Cutting corners'," he babbled.

"WHERE?"

Alice and I slapped the floor silently beside each other, barely able to gasp a breath. A full-toned laugh rose from New's chest and escaped between his fingers.

"Oh, you 'av'a nicessss laugh, New," Alice called out at the underside of half a piece of pizza she was flying above her face. I rolled over to see New's reaction to the compliment and was pleased to see a crinkle beneath his eyes.

"Thitipoom, s'your turn!" Off's hand waved at the edge of the table. "Notthat i'matters. Tawan's'not drinkin', th'cheater...hiccup."

"Jumpol, tha'sa point, idiot." Arm shook the last drops from a cola bottle into his mouth.

"Why's 'idiot' only thin' youssaid s'clear...hiccup?"

"Youtoo, see? Any'ay, who'sa idiot's also nottha point--"

"THE POINT," Alice cut in, suddenly sitting up with a very affirmative snap, "issat these two ca'communicate now, YAY!"

I turned to a clean page in the sketchbook and scoffed.

"You invented the written character, congratulations. What would we have done without--"

"Shuddap Tawan -- hiccup -- youse were sleepin' in th'office--"

"Jus' draw, Tawan. Le's end'is so all'a you ca'leave ma frick'n' house."

I lowered my head and concentrated on the pen marks I was sweeping across the page. "It was over like two hours ago," I muttered.

"Then gettou--"

"'Throw caution to the wind.'"

I placed the lid back on the marker and stood the book atop the empty pizza boxes like the star on a Christmas tree. When I looked at New, he had folded his arms and was staring at the picture with the corners of his lips curled up in a miniscule, proud grin clearly meant entirely for himself. I allowed myself to steal a little piece of that smile and tucked it into a pocket inside of me. I felt like it'd come in handy later.

Off grabbed the book and flipped it over multiple times. A decently sized chunk of tomato was clinging to the hair at his temple. "Tay, issagains' the rules ta draw s'good in P--Pic... Whatever. You'ra scary drunk, Thitititipoom."

"Too many 'ti's--"

"Orright, time t'leave!" Arm clapped thunderously, his left hand hitting the top of the couch and his right hand hitting its underside. The sound was effective enough. New was the first to successfully climb up onto his feet (that's very much what it looked like they were all trying to do, as if their own feet were the Hillary Step of standing) whilst I stretched breezily and took my time getting up. Struggling as they were, I knew Off would end up spending the night on or under the kitchen table, and Arm and Alice would cuddle up together quite comfortably right there on the rug. They'd bought a particularly expensive one for that express purpose, after gaining enough experience points.