Colorful | Phan | Completed

81%

"Phil?" I called to him in the kitchen from his living room.

"Yeah?"

"Do you always sing Toxic when you're making coffee?"

I heard him give a sharp laugh before he egregiously tried hit the high notes. "Too high, can't come down!"

I listened to him sing with the blanket wrapped around my legs. He came in a few moments later and handed me a cup of coffee.

"Maybe I shouldn't've left." I began, watching him sit next to me. "He's my only little brother and one day we'll both be dead and I won't be able to-" Phil tapped my forehead 5 times, catching me off guard and causing my train of thought to stop. "What was that?"

"A thing I learned from my new friend, Dodie. She taps her forehead five times to clear the bad thoughts of death."

"But-"

"Sh." He tapped my forehead again.

I couldn't help but smile. "Whatever."

"Want to play a game or something?" He shrugged.

"Like a video game?"

"No, like man hunt with all of our friends." He scoffed.

"Sarcastic much?" I rolled my eyes.

"Have you ever played strip checkers?"

"I've played strip poker.... But strip checkers? No?"

Phil smirked. "There's a first time for everything." He bent underneath his coffee table and slid a box of checkers out, setting it on the table. "Rules are simple." He explained, while setting the game up. "You know how to play checkers, right?"

"Who doesn't?"

"Believe me, I've met some people. Anyways, we could play 'get jumped and you take something off', but we don't have enough pieces for that. So, we could do after you get jumped twice?"

"I mean, yeah. Do double jumps count?"

"Yes." He responded, sitting on the opposite end of the table. "Red or black?"

"Black like my-"

"Dan!"

"Soul! I was gonna say soul!" I laughed as he threw a red piece at me.

The game went slow for a little, just sliding around to get closer to the other side. I strategically focused on winning; Phil was just moving his pieces around.

"How about if we get a king, we put a piece of clothing back on?" I suggested.

"I just won't let you get a king then."

I jumped him once, and glanced up at him. He slid his tongue over his bottom lip and moved a piece away from me instead of taking the jump back. He didn't speak or look at me, but just kept sliding his pieces down the board.

Then, I jumped him again. "Hah! One item of clothing, please!" I sang, putting his piece to the left of the board. Phil crossed his arms and lift his shirt over his head. He threw it at me, but I ducked out of the way.

"Should watch where you're jumping, Danny." He commented, proceeding to double jump me. "One item of clothing please." He mimicked. I took my sock off and flung it at him. "What! No fair!"

"How is it not fair? Now my foot is exposed and I'm embarrassed." I teased. He rolled his eyes, and I made my next move. Then he jumped me, and I jumped him right back.

"Winner has to run the block outside in whatever they have left on." Phil placed a bet.

I nodded in agreement, the next move I made being a jump. "Considering you'll have nothing left on after I win, good luck." He took one of his socks off and placed it on the table.

Soon, both of us were barefoot, and Phil was without a shirt. "Aren't you scared Martyn will come home?" I asked.

"He's at work." Phil stated, sliding closer to my side of the board. I didn't think about my next move, and jumped him only to be double jumped again. Phil threw his head back and laughed. "I believe that is a "King me" as well. And you have no more socks, Danny boy."

"Stop calling me Danny." I spat, undoing my belt and putting it on the table.

"Stop loop-holing the game! I want to see some skin!" Phil yelled, putting his shirt back over his head. I crossed my arms.