The Heart System

I took another sip of wine. The warmth spread through my chest, and the vibe in the room softened. Kayla tucked her hair behind her ear and shifted on the couch. Mendy kept swirling her wine, smiling like the evening finally felt right. And Penelope… she sat back with one leg crossed over the other.

Her tight shirt stretched over her chest, and naturally, my eyes drifted down.

Like, gravitated.

She had the kind of chest that made focusing feel like a challenge. Maybe it was the wine, or maybe it was just me being an idiot, but my eyes kept sliding back there even when I tried to keep them up.

And then she looked at me.

She didn't say anything. Just raised one brow, slowly, like she had caught a dog stealing food. Then she shook her head and rolled her eyes in this "men are hopeless" way before looking back at the others.

I cleared my throat and looked away, rubbing my jaw like that would somehow erase the moment.

Jesus. Get it together.

"So," I said after taking a sip, "yesterday's storm was crazy. I thought my car was going to be buried by morning."

"It almost was," Penelope said. "Mine froze shut. I had to kick the door open. Like literally kick it."

Huh. So she had a car? I didn't know that.

Mendy nearly spit her wine. "No way."

"Way," Penelope said. "My neighbor saw me and asked if someone locked me inside. I told him none of his business. Old bastard."

Kayla laughed into her glass. "Why do I feel like you scare every neighbor you have?"

"Because I do," she said proudly.

I smiled a bit. "The roads were hell. I almost spun the car when I drove Kayla to her place."

Kayla shivered. "I thought we were going to die, seriously."

"You are alive," I said. "And the car is alive. So we are all good."

Mendy leaned forward with interest. "What are you guys doing for New Year's?"

"Not sure," Kayla said. "My mom wants me home, but I kind of want something more fun than sitting on a couch watching a countdown."

"Same," Penelope said. "I usually go out drinking but I might stay home this year. Too cold and too many idiots."

I shrugged. "I don't know yet. Might be working that day."

"Working on New Year's?" Mendy asked. "That is depressing."

"It is life."

Mendy giggled. "That is fair."

For a moment, everything was peaceful again. Kayla slowly finished her glass, leaning sideways on the sofa and letting her head rest on the cushion. Penelope kicked her feet up on the edge of the coffee table and sank deeper into her seat. Her shirt tightened again, and I bit the inside of my cheek so I would stop staring.

Too late. I did it again.

She caught me again.

This time she smirked, then brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and pretended she hadn't noticed.

I looked away for real this time.

Outside, the breeze shook a thin branch against the window. Snow scattered in little bursts across the glass. Warm air hummed from the heater. The clinks of wine glasses settling down echoed softly in the living room.

"Okay," Kayla said, sighing contently. "This is… nice. Like… actually nice."

"It is," Mendy agreed. "Feels like things are finally normal again."

"Hopefully it stays that way," I said under my breath.

Penelope let out a long sigh through her nose. "Well, for tonight at least, I am choosing to not be a bitch. So consider yourselves blessed."

Kayla laughed. "Thanks… I guess."

Penelope raised her glass toward her without looking. "You are welcome."

We all finished our wine gradually, the conversation drifting from random small talk to stupid jokes, to comparing who had the worst job experiences. Mendy had the worst stories, hands down. At one point, she described a customer who tried to return a burger because "it smelled too burger-y," and we all choked laughing.

By the time our glasses were empty, Mendy clapped her hands together with a bright smile.

"Alright, everyone stay here!" Mendy said, hopping up from the couch with a spark of excitement. "I am going to grab the game from my room. One sec! Oh, can you actually help me, Evan? It's kind of… where I can't reach."

"Sure."

I pushed myself up from the single armchair and followed her down the short hallway. Her room was small, warm, and neat in a way that made it painfully clear she lived alone. Bed made tight. Small desk with a couple of pens laid in a straight line. A scented candle half-burned on the dresser. She didn't look like she had touched anything out of place in weeks.

Mendy walked straight to her wardrobe, opened the left door, then pointed upward.

"It's up there," she said. "Under those blankets."

I nodded and stepped closer. The top shelf was pretty high, so I went on my toes, pushed the folded blanket aside with my forearm, and felt around until my fingers hit cardboard. I pulled the box out.

I lowered it and turned toward her. She stood close, hands clasped in front of her, smiling with this soft mix of excitement and nervousness.

"Uh, Evan?" she mumbled quietly, then said something so quietly I barely caught a single syllable.

"Sorry?" I asked. "What did you say?"

She cleared her throat, cheeks turning pink. "I… I was just wondering what you and Penelope talked about earlier."

"Oh. That." I adjusted the game box in my arms. "I just told her to go easy on Kayla and that she is trying her best. Hope it worked, though."

"Oooh…" Mendy nodded slowly. "Right. Yeah. Of course. I hope she does too."

"Hmm."

"Umm…"

We stood there like two teenagers pretending we were not awkward as hell. Way too close, neither of us moving, the silence stretching.

I pointed toward the hallway with one finger.

"Should we… go?"

"Oh. Yeah! Yes, sure." She stepped aside quickly. "Let's go."

We headed back out, walking shoulder to shoulder down the quiet corridor. The warmth of the living room drifted toward us as the soft chatter of the girls filled the space again.

When we stepped inside, Penelope was sipping her wine lazily, one leg crossed over the other, completely in her own world. Kayla was scrolling on her phone but lowered it the second we returned. They both looked up at the same time.

"Got it!" Mendy announced.

She hurried to the middle of the room, setting the Twister box on the carpet. She knelt down, opened it, and pulled out the rolled mat, smoothing it across the floor with both hands. The plastic sheet slapped against the carpet and spread out into a bright, chaotic mess of colored circles.

Blue, red, yellow, green. All in rows. All looking like an invitation for someone to destroy their spine.

Twister, huh?

I stared at it and could already feel my body protesting.

"I am going to break both my legs playing this," I said, rubbing my thigh. "I swear."

"Good," Penelope said. "Finally something fun to watch."

Kayla snorted. "I am not flexible at all. I am going to die in the first thirty seconds."

Mendy finished smoothing the mat and sat back on her heels, glowing with excitement.

"Okay!" she said, clapping her hands. "It is all set!"

And with that, the game night officially began.

The Twister mat lay across the living room floor like an open trap waiting to ruin someone's dignity. Mendy stood beside it, spinning the plastic wheel a couple of times, too excited for her own good. Kayla looked terrified. Penelope looked entertained. And me? I was already regretting my life choices.

"Alright!" Mendy said. "Who wants to go first?"

"You invited us," I said. "You pick."

"Okay. Evan and Kayla!" she said immediately.

Kayla groaned. "Of course…"

Penelope leaned back on the couch, lifting her wine glass. "This will be good."

Kayla kicked off her shoes and stepped onto the mat, smoothing her dress behind her thighs. She looked at me with "please don't let me break something" eyes. I placed my feet on the mat too.

Mendy grabbed the spinner. "Right foot, red!"

Kayla stretched awkwardly, wobbling like a baby deer. I planted my foot on a red circle.

"Left hand, yellow!"

Kayla leaned forward, her hair brushing the mat, her dress riding up her thighs. I reached across her to get to a yellow circle, and for a split second I accidentally caught a tiny glimpse of the edge of her underwear. I snapped my eyes away instantly, looking at the ceiling like God Himself was judging me.

Kayla groaned. "This is already hell."

"Oh, it gets worse," Penelope said with a smirk.

Mendy laughed. "Okay! Right hand, green!"

I leaned more…. well, Kayla also leaned more. We were one wrong breath away from face-planting. My arm went between her side and the mat, practically under her shoulder. She was warm, shaky, and trying so hard not to fall that it made her entire posture tremble.

"Left foot, blue!"

Kayla tried shifting her weight, but her dress rode up again. She yelped, pulling the hem down with one hand.

"No adjusting your clothes!" Penelope said.

"That rule is not real," Kayla replied. "I refuse."

I laughed and held my position, muscles burning already.

"Okay, okay," Mendy said. "You two look like tangled cables. Penelope, your turn."

"Ha! Finally."

Penelope got up and strode over, her tight pants hugging her hips. The second she stepped on the mat, she raised her eyebrows at me like she already knew she was about to destroy me.

"Kayla, you can step out," Mendy said. "If you keep playing, you'll flash the whole room."

Kayla practically rolled off the mat and collapsed on the couch. "I hated everything about that."

Penelope cracked her knuckles dramatically. "Alright, Evan."

"Oh boy…" I muttered.

Mendy spun the wheel again. "Right hand, red!"