Chapter 2: The Protector
There were only two left and Velma needed three. Two would have to do. She blindly took the tiles and added them to the three already on her rack. Everyone was watching. She needed to score at least 17 points to win. And she only had one vowel. It seemed there was nowhere to go. It seemed impossible. She’d have to concede the game. Again. But then, when she was just about to give up, she saw it. An A and an R with four spaces between them – the fourth of which was a pink Double Word Score spot. What words began with A and ended in R? She looked at her letters: Q, R, G, E, L, N.
It seemed hopeless but she told herself to focus. She rearranged the letters on the tile rack. The Q was no use – she took that away. She put the N in front of the G to make an NG. Okay. Now she imagined attaching that to the A. ANG – what does that leave? R, E, and L. Three more letters but only two more spaces before the R that was already on the board. Oh no. She couldn’t contaminate the board with that word. No. She wouldn’t do it. She would rather lose. Again.
“Come on,” Muriel urged her, “I know you’ve got something, I saw it in your face.”
Velma smiled. “Nope. You win. I give up.”
“No! Don’t let her win again! If you’ve got something put it down – even if it’s unpleasant like SEWAGE, or SQUAT,” Andy laughed. “Come on – it might give me something to attach to.”
“Let me see.”
“No!” Velma grabbed a few of the tiles and stuffed them in her pocket as Muriel got the tile rack away from her.
Muriel laughed. “You are so weird,” she said, “but that’s why I love you.”
“Who wouldn’t?” Velma grinned as she half-folded the board and slid all the tiles back into the box.
“Me!” said Andy, “I was only six points behind! I could have beat her if you’d given me a vowel to use.”
“Aw, poor Andy, always the sad loser,” Velma put on a sad face and both women reached out for a hug to mock-console him.
“No!” Andy stood and put his hand, palm up, in front of his face, “I will not be consoled by anything less than chocolate cake.”
“There’s tiffin in the fridge,” Velma told him with a smile.
Andy disappeared into the kitchen and Muriel called after him. “Put the kettle on!” Then she turned to Velma, “You always have his favourite in stock.”
“Well I knew he was coming.”
“Yeah.” Muriel smiled politely.
“I got your favourite as well.”
“You did?! Bakewell Blondies?”
Velma tilted her head sceptically, “I thought vegan jaffa cakes were your favourite.”
A sharp intake of breath from Muriel showed her excitement. “They are! Yes they are! Thank you so much! Did you get them from Koda? I thought they didn’t do them anymore.”
“Yeah, I told them we missed them and they started doing them again. Thought I’d better make sure I get some every week so they know there’s a demand.”
“Yes! Good thinking,” Muriel’s voice tapered off as she went through the connecting door to the kitchen just before Andy returned with two mugs of tea in one hand, and a plate of tiffin on top of the third mug in his other hand.
“Thanks Vel, this is awesome,” Andy put his cake and the drinks down on the table and Muriel followed.
“Oh, hang on, I’ll get another plate,” she said, “Vel can have a third of yours and a third of mine. That’s fair.”
“No,” Velma laughed, “Sit down. I bought these for you. I’ve already had mine.”
Muriel narrowed her eyes, “have you?” she asked suspiciously.
“Yes! Didn’t you see the plates in the sink? I had one of those Biscoff cheesecakes – it was pretty messy and I haven’t washed up yet.”
“Do you ever wash up?” Andy didn’t worry about offending anyone but Velma was only ever amused by his cheek.
“Of course – every time I run out of clean plates. Unless I’ve got a clean bowl I can use instead.”
*
Chapter 2 concludes tomorrow – or you can finish it now if you like 😀
Violet’s Vegan Comics – creating funny, exciting and sometimes slightly creepy vegan fiction since 2012
Violet's Vegan Comics 
Comments Welcome