My Shades of Gray

Shade 11 ~ Uno

“I’m not playing,” I said, and Rio frowned at me.

“Why?”

“Isabella is afraid she’ll have to eat her suggestion.” Colton teased.

“Shut up Colt.” Caroline scolded him.

“I need to frost the cupcakes.” I made an excuse.

“It won’t take that much time,” Scarlett said. “I’ll help you with the frosting.”

“Actually... I don’t know how to play either.” I lied.

Before my vision turned gray, I used to play it a lot with my siblings and I was the one who always won.

“I can teach you.” Colton offered, but I shook my head.

“I’m not a fast learner and please don’t stop on my account. I’ll just watch.”

I crossed my fingers that it’ll convince them and sighed in relief when after a few minutes of considering they began the game without me.

I got up from the seat and walked to the kitchen to make frosting for the cupcakes. When the cupcakes cooled down, I frosted them, taking my time with the presentation.

I heard the group screaming and fighting in the background that the other was cheating and laughing when they threw draw-four at the other.

It reminded me of the time I played with my siblings. My brother always accused me of cheating whenever he lost, but Riley knew I would never cheat and would call Matteo a sour loser. Riley and I always teamed up and our only poor brother was left out. He used to fight my parents that he needed a brother too, and they would just awkwardly try to handle the situation.

Caroline’s squeal got me out of my trance when she yelled Uno. I finished the frosting and picked a cupcake to fill it with hot sauce. Placing the ready cupcakes on the dining table, I walked up to the group.

Caroline won the game, and I got why she suggested the winner eat all the cupcakes. She was sure she’ll win. Scarlett and Rio were also done, and now the game was between Hunter and Colton.

They sat facing each other on the floor, and I walked up to them. I was standing behind Hunter and his cards were visible to me. Colton signaled me with his eyes to see Hunter’s cards.

He held two cards. One was a skip, and the other was a number, but I couldn’t see the color because they all looked gray to me.

Scarlett, Rio, and Caroline were on the couch, watching me in amusement as I stared at Hunter’s card but said nothing. Hunter didn’t know I was behind him.

Colton blinked his eyes at me as if asking me to tell him. I held my one finger and mouthed skip and the number. He waited for me to tell him the color, but I didn’t.

“It’s your turn, Colt,” Hunter grumbled, and Colton got alerted. “Pick a card already.”

“Uh... Here!” He threw a number seven over another number seven, changing the color.

“Sorry Colt,” Hunter smirked and threw the skip, then his other card saying Uno. “You lose, pal.”

Colton whimpered while the others burst out laughing, and I pressed my lips tightly, feeling a little guilty.

I wished I had my color vision and I could’ve helped him. Now he has to eat a hot sauce filled cupcake.

“Isabella!” Colton whined, and Hunter turned his face toward me. “Why didn’t you tell me he had the green colors?!”

“I’m sorry,” I answered, averting my gaze from them and bit my lip.

Hunter narrowed his eyes at me but said nothing.