Pam stood leaning a car in the parking lot across the street as the commotion moved around her.
She had of course been the one to answer the phone earlier, when the bomb squad called.
She hadn’t caught the entire story, but she had managed to gather the essentials: Someone disgruntled had called in a bomb threat to Vance Refrigeration, it was probably nothing, but the building had to be evacuated as a precaution.
Michael was running down the hallway before Pam finished talking.
Some things never change. But then, a lot of things do.
A light breeze blew past her, and she sneezed from the in take of pollen, Spring was in full force. She loved the weather, it felt amazing to be outside, but the month of May brought about an anniversary on her calendar, that was quickly approaching.
Through the mess of uniformed officials and Dwight offering his assistance, Pam could see Jim across the parking lot, sitting on the edge of a planter. Karen was across from him on the other side, leaning against a tree, the three of them forming a triangle around the police cars; an involuntary coincidence causing Pam chuckle to herself at the bitter irony.
Jim looked sleepy, and was looking at the ground. Karen had a look on her face that Pam could only interpret as ‘fed up with the antics that revolve around this branch.’ For such a small office in this meaningless town, too many things happened.
Pam knew that they had broken up. When Jim came into work at the beginning of the week she knew without having to ask him, and she appreciated that even after this rift in their friendship, they would never outgrow that. And looking at him now, she was sure that he had looked at a calendar recently too, and was aware of the approaching date. She thinks that’s the reason he hasn’t spoken to her all week. None of them had spoken.
They needed a push. A nudge in the right direction. Something to spark up their common interests and thoughts of how it used to be, something to bring them closer again. She was sure that once they were laughing together again, that would break down the awkward wall between them, and they could start from there. They had made dents in it, but it still remained strong between them, and it was exhausting for both of them.
“Hey Fire Guy, did you make a bomb too?” Kevin chuckled near her, and she turned to see Ryan shake his head and look at the ground.
“That’s not nice, Kevin!” Kelly retaliated, and Pam began to drown them out again.
The thoughts continued to flip over in her mind, and she remembered last year, when Ryan had earned his name. She remembered laughing with Jim in front of the fire truck, she remembered his body hovering over hers as they stood by Dwight’s car, and she remembered the relationship that they had then. Free of this awkwardness, this triangle that they all made.
Screw it.She said to herself, and stepped away from the car that she was leaning on.
“Hey everybody!” She started shyly, then clapped her hands together as she gained the confidence.
Pammy was getting what she wanted, and she
would kick your ass if you called her that.
“Come on, this is really boring, everyone gather around.” Slowly, everybody came together in a circle. Jim came before Karen did, and stood by Pam out of habit, a few guys from warehouse mingled into the crowd, and Bob Vance stood beside Phyllis. Slowly, Karen walked out from underneath the tree, and stood beside Andy, across the circle from where Jim stood with Pam. Dwight made his way away from the police men and stood innocently beside Angela. Michael joined in despite attempts to tell him the circle was full.
“Alright, we all know how this goes by now, those of you new to Dunder Mifflin catastrophe’s will soon catch on.” Pam said, taking control of the group. “We need games, Desert Island is understood.” She said, looking towards Jim and smiling as she waited for other input.
“Would you rather.” Jim stated, and Pam nodded in agreement.
“Who would you do.” Kevin snorted, and everyone laughed at the awkward memories from last year.
“Truth or Dare.” Phyllis said shyly as Bob Vance agreed, and Pam nodded her head.
“Okay, one more.” Pam said, keeping the count at 4 on her fingers.
“I never” came quietly from Karen on the other side of the circle, and everyone quickly agreed as the fifth finger was pulled up, and they had their afternoon planned in front of them.
“Okay, we’ll start with ‘I never’.” Pam stated, “Karen, since you suggested it, you get to tell us how you want to play.”
Karen looked around unsurely at first, then smiled and began explaining her favorite version of the rules. “Okay, everyone holds up ten fingers. We go around the circle, and you have to say something you’ve never done, if someone else in the circle has done it, they have to put a finger down. First person with all their fingers down loses, and the person with the least down at the end gets all the bragging rights for being the most innocent in the office.”
Everyone nodded understandingly, and soon hands were held up all around the circle as Karen began. “I’ve never had a one night stand.”
Meredith, Creed, and Phyllis all put down a finger. Bob Vance was surprised.
“Nice.” Jim said under his breath, as Pam laughed quietly.
The game made it’s way around the circle, pausing for a long time at Creed while he tried to think of something he had never done.
“I’ve never gotten a divorce!” Michael yelled, and watched while Toby put down a finger, followed by Meredith.
“I’ve never been engaged” came from Kelly, and Ryan could feel her eyes on him.
Several people lowered a finger, and Pam knew Jim was watching as she lowered hers.
By the time it was Pam’s turn to go, Meredith was losing, followed by Creed, and Angela and Dwight were very proudly in the lead.
“I’ve never owned a beet farm.” Pam said smiling, and a loud exhale came from Dwight as he lowered his first finger. Jim smirked, and Pam turned subtly and winked at him.
“I’ve never been to a Battlestar Gallactica convention.” Jim stated, and another exasperated sigh came from Dwight as he shook his head and set another finger down.
Darrel stood beside Jim, and was happy to join in the game. “I’ve never shot a spud gun.”
“Tough luck, man.” Michael said sincerely, and Dwight kicked the ground.
By the time the game made it’s way back around to Pam, Dwight had put down his last finger, since he had, surprisingly, seen Lord of the Rings over 50 times. Pam smiled proudly as Jim smirked beside her. Angela shook her head, still ten fingers strong.
“Okay, Dwight loses, Angela obviously wins, even though I’m sure there’s stuff she’s not telling us.” Pam said coyly as Angela glared. “Creed wins bonus points for the most creative ‘I never’ facts, and Phyllis can take some points for surprising us all.”
Everyone clapped approvingly to the winners, and gave their most sincerest fake apologizes to Dwight, who could not believe his luck.
“Okay, so, floor goes to you Jim, walk us through ‘Would You Rather.’” Pam stated, gesturing Jim into the spotlight.
“Okay ladies and gentleman.” Jim said as he moved inwards towards the circle. He missed commanding the office like this, and smiled at the memories of Olympics and the past fire. “For this edition of ‘Would You Rather’ we will start with me, and go around clockwise. When it is your turn you must pick one person in the circle and ask them a ‘Would You Rather’ question, there are no options for ‘either’ or ‘both’, you can not cheat. You can ask anyone in the circle you want, but a person can only be asked one question each rotation. Questions? No. Okay.” Jim said smiling as he stepped back between Pam and Darryl, then thought quickly of what to ask.
“Michael.” Jim stated, and Michael smiled as he felt a moment of importance. “Would you rather lose your ability to do magic, or your ability to tell jokes?”
Smirking, Michael looked at the camera. “Well, the world would certainly miss both.”
Everyone but Dwight and Andy rolled their eyes all the way to the back of their heads.
“But, I would rather lose my ability to do magic. Sometimes, it gets really hard, trying to get out of those jackets.” He shook his head as he looked quickly at the ground. “I’m much better at jokes anyways.”
Jim nodded, “Fair enough. Darryl, go.”
Darryl looked around the circle, trying to find a face he was familiar enough with. “Pam.” He stopped on, and caught her off guard. She said several silent prayers that the question had nothing to do with Roy. “Would you rather freeze or burn to death?”
Pam grimaced, and tilted her head. “Freeze. I don’t want to smell my own skin burning.”
Several people mumbled in agreement.
The game continued in much the same manner around the circle. Kelly would rather lose the ability to talk instead of losing the ability to have children. Ryan agreed very quickly to going deaf instead of blind. Angela would kill
herself before she went hunting.
“Jim-bo.” Michael stated when it got to his turn in the circle. Jim grimaced, his own game backfiring on him. The choices for the question he was about to be asked spun too fast in his head, Michael had no self control.
“Would you rather...” Michael began, then snorted, cracking himself up in his own head. “Would you rather have to sit facing Karen or Pam all day ?”
“Would you rather...” Michael began, then snorted, cracking himself up in his own head. “Would you rather sit facing Karen or Pam all day?”
His voice failed him. Words simply would not come out of his mouth. He needed an answer, a safe response, middle ground. This was his game after all. But every response that came to mind he tossed it out, he still had to play by the rules, he suggested them, after all.
He was sure he was only quiet for a second or two, but he felt the weight of over a dozen eyes on him, and time stood still. He put his hands in his pocket, to hide the sweat pouring off of them. He looked the other way from Pam, not wanting to see the expression on her face.
“I already kinda face Karen, Mike.” Jim stated nonchalantly, “But it is kind of hard to see her with Dwight’s giant head in the way.”
Jim let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, and waited for some sign of approval from the circle. Mostly, everyone seemed satisfied that they had avoided an even further awkward moment, and everyone was eager to get past Michael’s turn.
Jim patted himself on the back. He dodged that bullet, for now, and it didn’t seem to meet any protest, or hurt anyone’s feelings, and he had technically managed to follow his own rules.
“You know I meant with the...whatever. You’re no fun.” Michael said waving his arm at him as the smile went away. “Whatever, Angela, your turn.”
Neither Jim, Karen, or Pam heard the next question.
Dwight asked Kevin something about choosing between bears and wolves.
Ryan asked his question to Stanley, who would rather be lost in the jungle than at sea. Michael made an off-the-mark kind of remark about the ghetto that none of them quite understood.
Andy asked Dwight if he would rather time travel or fly. Dwight asked Angela to tell him that he would choose flying. The shunning was still in effect.
The game finally made it’s way fully around the circle to Pam, and she scanned the group hopelessly, but she knew the only person who had not been asked a question.
“Karen!” she said happily, as she searched her mind for a question that had no underlying meaning or awkward consequence.
“Would you rather play ‘Who Would You Do.’ or ‘Desert Island’ next?” She chose safely, with a smile on her face.
“Tough one.” Karen faux grimaced dramatically, as everyone smiled, and Pam was proud of herself.
“Who Would You Do.” Karen stated confidently, and smirked as she looked around the circle. She realized she might be getting more than she bargained for, but she had become increasingly intrigued with this group of people, and had been making a strong effort lately to integrate herself into the branch.
“Okay then, ‘Who Would You Do!’” Pam stated with a smirk on her face.
Immediately, “Ryan!” flew from two opposite sides of the circle. Kelly grabbed the side of Ryan’s face, while Michael smirked.
“And Jan.” Michael added promptly. “But I’m already doing Jan.”
“Bad idea.” Jim said under his breathe, and Pam shook her head in agreement.
They were both aware of what they were stating. Karen didn’t understand this office, and had no idea what she just volunteered for.
“Okay, let me...explain the rules first.” Pam grimaced, “Or, Kevin, you suggested it, so I guess the duties go to you.”
Kevin giggled and stepped forward to explain his favorite game, “Okay, we’ll go around the circle, counter-clockwise this time, and every person has to name one person they would do in the building. I’ll start. Karen.” He laughed and stepped back.
Several people murmured in agreement, and Karen looked directly to the ground.
“She’s taking my place.” Pam joked, for only Jim to hear.
“Jealous?” He laughed, remembering last year.
“Oh, definitely.” Pam added with an eye roll.
“Bob,” Phyllis shyly added, “Of course.”
As the game continued around the circle. Karen was a popular choice, though Pam came in at second. As for the rest of the women (and Michael), Jim and Ryan took the lead for the men.
The game came around to Jim, and he rocked back and forth on the heels of his feet before answering.
Karen was nervous for the threat of awkward silence again, averting her eyes to her shoes, but Pam knew Jim better, and smiled up at him while he pretended to search for his answer.
“Man, I know last year I said Kevin, but after that revealing game of ‘I never’, I think I’m going to have to change my answer to Meredith.”
The circle laughed, and Pam grimaced at the thought.
“That would make it your turn, Pam.” Jim said as he turned towards her, daring her to challenge his response.
“Andy.” Pam shrugged, “Atwhay ancay Iay aysay?”
Andy smiled and took her reply with sincerity, playing a quick riff of air -banjo and winking her way.
Jim turned to Pam and nodded in approval, and respected his competition. Pam smirked and shrugged hers shoulders innocently in response.
Despite the separation, they were able to fall back into this rhythm, constantly surprising each other, and keeping each other on their toes.
The game continued in the same manner around the circle, bringing laughs and the inevitable awkwardness throughout.
After some recollection of names from selective descriptions, they were able to get an answer from Creed. He, as Pam already knew, wanted to face the receptionist, but also had an affection for the ‘foreign-looking girl who talks too much’.
Angela refused to answer. “Promiscuity and lust are not something I engage in casually as a game," and finished by glaring at Karen's cut skirt. Dwight conveniently excused himself to the restroom.
Pam shook her head in disapproval, she was constantly amazed that the entire office wasn’t aware of their relationship.
Ryan answered ‘Kelly’ monotonously, and she loosened the grip on his hand.
The game gradually made it’s way back around the circle to Kevin, and the turn was handed to Karen.
Jim said a silent prayer to himself that in the sixth months he had spent with her, some of his quick wit had rubbed off, and she would be able to humorously dodge every potential personal-revealing question that she was posed.
But then, when it came to doing that, Jim and Pam were experts, and Karen had a lot to learn.
She scanned her mind for an answer to the question, a way out of the hole she had dug herself into. She had laughed at the other responses, overcome with laughter and disgust at the same time as the game progressed through the circle. Somehow, through the awkward and entertaining conversation, the fact that she would have to give her own answer had slipped her mind.
She had been thinking about it, but was not prepared to verbally state it to a group of people that had a varying range of opinions about her at this time, and it did not make it any easier that her recently ex-boyfriend was across from her, standing beside the reason they would never work out.
Truthfully, her answer would not be “Jim” anymore. Maybe a few weeks ago, but she had closed the door on that relationship. It was as amicable as they could make it, but she wasn’t going to deny that it hurt.
She could come up with a joke answer, as they had both done, but she had learned in the past months that when it came to their office world of jokes and pranks, she couldn’t keep up. They had both given their answers, gotten laughs from around the circle, and everyone looked at them to do so. Now, they were looking at her with intrigue, and she needed to answer, because she was pretty sure she had been quiet for way too long.
“Um, Ryan.” She said, with a slight smile to suggest sincerity, but not completely so. Kevin shook his head.
“Bitch.” Came from under Kelly’s breath, as Ryan tried to shrug his shoulders.
Jim and Pam looked straight ahead, at some imaginable point above the trees. The game so far had gone as any office adventure did, with just the right balance of humor, disbelief, and painful awkwardness, and to her relief, she and Jim had slid back into the familiar comfort they had both enjoyed before the transfer, before Karen. There were things they needed to talk about, but for now they had conquered the first step, actually talking again, and enjoying the laughter as well. They had found the safe border between friendship and the hint of something stronger once again, the area they had both been comfortable in for so long.
“Mr. Scott? Mr. Vance?” A man in a police uniform interrupted the next turn, “I know we’ve asked a lot of questions but we’d like to ask a few more.” The man apologized for interrupting the game, and walked with the two men up by the other officials and police cars.
“Okay, well, I think we all deserve a break,” Pam said, noticing the conversation may take a while. “I think someone said earlier there’s a vending machine in the lobby of this building here and some restrooms to use. So um, stretch your legs, and be back here promptly in ten minutes, we’ve got to count some unofficial points and start our other games.” Pam pointed at her watch as the circle disbanded.
Gradually, Jim and Pam were left on their own as their co-workers went their separate ways for the short intermission. Some headed towards vending machines and restrooms, while others talked amongst themselves outside.
Jim’s hands immediately went to his pockets, while Pam looked down at hers in front of her.
“Are you finding this to be as awkwardly revealing as I am?” Jim said with the hint of a smile on his face.
“Oh, totally.” Pam responded, and he joined her in laughter.
“You’re still getting some points in this game from Creed.” Jim said, doing his best to keep a straight face as he offered her mock condolences.
“Thanks, that makes me feel so much better.” She said with an eye roll, and he couldn’t suppress a grin.
“This was a good idea.” Jim spoke sincerely, hoping that his comment would pass without altering the tone of the conversation.
“Thanks.” Pam said, looking around at everyone still laughing together, “I couldn’t stand to see everyone staring at the ground all afternoon. You know I heard we can’t leave until all of this is sorted out?”
“I think if the police finally relent to Dwight’s suggestions we could be out of here before 1.” Jim said, shaking his head as he looked up to the police cars, where Dwight was lingering once again.
“I have a theory.” Pam said excitedly, and Jim smiled, missing those words. “This bomb was either provided by Dwight himself, because he was denied becoming a volunteer bomb squad member; or Andy’s anger management recovery is just an illusion while he plots this revenge on us.”
Jim laughed at her genius, “You know, I bet they’re working together.” He shook his head and she threw her arms in the air with an “I knew it!”
“You hungry?” Jim asked her lightly, and she nodded her head. “I think we need to see if this vending machine has french onion chips.”
“I’ll only go with you if you get a grape soda.” Pam said defiantly, a slight mocking tone in her voice, but she knew the message she was trying to send.
Jim smiled slightly and nodded his head, “I’ll even buy you a coke.”
Pam agreed, and walked past him towards the office building as he followed behind, overjoyed to speak to her about past memories of their friendship and not have the lingering cloud of awkwardness and regret above him.
“Why didn’t I apply for a job here?” Pam asked incredulously as she reached the other office building’s break room. “They have much better stuff than we do.”
She scanned the content of the snack machine while Jim bought two drinks. She bought her bag of chips and a few other candy bars, handing them to Jim while he traded her for the drink.
“Well, Pam, while this office building is both cleaner, newer, and has a better snack selection, it does not, in fact, have a Dwight Schrute, and that is a key component in any job search.” Jim replied as he popped back the tab of the grape soda, and enjoyed the carbonation stinging his throat and tickling at his nose; satisfaction his bottle of water could never provide.
The chairs inside the building were all occupied by others, but Pam and Jim were more than happy to go outside to enjoy their break. They found a concrete ledge to sit on, and opened their unhealthy lunch. For lunch-time entertainment they had the option of Dwight’s ploys at the police men, or Creed trying to avoid the police dogs. They eventually agreed to watch both, and alert the other when necessary.
“We have three minutes.” Pam stated as she finished the last of her chips and struggled to swallow the rest of her coke.
“Are we going to conquer desert island or truth or dare next?” Jim asked as he crumpled up the wrappers of his candy bars.
“Ah, I think we need to start slow after eating, ease in with some Desert Island.” Pam said as she hopped off the ledge and Jim joined her.
“Good idea.” He agreed, and they both walked across the parking lot to the nearest trash can. “I hope Phyllis has her rules straight for truth or dare.”
“I may have to seek therapy after that one.”
“Take me with you.”
They laughed together again, and stood silently at the corner of the parking lot as everyone gradually returned from their break. Conversation wasn’t necessary, and they both took the time to appreciate the afternoon they were able to spend together. The Spring breeze was blowing nicely, billowing out Pam’s conservative skirt and rushing through both of their hair. The temperature was perfect, and the sky couldn’t have been clearer.
“One minute, everybody!” Pam warned, pointing at her watch once again. The circle formed again, in much the same order, and Michael and Bob squeezed their way into their spots shortly afterwards.
“Okay, first things first, neighbor check. Make sure we’re not leaving anyone in the restroom.” Everyone looked to both sides of them and nodded their heads in satisfaction.
“Perfect. Now, the unofficial winners of “Who would you do”, based on my unofficial calculations, are Karen for the ladies, and Ryan, by a small margin, for the men.”
Everyone clapped for the winners, whose faces conveyed several emotions at once.
“Michael wins bonus points for being the only person to answer for both sexes, Oscar wins for stating ‘no one’ and sincerely meaning it, and Angela deserves something for being the only person to refuse to answer at all.”
Again, a round of applause, and another scowl searing into Pam from Angela’s direction.
“Out of our remaining options, we’ve decided on Desert Island as our next game, and I will be the one to lay this one out.”