Shut Up And Kiss Me (gxg)

21. Game F*cking Over

     THE GAME WAS OVER.

     And . . . our team had won. 

     On the scoreboard, Claudia and I stood side by side and scanned the names.

     "You got like 1000 points," Claudia snickered to me.

     "Shut up. You got just over 500."

     "That's because Skylar Tori was shooting at me. Why wouldn't I let her?"

      Before I could read Monroe's points, Skylar and Aaron pushed through the doors of the maze. Blinking at the bright burst of sunlight.

      "Look!" Cody said. He was already up ahead, staring at the scoreboard. "I got 1500 points. Aaron, what the fuck, man? All you have is 200."

      I was right. Aaron had been badly losing to Monroe.

      I exchanged a glance with Claudia. "How did we win?"

      Cody added, "Skylar got 6000."

      Skylar grinned, but she didn't seem surprised. She'd always been a fucking killer at laser tag.

      But if Claudia and I had only gotten 1500 points combined―and Cody, Aaron, and Skylar had almost 8000 all together . . . then how the fuck had we won?

      "Who's Monroe?" the boy at the counter asked. "She got 39,000 points. I think that's a record."

      As if she'd heard her name spoken, the door to the maze opened again. And Monroe sauntered out, already unstrapping her vest.

       Once she'd hung up her gun, she paused next me and Claudia. Without even looking at the scoreboard, she said, "We won."

       "Yeah," Claudia said in awe. "We won."

       I wanted to ask how the fuck she had gotten 39,000 points, but I refrained. I was still having trouble breathing over our last . . . maybe conversation wasn't the right word.

      She'd shot me and walked away.

      I don't want a truce anymore. 

      I didn't know how to feel about that, not really. But I forced myself to smile, to pretend it didn't bother me.

      I had let her walk away. This was on me. And I didn't—couldn't—care. I hated her. She hated me. As simple as that.

      "So," I said smugly to Cody, Skylar and Aaron. "Guess you guys lost."

      Skylar didn't look too happy about that, but a smile filled Aaron's face, and he picked me up by the waist, spinning me around. Breathless, I hit his shoulders.

      "Put me down, fuckface," I said, laughing.

      When he did, Claudia rolled her eyes at me. And I realized Monroe was gone.

       "Where did . . ." I didn't bother finishing. All I had to do was turn around: through the glass, I could see Monroe swinging one leg over her motorcycle.

       "That hot bitch just massacred us, and now she's walking away," Skylar said—but dreamily, as though she hadn't minded being massacred in the slightest.

       Claudia's eyes were on Skylar. Somehow, I knew she felt the same way. That she wouldn't have minded being massacred, if it was by a pretty girl.

       And the thought brought back the memory of what I'd seen last night.

       I should have realized. I'd been so fucking oblivious.