I Wanna Be, I Wanna Be, I Wanna Be Boyfriends

Chapter 7

It was on their way to the boathouse that they came across a sight that made Noah's eyebrow raise higher than it usually did. Namely, the string of multicolored Christmas lights strung between the extention cord and the boathouse. "Well, that's not even remotely conspicuous," he said.

"Oh yeah," Cody chuckled, "The extention cord didn't quite reach, so Beth lent us the string lights she decorates her bunk with."

"So is everyone in on this now?" Noah asked.

"'Scuse me, coming through!" Owen bumped into Noah on his way to the door, carrying perhaps a dozen bags of cheesepuffs in his arms (one of them open and at present being poured into his voluminous mouth). It seemed to answer Noah's question.

"Well, everyone knows Brawl gets more fun the more people there are to play," Cody said. He opened the door for Owen to go through and then held it for Noah, playing the gentleman.

~~kkkssshhhttt...!!~~

"Nothing I love more than huge impromptu social gatherings," Noah rolled his eyes. "The things I do for 'love'," he delivered the joke with a tweak of his eyebrow.

~~kkkssshhhttt...!!~~

A cheer rose up as they entered, rendering Noah wide-eyed like a deer in the headlights. "The man of the hour arrives!" Geoff exclaimed, referring to the gap-toothed boy beside him. "Let's get this shindig started, dudes!"

"Right on!" Cody agreed, making his way toward his Wii to turn it on. Noah followed him loosely. Somehow every single camper had managed to cram themselves into the tiny boathouse; Gwen, Trent, Courtney, and Lashawna were squeezed next to one another on the futon, with Beth and Bridgette each sitting on either arm of the couch and Tyler stretched out along the back. Duncan and DJ had both pulled up wooden crates to sit on, and Katie, Sadie, and Owen were seated on the floor with cushions under their tushes. Izzy, Harold and Geoff were all laying on their stomachs hugging pillows. And Heather was standing toward the back with her arms crossed. Even with everyone there, the two of them had been left a place to sit 'front row and center'.

"Alright, who wants to play the first match?" Cody grinned, holding aloft the four Wiimotes.

"Obviously those of us who risked life and limb to get the TVs should get to go first," Harold reasoned.

"Makes sense to me," Duncan gave a smug smile, putting his hand out. Cody handed him and Harold each one of the controllers, then extended one toward Noah.

~~kkkssshhhttt...!!~~

"I'm more of an RPG-player most of the time," Noah told the camera, gesturing off his hip, "But I've logged my share of hours on numerous fighting games." He smirked almost devilishly, "Cody has no idea what he's about to be up against."

~~kkkssshhhttt...!!~~

"And the object of this game is...?" Noah drew out skeptically as he watched the game's boot-up sequence.

"You try to knock the other players off the map," Cody answered.

"And that's accomplished how...?" Noah continued to fake noobishness.

"The higher a character's damage percentage, the higher their knock-back, the more likely they are to get hit out of the playing area," the brown-haired boy explained. "And each character has their own special abilities and attacks. Plus there are lots of randomized items that show up and you can use in the matches. Don't worry," he reassured upon seeing the spreading confusion on Noah's face, "You'll get the hang of it once you start playing."

"Yeaaah... maybe I should watch a couple games first," Noah said, handing the Wiimote off to Izzy. The orange-haired girl gave a snarl of delight and began mashing buttons before they'd even gotten to the character select screen.