College Cravings

8🎇

I slid silently on my stomach, pulling myself further on the floor into the space between two large bookshelves in the Greendale College library. Looking around the study area, the coast seemed to be clear. Nearby noises made me freeze. I held my breath, waiting. But it was just the passing footsteps of a janitor in the corridor.

The library was still open for ten more minutes, so only a few workers and students remained. Including my target. He was sitting at a large table with his study group. It was highly unlikely I would be able to get him alone. But I was up for the challenge.

I could hear the low chatter of the young men as I stilled on the floor behind a metal cart of books. It sounded like they were getting ready to leave. I had to focus. I was here for one man, and one man only.

Switching to a crouching position for a better stance, I peered over a row of books to keep him in my sight line. I had planned to lure him by knocking over a library cart and imitating Lisa's voice to call out his name. But I had to make sure he was alone so the others wouldn't come running with him. As the assassin, I had to kill my target without any distractions.

Thankfully, he was the last one to leave the table so I quietly leaned forward on my knees and stretched out my arm to give the metal cart a big push. When the loud thud got the target's attention, I reached into the inside lining of my zippered hoodie and pulled out my hand. I was ready to aim and fire as soon as he appeared close enough.

A noise behind me stopped me and I became paralyzed.

"Need help, sweetie?"

I whipped around, hand raised, now flat on my back. How could I have missed someone standing there? I thought I was so careful. That the figure looming above me was Tae caught me off guard.

"What are you-" I started asking.

But it was too late. Tae knelt beside me and flipped me over, with some resistance from me, pointed his index and middle fingers into my back and said proudly, "Bang!"

"No!" I yelled, stomping my feet and pounding the floor with my fists.

Before he relieved the pressure off my back, he bent down to whisper in my ear, his hot breath fanning my hair. "Now tell me who your target is."

At this point, Jimin had moved to the bookshelves to see what all the commotion was. When his wide eyes fell on me and Tae, he realized a "kill" had just taken place.

"Let's go!" Jimin hooted excitedly.

Then his countenance changed upon watching my eyes dart from Tae's to himself and back to my "killer." The realization that he was now Tae's target in this game of "Assassin" came over him and Jimin back peddled before turning completely away from Tae and booking it through the rows of tables.

But Tae was fast. He leaped forward in a single bound and chased Jimin. Before they reached the exit, Tae had grabbed Jimin's backpack, using it as a hook to draw him back in and stuck two fingers in between his shoulder blades. "Bang!" Tae shouted.

By now I was on my feet, enjoying how the events played out in front of me. After Jimin told Tae who his target was, the RA was off and running up the stairs. Minutes later the game was over and the large group of us playing the game gathered by the main door. Outside in the chilly winter air, we walked back to our dorm, reliving the strategies and failed attempts of "killing" each other.

"Sunny, was getting killed in a game of 'Assassin' on your checklist of things to do in college?" Lisa asked, walking hand in hand with Jimin.

"It was!" I pumped my arm in victory and said "yes!" in tiny.