Oak Ridge

sunday. june 30

"Alright ladies," I greet my team. "We may have beaten the boys yesterday, but today is going to be an actual challenge."

Today is paintball day and in all honesty, I'm terrified. My girls aren't necessarily wimps or anything, but I've seen Myles' boys. They're all insanely competitive and I just know we're gonna get creamed.

"Here's the deal," I sigh, "this is going to be the hardest thing we've done so far. It's hot outside and we're all gonna sweat like death, okay? I don't want to hear any complaining. We have to be in the woods and geared up by 3:15, so that leaves me just enough time to explain something very important."

The girls in front of me look absolutely terrified as I speak to them. Tabitha whispers something to Sadie that makes her freeze up and shake her head. The only one that looks remotely confident is Georgia, who tends to excel at most of our physical challenges.

"We have some light padding to help with the blows to the chest and back and we have masks for your face, but these things hurt," I warn. "Thankfully you all wore older clothes like I asked so we don't need to worry about ruining them."

Caroline pouts as she looks down at her t-shirt.

"You're gonna be wearing yellow wristbands so you don't accidentally shoot each other. The boys will be wearing bright green. The only boy you are not allowed to shoot is Myles and the boys are not allowed to shoot me. The game will be over when one of us shoots the other. He will have on a green headband and a wristband. Do not shoot Myles, understand?"

They nod and I check my watch, motioning for the girls to follow me. I continue explaining on the way to the woods.

"The paintball area is marked off by fences so don't go out of bounds. If you get shot, yell that you're out and take off your wristband and get out of the woods. Wait on the edge of the tree line until the game is over. Again, the game is only over if Myles gets me or I get him."

When we arrive at the edge of the woods where the paintball area is, I find the old plastic trunk that we put out every year with all the gear in it. I get the vests passed out along with the wristbands and the girls help each other suit up. I manage to get mine on myself along with the yellow headband.

"Okay it's getting close to time so when I'm done talking, go out in the woods and hide before the boys come. Watch out for poison oak, please. If you climb a tree, don't fall out of it. The guns are ready to go so when you're ready to shoot just pull the trigger. Now go!"

The girls grab a gun out of the trunk and head off into the woods. I tighten my ponytail, annoyed with the flyaways and take a gun as well before running into the trees.

In true Mary Anne fashion, I find a tall tree towards the edge of the large fenced off area and climb about halfway up. I passed most of the girls on my way here and I was pretty impressed with their hiding spots. Alice was actually under a large bush in the dirt.

After a few minutes I hear footsteps and I know the boys have arrived. I see movement to my left and look to see Sadie coming around the back of a tree to aim her gun at the open area in front of her.

All of a sudden I hear a shot ring out, a girlish scream following it.

"I'm out!" Phoebe shouts and I roll my eyes.

I just knew she'd get shot first.

A few more campers get hit and I'm surprised to watch as Sadie gets involved in a shootout with a guy named Matt. I'm even more surprised when it ends with him getting defeated, splattered in bright pink paint.

After a few more minutes, my legs start to go numb and I realize it's time to leave the safety of my tree. I quickly climb down and thank God that Sadie doesn't shoot me. She moves from her spot and heads forward into the woods and I take her place. I don't see any movement from behind the tree so I run quickly to another one and climb up a bit to get a better look.

While I'm searching for Myles, I watch as both Tabitha and Rose get shot. I also see Georgia hit a boy named Noah right in the face mask, so that lifts my spirits a bit.

Out of the corner of my eye I spot a bright green headband and my breathing picks up. Luckily for me, he doesn't even look in my direction. I lift my gun up and shoot in his direction and I'm not sure if I hit him in the face or the shoulder, but he shouts out in pain.

I take my mask off and climb down to run over to where he fell on the ground and see that he's got a hand over the side of his neck.

Crap.

"Oh my God, I hit you in the neck!"

"No shit, Sherlock," he groans, sitting up against a tree and taking his mask off.

"Are you okay?" I ask. "Let me see it."

I may be mad at him right now, but I'd feel really bad if I hurt him too badly. He removes his hand and I wipe off most of the paint with mine. Underneath the pink, his neck is already starting to form an ugly bruise that looks scarily like a hickey.

"Fuck," I breathe. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't aiming for your neck I promise."

"I know you weren't," he says.

I lean back from examining his neck only to be met with those stupid bright blue eyes that I've been trying to avoid for a week. Eyes so blue I could almost drown in them...

I quickly get up off the ground and step away from him, walking towards the tree line.

"Alright game's over," I shout. "Get ready for another round!"

"Mary Anne," Myles tries to get my attention. He comes up behind me, grabbing my hand. I snatch it away.

"You'd better get with your team. Sorry about your neck."

Defeated, he walks away towards where his team waits on him while I, still flustered from our encounter, head off to find another hiding spot.

Hopefully this time I'll just get him in the chest and avoid talking to him altogether.