Play With Me: A Banana Bus Crew Fan Fiction

Chapter Twenty Three

"Okay, Ohm," Max began as he rubbed Ohm's shoulders, "I know this is asking a lot, especially given that it's named after you, but I'm going to beg you to not 'Ohm-It', okay?"

Three of the four players sat at the Uno table in the brightly lit room. Only one was still standing, Max, who was doing everything in his power to keep Ohm focused and keep him from 'Ohming-It'. They were playing in teams. Team members would sit across from one another and take alternating turns with the other group. With modified sunglasses and coded up cards, only the players in the same group could see each other's hands. Ohm played fair.

When Max was sure Ohm had gotten the point, he took his seat across from Ohm and the game began.

"You ready, FourZero?" Rabid Raccoon asked, trying to pump up his teammate. "You're playing with the Uno Champion of the World!"

Craig leaned into Scotty's ear. "You're our only hope, Scotty."

"So, we're fucked?"

"Just get him to 'Ohm-It'."

"That's not something we make him do." Scotty reminded him. "That's dumb shit he does on his own!"

"Then win!"

"I fucking suck!"

"Only participants at the Uno table." Ohm announced. Craig stepped away and the game began. Ohm picked up a card from the top deck and placed it in the center of the table. 

It was a yellow five.

They played from there. Ohm started. Everyone took one turn, uninterrupted.

"Interesting..." Ohm said.

"Oh, fuck, what?" Scotty asked. "You got a hand full of plus-fours over there, bitch."

"...No, no, no..."

"No." Max told him.

"Max!" Ohm cried. "What are you doing? I'm playing mind games."

"Oh, dear God." Scotty said.

"Scotty!" Rabid Raccoon called out as he set down a blue one. Scotty jumped in. "Yeah! Uno Champion of the World!"

"...Indeed." Ohm said. "Tell me, Rabid Raccoon, how do you like this?"

He set down a plus two. 

"Oh, no, a plus two!" Rabid Raccoon cried weakly. "If only I had something to protect myself. Psych!" He dropped another plus two.

"Ohm, what do I do?" Max asked. "Take it or drop it?"

"Drop it!" Ohm said. "Scotty doesn't have another one." Max dropped it.

"Oh my fucking God!" Scotty didn't have another one. "Delirious, you bitch!"

"That's Rabid Raccoon to you, sir!" He corrected.

"Fuck your persona! I have all these fucking cards! We've been playing for thirty seconds!"

Ohm took his turn. Rabid Raccoon took his turn.

"Max." Ohm said. "I think it's time for the secret weapon..."

"...The what?"

"You know." Ohm insisted. "Your special card."

"...Which one?"

"The one that could help me out..."

"Ohm, just tell me what card to play!"

"I'm being sneaky!"

"You're being unnecessarily cryptic. They'll know what card you mean when I play it. Just tell me!"

"Fine! The plus four." Max set it down. 

"I don't even want to live anymore, B." Scotty mumbled quietly as he picked up four cards. "I have all these fucking, shit ass cards, and a fucking shit ass partner! Delirious, I hate you!"

"What did I do?"

"You're still fucking breathing! My hand is shit, I want to die!"

Ohm took his turn. Rabid Raccoon took his turn. Max took his turn. The current card color was green and the number was seven. Scotty started drawing from the deck. Bane giggled from the other side of the room.

"What's wrong, Scotty?" Bane asked. "Got no greens?"

"What the fuck is life?" Scotty asked. He picked up his sixth card. "Give me a fucking green!"

Scotty picked up a red seven and sat it down. Ohm didn't have any red. He started drawing.

"Heart of the cards." Ohm mumbled. He got a red three.

"This game blows." Scotty said. Rabid Raccoon doubled down with two red fours and won the game. No one had been paying attention as Scotty's cries of agony so shortly into the game had distracted them. The hero stood with his fists raised high in the air.

"Uno Champion of the World!" He screamed.

"Thank God!" Scotty cried. The rest of the group looked to Ohm, expecting to hear his scream in disappointment or at least have a look of defeat or disgust. They thought he'd been enraged given what was on the line. They thought he'd start running through violations that Rabid Raccoon had made, running through possible loopholes that would suggest he didn't officially win and they had to keep playing. He hadn't called Uno. Maybe that could have been an infraction; grounds for them to start another round. They found the opposite, however. His eyes looked bright and his mask suggested that he was smiling.

He was having fun.