Sophie's POV
"Wait, why are we doing this?" I ask cautiously, looking over at Olivia.
"Because we're here to kick ass and take names," she places her safety goggles over her eyes, holding up her paintball gun.
Charlotte is lacing up her combat boots; Lilly is helping Quinn fix her safety vest and Courtney is holding up a compact mirror, drawing lines under her eyes with her eyeliner. She catches me looking at her and smirks, "Hey, if I'm doing this, I have to look the part," she gestures to her camo pants and black long sleeve shirt.
Tessa cocks her paintball gun, "We're taking these assholes down." She's standing at the glass window looking out at the woodsy arena where we'll be playing capture the flag. She's in her own camo pants with a white long sleeve and combat boots. Her hair is in a high ponytail and she has a black bandana tied around her neck with her safety goggles. She is not here for fun, I'll tell you that.
"Okay, but we all know I'm the weakest link, so why am I here?" I ask confused, holding my paintball gun awkwardly.
"We're hoping they'll pity you and leave you alone, which is why you need to get the flag," Tessa informs me, talking about strategies. Oh God, they're going to kill me.
"I'm not feeling very confident about this..." I say nervously.
Olivia marches over to me, tapping my cheek lightly, "Pull yourself together, Soph! We cannot let them win, do you hear me?"
"This is over a movie, you do realize that right?" I ask, trying to tell her how stupid this whole thing is.
Olivia and Tessa gasp, glaring at me, "Just a movie? We're talking about all movies, Sophie, this is serious," Tessa argues.
Charlotte grins, putting her arm around my shoulder, "Don't listen to them Soph, we're just here to have fun," she squeezes my shoulder, "But, this does decide on who gets to pick movies whenever we're out together, so just keep that thought in your mind," she winks, moving to the glass wall.
"We're going to watch that depressing love story that just came out, after we win this," Olivia informs us with her hands behind her back as she walks around the room, staring us down.
I scrunch my eyebrows and my mouth is open slightly, "Wait, none of us even want to watch that movie."
Tessa moves to stand next to Olivia, her face stoic, "Yes Soph, we know. However, I would enjoy watching the boys suffer knowing it was our doing."
"Understandable," Lilly comments with a grin as she lets Courtney draw lines on her face.
A siren goes off in the room, indicating that it's time to head to the doors of the arena. A jolt of panic runs through me and I look around, watching everyone laugh and cheer as they head towards the door.
We're walking towards the open area where we'll be released into the arena when the boys come out of their waiting room, acting rowdy. Olivia rolls her eyes as she stands next to Charlotte. None of the girls are smiling now as the boys line up across from us.
Cole stands next to me with a teasing grin, "Ready Soph?" his eyes are taunting me.
I scoff playfully, "I was born ready, you better watch out." Cole chuckles, raising his hands in surrender.
Sebastian is standing next to Olivia with a smirk on his face as he taunts her, "We're gonna win, and then you will never get to pick the movie, ever again."
She looks over at him disinterested, "Oh, I'm sorry, did you say something? I don't speak loser."
Sebastian's mouth drops open. "Okay, I see how it is," he scratches his chin, his eyes roaming over her body. Ugh.
Hands clap behind us, gaining our attention as we turn back to look at the safety instructor walking around us to the front of the room. "Okay, so the girls will be going out into the grounds first so that they can get to their side. Then you will have two minutes to get ready before the alarm will sound which means the start of the game. Any questions?"
We all stay quiet since he had already given us the rundown on rules and safety before splitting us up to get ready.
He nods his head, "Okay, ladies, off you go," he pushes a side door open, letting us walk out into the battle ground.
"Get ready to have your ass handed to you, girls," Sebastian calls out to us, making the guys around him laugh. Nathan just shakes his head lightly, keeping his eyes on Charlotte as she walks through the doorway without a single glance.
Tessa stops at the door, holding onto the threshold as she looks back at the guys, her eyes are on Sebastian specifically, "You'll be the first to go, brother." She smirks and walks out of the room and disappears. Damn, she's cool.
Sebastian scoffs, smirking and I stupidly wave to them as I walk out the door. The arena looks like a small jungle; there are trees everywhere, giving us substantial coverage. Old tires and wooden planks litter the ground around us and everything is covered in multiple layers of paint. I follow behind Lilly and Quinn, who are strolling calmly through the shrubs like they aren't about to face off with some very competitive boys.
I trip over a tree root that is sticking out and Courtney grabs my arms before I can tumble to the ground. "Thanks," I reply awkwardly, shifting my paintball gun to the other side as she walks next to me.
"You okay?" she tilts her head, curious.
I nod my head, "Fine, I know I'm a cheerleader and what not, but this stuff terrifies me."
Courtney gestures to herself dramatically, "At least you have great coordination, I have nice outfits," she giggles, nudging my arm. "The only reason why I'm here right now is because I'm very competitive."
"I am not competitive at all," I point out, pushing a low branch out of the way. "I'm like the Bran Stark in this situation, I pretty much just sit and watch," I laugh.
"Well then Tessa is definitely Arya in the family," Quinn says, turning back to join our conversation. We all look forward and watch Tessa move through the brush with ease.
"Come on, the boys are coming out," Tessa calls us over to a pole with a red flag tied to it.
Alyssa stands next to her, trembling slightly. "Oh god, I'm fucked."
We laugh in agreement but Olivia walks over to Alyssa and puts her arm around her, pulling her closer, "Stick with me, Lys, you'll be fine."
Tessa claps her hands, "Okay, we know what we have to do. Olivia go after Nathan and Char, take down Carter," they nod their heads stiffly. "Soph, Lilly and Quinn will get you as close as they can to the flag, stay hidden," she looks at me pointedly and I nod my head in understanding, not knowing whether to salute her or not. "I'm going after Drew. Lys and Courts, protect the flag."
The alarm goes off telling us that the game has officially begun and I almost collapse in fright. Lilly smiles sweetly at me and Quinn stands next to her. "Come on, Soph, let's go kick some bee-hind," Lilly squeals, rushing off into the bushes.
Charlotte and Olivia sprint past us followed by Tessa as they disappear into the woodsy area, their footsteps silent. How do they run so fast while carrying those paintball guns? We're skirting around the edge of the field, Lilly is in the front with Quinn behind me.
I hear the sound of compressed air popping around me and my stomach clenches as I duck down. Why did I agree to this?
Quinn looks in the direction of where the pops were coming from. "It's fine, it's just Tessa." Of course it is. I stand back up and move closer to Lilly as we come to an open clearing. Another pop! sounds out through the arena, followed by yelling. "And so it begins."
Lilly tiptoes towards the edge of the clearing, looking out for anyone. She doesn't turn around as she waves us over. My heart is pounding as we slowly walk out of the large clearing. My grip tightens on my paintball gun. "Okay, I think their flag is just up that hill," Lilly points-pop! "Ah!" I jump to the side and duck behind a rock. Quinn is further back behind a tree. "You jerk!" she mutters, and I can hear her feet scuffling towards the arena exit.
"Sorry about that Lil, but this is war," Sebastian's voice floats around the clearing. Shit, shit, shit! "Come on Soph, I saw you dive behind that boulder." Quinn holds up her index finger telling me to wait a minute before dashing into the trees, disappearing.
"No, you didn't," I call back, holding my paintball gun to my chest tightly. Another pop sounds and a splat is followed as he takes aim at the boulder I'm hiding behind.
"Funny. Where's the others?" He asks from right behind the boulder.
"How the hell am I supposed to know? I feel like I'm the least of your worries right now, have you met your other sisters and your girlfriend for that matter?" I ask, feeling a little breathless from the nerves.
"Oh, I know them, trust me. But I also know you, Twinny," I can hear the smirk in his voice. "You're the least likely to suspect, which is why you're my main focus."
"Well aren't you a genius?" I let out a breath of relief at the sound of Tessa's voice as walks out of from behind a tree, her paintball gun aimed at Sebastian.
"Hello, little one," Sebastian calls out, aiming at her. He doesn't wait for a reply and immediately starts firing paintballs at her. She dives to the side, dropping her paintball gun in the clearing. No! Sebastian laughs loudly.
He walks over to where Tessa is lying on the ground, defenseless. I pick up my paintball gun and lean around the boulder, ready to take aim. Paint splatters next to my stomach and I squeal, diving back behind it. "Stay there, Soph, I'll deal with you in a minute. This is going to be so much fun."
I tilt my head slightly, watching Tessa glaring at Sebastian, "Funny, I thought the same thing." She leans forward, pulling a small paintball pistol out of her combat boot, quickly firing it at Sebastian, hitting him square in the chest.
"What the fuck? Where did you get that from?" Sebastian yells in outrage.
Tessa shrugs lightly, standing back up, "I had to pay extra for it, so worth it." She grins, patting his arm, "I warned you that you would be my first kill, better luck next time, bro."
She walks over to her discarded paintball gun and picks it up, dusting it off. She aims it at nothing, checking to make sure it's still working as she puts the pistol back in her boot, pulling her sweatpants over, concealing it. She turns around to look at Sebastian and shoots him again before he can speak.
"Ow! Fuck you, I'm already dead!"
"I was just double checking." She shoots him again, this time in the leg, "Okay, that one was for fun."
I laugh, coming out of my hiding area, "Pinks a good color on you, Twinny."
"Fuck you."
"Harsh," Tessa chuckles, high fiving me. "Okay, you go get the flag, I'm going after Drew, I lost him in the tire maze earlier." She salutes me before dashing off into the woods.
"Bye, bro," I wave goofily. He flips me off as I leisurely walk up the hill, towards the direction Lilly told me to go in.
I hit more woods as I get to the top of the hill. I sneak through some brush for a few minutes when I hear swearing coming from what sounds like Olivia. She must be out. The woods thins out, opening up to a rocky area and at the top of one of the boulders is a pole with a blue flag attached to it. Bingo.
I look around, knowing that the guys wouldn't leave it unguarded, unless they were really that stupid. I walk around the perimeter making sure that no one is going to jump out of nowhere. Huh, guess they really are that stupid.
I take one step towards the boulder when a voice stops me, "You know you're cute when you try to be sneaky." I freeze and look behind me in shock.
"Did you just call me cute?" The only words that come out of my mouth.
"So what if I did?" Cole asks with a smirk, taking a step closer towards me. I take my own step back, fighting back a smile.
"I would say that you're trying to distract me."
"And what if I am?" His cheeky grin shows and I melt a little.
"I would say that that is a poor tactic," I reply, holding up my paintball gun, aiming it at him.
He raises his hands in surrender, but he's still smiling. "You won't shoot that at me."
"Try me," I answer. Holding it up higher.
"You'll feel too bad if you do actually shoot me." He steps closer again, stopping when he's standing in front of my paintball gun.
I falter slightly, the nozzle dipping down, "What are you doing Cole."
"Why did you break up with Aiden?" he asks, straight to the point.
I raise an eyebrow, "I wasn't in love with him."
"And why did you break up with me?" He pushes the paintball gun until it's resting at my side.
"Because I was in love with you," I answer honestly, looking up at him. "I didn't want Sebastian to hate us."
"He would have gotten over it." He pushes a piece of hair out of my face.
"It shouldn't have happened," I reply sternly, pushing his hand away. He doesn't look hurt by my actions.
"But it did." He grabs my face, tilting it up to him. "And I will never get over it."
My lip trembles at his words, "Cole, I-" he doesn't let me finish, kissing me softly. I grab the back of his hair with one hand, since my paintball gun is still in the other. He keeps one hand on my cheek and lets his other one trail down my body until it's resting on my waist, gripping me tightly.
Pop!
The sound frightens me and I accidentally pull the trigger, hitting Cole in the foot, as he keels over. Paint is splattered on his side. That wasn't me.
"Kiss later, win now," Tessa says from beside me and I yell out at how close she is. My face is turning red at the thought of my little sister watching me make out with Cole. She's covered in dirt and there are leaves in her hair, that has come out of its ponytail.
"What happened to you?" I ask, looking down at Cole, who is alternating between clutching his side and his foot.
"Drew plays dirty," she scowls, dropping her paintball gun to the ground. She climbs up the boulder, ripping the flag off the pole and jumps down to the ground. "Liv, Courts and Quinn are out. Last I saw Char, she was chasing Nathan through the woods." She picks up her paintball gun and turns to look at Cole, "Sorry for the cockblock Cole, but it was necessary."
Cole smiles through the pain, giving her a thumbs up, "Nope, all cool. I get it."
I chuckle leaning down, putting a hand to his cheek. "I'm sorry," I laugh.
"Yeah, not the best moment," he cringes, lifting up the his shirt to look at the welt growing on his side. "Damn she's brutal."
I grin, nodding my head, "Yes she is, that's our Tessa." I brush my hand through his hair, pushing it out of his face. "Wanna go watch a movie sometime?"
He jerks his head away from the wound and up to my face, surprised. "I thought you would never ask," he grins, pulling my face down towards his again and I smile through the kiss.
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"I can't believe you chose a girl over winning!" Sebastian groans, as we walk into the movie theater. "Now we're stuck watching shitty movies for the whole summer."
Cole's hand brushes mine lightly and I look down, grinning. Olivia looks up at Sebastian with an eyebrow raised, "Are you saying if it was us, you would've chosen the flag over me?" He opens his mouth to answer but she speaks before he can, "Answer carefully."
He gulps, looking down at her, "Of course not, babe, what do you take me for?"
Charlotte laughs, pulling a grumpy Nathan with her. She accidentally shot him in the thigh with her paintball gun when she caught up to him.
"You're the one that got beaten by a your little sister," Cole teases him, Sebastian pushes his arm with a scowl.
Tessa skips past with a grin, her hair is still messy but she's managed to get all the dirt off her face, "I got you too Cole." Drew scratches the back of his head, taking longer strides to catch up with her. Drew's friend, Benji, walks with Alyssa, trailing behind them.
"I know," Cole grins, his hand brushing mine again. "And I have accepted that you're secretly a ninja, so I don't feel more stupid."
"Hey, it's hard to be a lookout when your tongue is down someone else's throat," Tessa shrugs with a smirk, listening to the groan coming from Sebastian.
Olivia bursts out laughing, holding onto Charlotte so she doesn't fall over. Courtney's eyebrows raise in awe and Quinn is shushing a giggling Lilly. My face burns red and I keep my gaze on my feet.
Cole shrugs, grabbing my hand, "Priorities."
My eyes widen as I stare at my shoes, wishing a blackhole would come out of nowhere and swallow me up whole.
"Well, fucking finally. We've been waiting almost a whole year," Charlotte points out, walking with Olivia to the concession stand, ordering food for everyone.
Cole squeezes my hand making me look up at him, "Chicken tenders?" I nod my head shyly. He leans forward and kisses my forehead gently, moving towards the girls.
"You look happy," Sebastian says, sidling up to me.
My eyes lock with his and I try to gauge his emotions, "I am."
He looks over at Cole, "Good, as long as he makes you happy." His eyes catch mine again and I want to tear up at the genuine look he's giving me. "If he hurts you, I will kick his ass, best friend or not."
I gasp letting out a loud laugh as he wraps an arm around me, hugging me to his side. "I love you, Twin."
"Yeah, yeah, love you too," he rolls his eyes, but the smile betrays his face.
Cole walks back over with a bunch of food and two drinks in his arms. I instantly reach out for the chicken tenders, holding them to my chest. Oh my god, they smell amazing. Cole watches me with a dazed smile on his face.
"Time for some sappy romance, boys!" Olivia exclaims loudly with an evil grin, fist bumping Tessa.
"You don't even like sappy romance movies," Sebastian complains loudly.
"Well if I get to see you tortured for two hours, it's worth it," Olivia winks, grabbing his arm and pulling him towards the theater room.
Nathan stands next to Charlotte, "You're actually excited to watch this movie, aren't you?" He asks with a loving smile on his face as he watches her shift excitedly.
"Yes! Come on, I want the good seats," she lets him lead her into the theater.
"Ready?" Cole asks, handing me the food so he can carry our drinks.
I nod my head in excitement as he puts his arm around my shoulder, leading us into the theater. I grin widely at everything finally coming together.
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Hey Everyone! I hope you enjoyed this bonus from Sophie's POV, things have finally come full circle!
Sammipott xx