Aria's P.O.V
"Do you see her?" I could feel my chest heaving up and down. I looked over at Ryder who was sweating heavily. I shook my head at him, I didn't see her anywhere but I was also a little too scared to peek out from behind the wall we were hiding at.
"Well, go out there and look. Don't be a chickenshit." I'm a chickenshit? The way he was hugging the wall told me I wasn't the only one. "Are you seriously afraid of a girl? The all-mighty Ryder?" Is he really afraid of her? I'm not saying I blame him.
"I am not afraid of a girl but that thing out there! I don't know what that is? Why didn't you tell me she was this scary? She's like the Rambo of paintball. Did you see the way she tied that whatever you girls call it around her forehead?" I couldn't help but let out a nervous chuckle.
"Listen, I didn't even know, I mean she sweats walking to her locker because it's too much effort." As soon as Emma got her hand on the paintball gun, she changed.
I knew we had pissed off many people here. Emma was taking out people left and right. She had moves I didn't even know existed and the way she was jumping over things, dodging and rolling around on the ground threw me for a loop. Ryder and I had formed an alliance to take her out. Yet everything we tried was futile. She either dodged or was 10 steps ahead of us.
"I don't know what we can-" We heard a twig snap and Ryder put his hand over my mouth. "Guys come out, come out wherever you are." Oh shit, she was close... Ryder was waving his hands at me and when I looked over he started doing all these weird hand signals. I tried my best to understand, but it was a failed attempt on my part so he started mouthing the words. "You go left and I will go right." If he thinks I am chancing it he is out of his mind. "No, not an option." He ignored everything I said and started slowly creeping around towards the right side.
I guess I had no choice but to do what he says because he isn't giving me one. Taking deep breaths, I take a quick peek but I don't see Emma anywhere. Apparently, she saw us though because a paintball pellet went flying past my head. "Oh shit, run Ryder!"
I almost tripped trying to take off, but I managed to balance myself before I hit the ground. Ryder took off in the opposite direction and I got scared because we were splitting up but I guess that meant she had to choose who to go after. Maybe that was his plan all along, but I can't believe he just ditched me like that! I was scared to look back, so I dove behind a log, hoping she wasn't after me.
"What the hell?" That didn't sound like Ryder. I conquered my fear and looked over the edge of the log. Some poor guy was lying on the ground with blue splattered on his shirt.
She was standing over this poor guy smirking at him like he was a target she was hired to take down. Pure evil was glowing in her eyes, and I would do anything to get away from her. Someone plopped down next to me. A scream almost escaped my lips. A hand was placed over my mouth again. "It's just me, don't scream."
"Can you stop putting your dirty hand over my mouth, please?" The taste of dirt was on my lips, and I wanted to gag. "Hey, my hands aren't dirty but never mind that I think I have a plan that might work." Oh, now, this I have to hear.
"Wait, I didn't know you were capable of coming up with anything. Does your brain hurt?" He narrowed his eyes at me and I guess decided to ignore my comment. "Listen, when she took that guy down just now she focused all of her attention on him, unlike all the other times. She must be getting impatient."
"Okay, so what do you suggest we do here." Because at this point I'm desperate and I will do anything to make it out of here. "Okay, so What I suggest we do is one of us will make a run for it distracting her while the other takes their shot. She will be so focused on the person running."
"I'm not sure that's going to work. Plus, who's going to be the one running and the one taking the shot? Let me guess me?" I am not sure that I really liked this plan. Emma is definitely going to catch me. "I was actually thinking that you could take the shot more or less." I knew he wanted me to- Wait what? "You want me to take the shot? Are you crazy?" He has to be if he trusts me to do it.
"I know you are probably doubting yourself but you can do this okay? Win this for the team." He put both hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eye. "Listen, this is our only chance now that she's slipping we have to jump on this okay? Are you ready? I trust you." I was so nervous with the idea of this plan laying heavily on my shoulders. I couldn't let him down.
I shook my head yes and readied my paintball gun. He smiled widely and got into position. Here goes nothing. Ryder held up his hand, counting down on his fingers. When he reached one I knew it was go time. I kept telling myself, breathe in, breathe out.
"Are you going to keep petrifying that poor guy or are you gonna take me on?" Ryder was really brave. He needed to get her facing a different way though because if I tried to take a shot now she would see me. "Oh, did Ryder finally come out to play with the big girls? Not scared anymore?" From what I could see, she had an evil smirk on her face.
We are royally screwed here. She's way too smart to fall for this plan, and Ryder is in trouble. "Scared of who? You? Emma come on we both know you can't beat me." I see them circling each other until Emma's back is facing me. Not yet. Something told me to wait.
"Where is Aria? Is she hiding? Do you both have something planned?" She turned towards where I was and I ducked quickly. She almost saw me, I almost blew the plan. "I don't know, we got separated from that last attack." I chanced a peek over the log again. She was lifting her paintball gun.
It all happened in slow motion. Ryder backed away slowly turned and started running away. Emma trained her paintball gun on him and took her shot just as I took mine. It seems she didn't miss her target, but neither did I. Ryder's sacrifice was not made in vain. Purple paint was splattered all over Emma's back. She dramatically hit the ground, and I rushed over to her and lifted her up.
"I've been hit... goodbye cruel world." She let her body go limp. "Stop being so dramatic." I dropped and stuff up. This girl deserves an Oscar. Someone grabbed me from behind and swooped me up, spinning me around. "You did it! I knew you could." I gigged and felt a little dizzy from the spinning and maybe for the fact that we took Emma down together.
I saw Emma looking at us well more accurately gaping at us. "Ryder put me down." He did as I said, but he ruffled my hair after he put me down. "I knew I could trust you. You took her down!" He high-fived me, looking extremely proud.
"Hello, can you both be glad about the fact that you shot me?" She pretended to cry a little. "Em, stop fake crying and get off the ground." She let out a spoiled huff and got up, dusting herself off. "Fine, but that was cheating. Teaming up on me like that."
"You gave us no choice when you went all Rambo on us. We wouldn't have survived." She just chuckled and skipped ahead when the guy she had left on the ground a few minutes ago approached her. "Leave it to Emma to take out some guy and he asks her out. I shouldn't be surprised," She seriously is something special.
"Yeah she seems like it but I'm sure you are used to the same thing." What does he mean by that? He must have seen the confused look on my face because he elaborated. "Because you are just as pretty...Are you surprised to hear that?" Wait, he thought I was pretty? My heart did a little leap.
"I can read your face, you know? Don't let what I said go to your head now." He seriously just winked at me? I shoved him and walked away, heading towards the car. "Oh, you can turn in my gear for me. Thanks." I didn't bother looking back at him since he was clearly picking on me. The jerk.
Ryder's P.O.V
I dropped Aria and Emma off before heading over to Ericks to give him his car back. Today was pretty fun...I mean Emma was scary, but I had fun. I pulled into Erick's driveway and knocked on his door.
Derek answered instead, which didn't surprise me because these days he was over here more than his own home. Which is usually what I did, but Derek's been moodier than ever lately. So I have been steering clear as much as I can.
"Hey, what's up, bro?" Was he going to say something or let me in, maybe? "Yo, Derek, step out of the way and let him in you dumbass." I didn't wait for him to move fully before pushing past him. He needs to get his shit together. He's been extra hostile towards me lately more than ever. "What up, bro?" At least Erick wasn't acting like I was some kind of enemy. "Just returning your car."
"Thanks, you staying tonight?" I had an internal debate about this because on one hand, I can go home and deal with that tonight or deal with this dude. All these great options. "You should really stay." What? Did Derek actually just tell me that? Color me surprised. "Sure, why not?" If he's willing to put everything away then so could I.
As soon as I got upstairs Derek tossed me a beer and a controller. It felt good like old times and something that I really needed after these last few nights. It was nice to see the old Derek again. "Don't worry I will carry your pansy-ass tonight." Yup just like the old Derek...
"Yeah like anyone would need YOU to carry them." That earned me a hard smack. I'm glad that we can put this drama, whatever this drama was behind us. He looked like he was carefree tonight and the usual goofy ass smile was back.
"What have you been doing this weekend? We haven't really heard from you." Yeah well, you weren't exactly trying to reach out now, were you? "Honestly not much really. Just been chilling really. What about you?" He had this look on his face like he was fishing for something but decided to leave it alone. What was he thinking?
We ended up playing Cod and just like always he got into a screaming match with a kid. I decided to sit down on Erick's bed and let him deal with that problem. I pulled out my phone and saw I had a text from Aria. Wonder what she wanted. I know that we have hung out the last couple of days but she has got to be sick of me already.
Aria: So what made you take me to a paintball park?
Ryder: Well, when my mom first died Erick and his parents took me along with them when they went and it helped me get all of my anger and frustration with the world. I just assumed you would like it.
Aria: Really? I appreciate that. I had a lot of fun actually and it did help a little...
Ryder: I'm glad it did. You have a really good aim.
Aria: Thanks maybe next time we take out Emzilla first.
Ryder: Sounds like a plan.
I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Emzilla was a perfect and clever way to describe how Emma was acting today. She really was way too into the game. I would really like to see a game against her and Erick because he does the same thing. Derek was eyeing me when I looked up from my phone. "What's so funny?"
"Oh, I was just laughing at something Aria said." Erick whistled at me and punched my arm. I hit him back because he knew it wasn't like that. Aria is cool but I'm just not into her like that. Derek looked at me with a weird look on his face. Anger maybe? Yet why would he be angry?
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" It wasn't in my head because even Erick raised an eyebrow at him. "I just think you shouldn't be hanging around Aria. Don't lead her on, the same way you lead on-"
"Don't even go there! I didn't... I am not leading Aria on; she just needed someone to talk to." He's really bringing this up again? Are you kidding me?
"Oh don't fucking lie to me Ryder you are such a fucking piece of shit! We both know you are doing the same thing. You haven't learned and history is going to repeat itself." He's serious here! "Don't act all high and mighty here Derek. We both know you had a hand in the whole situation." I almost spat when I said his name. I needed to calm down. I was starting to see red.
"Guy's calm down. It wasn't anyone's fault, shit happens and there wasn't anything any of us could have done to stop it." Erick stood between us. I hadn't realized Derek and I had stood up and were getting closer by the seconds.
"Don't feed me that! We both know Ryder could have done something about it. He could have gotten her away from HIM, She was in love with you! If you hadn't been stringing her along like that she never would have started dating him and this never would have happened." Derek was shaking at this point.
I wish I could say he was wrong but he wasn't. The anger inside of me went away as soon as he said those words 'She was in love with you!' "I didn't mean to hurt her..." Everything in me hurt. Derek just scoffed at me.
"Yeah, I'm sure you didn't! Just don't do the same thing to Aria. I'm not kidding Ryder. She's a nice girl and I swear to god-" Erick shoved him towards the door. "Derek I think you should leave. You are completely in the wrong here and you know it"
"Are you kidding me? You're asking me to leave? Yet I was here first?" He waited for Erick to say something but he never did. "You know what? Screw both of you! I don't care anymore." I didn't get a chance to say anything because he was out the door already.
"Don't worry about him. His parents are finalizing their divorce on Monday. Just give him some time to cool off." Shit, I completely forgot about that. He's right though I should just let him cool off. Come next week he will be the same pain in the ass Derek. Erick and I popped open another beer and sat in silence for a while. Nothing left to do but just wait for Derek to get over it.
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