Chapter thirty six
"Die! Die! Die!" Ivy shouted with a frantic line creasing her brow as she stared with unblinking eyes at the game screen in front of her. She pulled the trigger on the bright orange plastic gun as she aimed at the little green aliens on one of the arcade games.
After lunch and another four hours of playing go fish and running to the restrooms in between storm showers, the group found themselves at the arcade.
"Please don't break the game Ivy, I already called dibs on it next. I actually plan to play and beat your score." Skinner sympathetically stroked the side of the game.
"We didn't wrestle for nothing Skin, I'm up next." Keira shoved him out of the way and started to cheer Ivy on.
"Kill it! Kill them all!"
"I'm glad I'm not on her bad side anymore." Ryleigh chuckled quietly as he passed by Anika with his pool stick in hand. She laughed and shook her head in amusement. After seeing her swear at the inanimate game you wouldn't think she had been shaking after a rumble of thunder a few hours prior.
Anika's eyes followed Ryleigh's every move as he moved into a better position to hit the white pool ball. As he bent over, his grey Silver lake shirt lifted a little so a strip of tanned flesh peeked out above his shorts. The material covering his arms stretched around his shoulders and defined every slender curve of his visible muscles. Ryleigh's dirty blond hair fell over his forehead as he brought his chin level with the wooden pool stick sliding through his hand. His perfect bow lips were slightly pouted in concentration as he eyed the ball with his calculating deep sea blue eyes.
Ever since he's been acquainted with the group, Anika had noticed he only ever spoke to her through soft murmurs by her ear or in whispers.
The sound of two pool balls clinking together pulled Anika out of her thoughts and admiring. She watched as the last ball he needed to win sunk into the corner basket.
"I win."
"Congrats." Anika gave him a pat on the back as she passed by him to hang up her stick on the wall.
"Care to join us in a table tennis match?" Skinner offered Anika two paddles as Ivy grabbed her own and Skinner's. Anika looked up to Ryleigh who gave a casual shrug.
"Sure." Anika accepted the paddles and handed Ryleigh one.
"First round us against you. Then later we can to do guys verses girls." Ivy smiled excitedly as she hoped back and forth on her feet at the other side of the ping pong table.
Anika nodded and stood with her paddle poised in the air as she waited for Skinner to serve the small orange plastic ball.
The ball bounced off his red rubber paddle and flew over the green threaded net where it bounced on Anika's side. She returned the volley and the match continued for a few minutes before the ball ricochet off of Ivy's paddle and bounced on the floor.
"Woo!" Anika high five'd Ryleigh and did a little happy dance. Ryleigh smiled down at her as she wiggled her hips.
"One point for team Rylika!" Keira held up a finger.
"That's one point. Don't get too excited. Team Skivy is about to whoop yo' behinds." Ivy made a motion of swinging her paddle at waist height.
"Skivy? Isn't that some sort of disease?" Anika raised a brow at Ryleigh.
"No, you're thinking of scurvy." he corrected her.
"Oh. Doesn't matter though 'cause we're about to... um, make you eat plastic. That's a good one." Anika proudly smirked for her comeback.
Ivy's nose turned up as she wrinkled it. "Gross. Think of all the other kids that have played here before us. All those germs."
Skinner shook his head and served the ball over the net where it bounced once and hit the floor near an unprepared Anika.
"Hey! Were weren't ready." Anika growled playfully.
"Too bad. One point for team Ivinner!" Mel shouted.
"I thought we were Skivy?" Skinner glanced at Ivy with a confused frown.
"I changed it." Mel shrugged a shoulder.
"Why?"
"Cause then you can say Iv-the-winner not you-the-winner."
"Ooh! Cheeky." Ivy stuck her tongue out at Anika and Ryleigh.
"Well we don't need a fancy name to tell the world how awesome we already are. They just know." Anika said with fake smugness.
"We'll see." Skinner and Ivy narrowed their eyes at Anika and Ryleigh and started the match once again
"Gah!" Anika let out a battle cry as she jumped back and hit the small ping pong ball sending it shooting back to Skinner and Ivy's side. With her ongoing momentum, she continued to fall back on her butt.
Skinner had returned the hit when Ivy ducked out of the way to avoid the small orange rocket. Anika prepared to get back on her feet but froze at the sight of Ryleigh completely taking control of her side. His slightly loose shorts swooshed silently at knee level as he shifted from side to side. Standing up a few feet back from him, Anika noticed Skinner had also moved to the center of his side. Ivy crawled to where Mel and Keira were standing a safe distance away from the table. She followed Ivy's lead and made her way to stand beside Keira, the score keeper for her team. Now the two boys remained as they fought for the last point in the match.
Identical looks of concentration and focus masked both of their faces. With precise blinding speed and swings, Ryleigh and Skinner managed to keep the volley alive for a few more minutes before Skinner slipped up. He took his eyes off the ball to grin over at Ivy and Ryleigh took the opening to deliver his end. The ball bounced over Skinner and dropped to the ground where it took a wild bounce and launched against a near arcade game.
"Yeah Rye!" Anika hollered and fist pumped the air. After setting down his paddle, Ryleigh turned to Anika and picked her up by the waist and began to spin around. A girly giggle escaped Anika's lips as she buried her head in Ryleigh's neck.
"Good job Nick." his hot breath steamed down her neck and she couldn't stop the shudder that ripple down her spine.
"What's you're excuse to losing?" Anika asked after Ryleigh allowed her to slide down his body till her toes touched the floor. He hadn't released her from his arms so she had to turn her head to the side to see Skinner holding Ivy's hand.
"A pretty girl distracted me." he sent a wink to Ivy.
"Okay, I forgive you for disgracing team Ivinner." Ivy quickly hugged him before shoving him toward Ryleigh and Anika.
"Come over here Anika. Now the real match begins." Ivy grinned evilly as she linked arms with Anika when she was within reaching distance. Ryleigh and Skinner shared a look of amusement before getting into position.
"Game on." Skinner smirked with a predator like glint in his eyes that never left Ivy's face.
"Hi-ya!" Ivy swung her paddle in a blur to hit the ping pong ball. The match was nearly over and the score was tied up.
"Just give up." Skinner taunted with a smirk.
"Never!" Ivy shouted.
"Why don't you give up?" Anika grunted as she hit the ball.
"Because we're men and we don't lose to girls." Skinner retorted.
"Not true. Ryleigh lost at the cotton candy eating contest." Anika sent Ryleigh a smug grin.
"You guys had a cotton candy eating contest?" Skinner lost his focus on the bright orange ball and swung his paddle a little too late so it shot off towards Mel and Keira making them both duck.
"Um, yeah. Just before you went to the infirmary." Anika explained after she and Ivy hugged and celebrated their victory.
"Oh." Skinner's face fell a little. "Sorry, again."
Ivy simply dismissed his apology with a wave. "All is forgiven. Besides, it's not your fault."
"When are we going to hunt down who did it?" Mel asked with her signature dark smirk.
"Soon little red. Soon." Ivy chuckled and put her paddle back in its bin.
"Little?" Ryleigh spoke for the first time with an adorable confused face. "You guys are the same height."
"Doesn't mean we can't kick your hinny." Mel playfully threatened.
Choosing life, Ryleigh answered safely with an, "I've seen."
"Good boy." Keira sent him a smirk as she walked ahead of the group to peek out the arcade door.
"What was the rest of the night supposed to be like?" Anika asked again.
"Rainy for now. Another thunder storm is supposed to be here in a few more hours though." Ivy supplied.
"It's dinner time now, so we can either go to the cafeteria to eat or we can take food back to the cabin." Keira said.
"I vote cabin just 'cause the hall will be packed and hot and muggy." Ivy described.
"Okay, cabin it is then." Skinner answered for everyone else seeing as though no one wanted to be sticky and uncomfortable.
"I'll get the food." Anika volunteered. Ryleigh opened his mouth to speak but Anika cut him off by mouthing an 'I got it.'
"Alright. See you back at the cabin." Ivy sent her a wink which she returned before the group dashed out with Ryleigh staying a few steps behind, shooting glances back at Anika over his shoulder. She gave him a smile and a wave before she jogged off in the opposite direction down the path towards the cafeteria.
She wasn't even half way to the hall before the back of her head exploded in pain.