𝓲𝔁. matching teddy bears

written – 12.10.23  |  re-written - 9.6.24

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16TH

RONI WAS CORRECT, SHE DID IN fact emerge victorious in every two-player game against Embry. The pattern remained consistent throughout their gaming session: Roni would skillfully secure the win, while Embry would invariably concoct a creative excuse to explain away his defeat. Despite his losses, Embry seemed to take it all in good spirits, perhaps secretly admiring Roni's gaming prowess.

"I think this is the most tickets I've ever seen anyone win before," Embry remarked with a mixture of awe and amusement as he watched Roni claim yet another impressive Jackpot. His eyes widened as he attempted to estimate their winnings, "We must have accumulated at least twenty-thousand tickets by now, if not more. It's absolutely mind-boggling!"

Roni, ever precise and quick with numbers, smiled as she carefully gathered the long strands of tickets streaming out of the game machine. "To be entirely accurate, it's Nineteen-Thousand-Seven-Hundred and Eighty-Six," she stated matter-of-factly. After a brief mental calculation, her grin widened even further. "And with this latest win, we've now reached a grand total of Twenty-One-Thousand-Two-Hundred and Eighty-Six tickets!" Noticing Embry's look of surprise at her rapid calculations, she added with a hint of pride, "What? I'm enrolled in college-level mathematics courses. This kind of mental math is second nature to me."

Embry's eyebrows shot up, clearly impressed by Roni's mathematical abilities. "So, you're not just a gaming prodigy, but some kind of math genius as well?" he asked, his tone a mix of admiration and playful teasing.

"Yep," Roni confirmed, playfully popping the 'p' at the end of the word for emphasis. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she surveyed their mountain of tickets. "Now come on! We have a veritable treasure trove of prizes to redeem with all these tickets!" In her enthusiasm, Roni took a hurried step forward, only to find herself entangled in one of the long strands of tickets trailing behind her. She stumbled, nearly losing her balance, and quickly glanced at Embry, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "You didn't see anything," she said, trying to maintain her composure.

Embry, ever the gentleman, played along with a mischievous grin. "My eyes were closed the entire time," he assured her, though the laughter in his voice betrayed his amusement. Seeing Roni struggling with the sheer volume of tickets, he offered, "But before you risk tripping again and potentially starting a ticket avalanche, why don't you let me take some of those off your hands?" Roni gratefully accepted his help, and together they managed to gather all their hard-earned tickets.

As they approached the prize counter, Roni's excitement bubbled over. "Oh Cindy!" she called out to the familiar face behind the counter, "I've hit a new personal record!" Cindy's face lit up with a warm grin as the two teens carefully placed their mountain of tickets on the glass counter. Roni couldn't help but boast a little, "Twenty-One-Thousand-Two-Hundred and Eighty-Six tickets in total!"

Cindy's eyes widened in astonishment. "Damn, girl! You've really outdone yourself this time," she exclaimed, clearly impressed. Turning her attention to both teens, she asked, "Alright, you've certainly earned it. What fantastic prizes do you two want to claim with this ticket bonanza?"

Embry, who had been scanning the prize shelves, pointed to a pair of adorable matching teddy bears perched on a high shelf behind Cindy. "Could we get those two matching teddy bears, please?" he requested, his voice tinged with a hint of shyness.

Cindy nodded approvingly at their choice. "Here you go," she said, carefully retrieving the bears and handing them over. "That still leaves you with a whopping One-Thousand-Eighty-Two tickets to spend!" she informed them, her voice filled with enthusiasm.

Roni's eyes darted across the array of smaller prizes, eventually settling on a colorful display of ring pops. A mischievous grin spread across her face as she remembered her friends. "Paul and Seth would absolutely murder me if I didn't bring them back something," she explained to Embry, who nodded in understanding. Turning back to Cindy, Roni requested, "Four ring pops, please!" Cindy, familiar with Roni's preferences, nodded knowingly and selected the candy. "Oh, Cindy, you know me so well!" Roni exclaimed with delight as she saw Cindy place two random flavored ring pops and two cherry-flavored ones on the counter. Glancing at Embry, she gestured towards the remaining prizes. "Your turn to pick something!"

The two teens spent the next several minutes carefully selecting their prizes, their excitement growing with each choice. By the time they were finished, their haul included two adorable matching teddy bears, eight colorful ring pops, sixteen pieces of bubble gum in various flavors, twenty-five assorted dum-dum suckers, and twelve plastic spider rings.

Cindy tallied up their selections and announced, "And that still leaves you with three-hundred tickets! You two are on quite a roll today!"

As Roni playfully slipped one of the spider rings onto her finger, a new craving hit her. She turned to Embry, "You know what would be perfect right now? A slushy. You want one too?"

Embry's face lit up at the suggestion. "I could definitely go for a slushy," he agreed enthusiastically. Roni led the way to the food-mart section, with Embry following close behind. "Cherry flavor, please," he added, his tone hopeful.

Cindy chuckled, already reaching for the cups. "You got it! I know your usual order by heart, Roni," she said with a wink. Within moments, she presented the two teens with vibrant cherry-red slushies.

"Here you go, enjoy!" Cindy said cheerfully as the teens eagerly grabbed their icy treats. They made their way to one of the small booths, ready to relax and savor their well-earned refreshments.

Suddenly, Roni's eyes widened as she remembered something important. "Oh! We can't forget about the photo booth!" she exclaimed. Noticing Embry's confused expression, she explained with a hint of nostalgia in her voice, "It's a tradition of mine. Every time I bring someone new here, we always take a picture in the photo booth. It's my way of preserving memories. I keep all the photos in a special memory box at home." Embry's confusion melted into a warm smile, touched by the sentiment behind Roni's tradition. "But first," Roni added with a grin, "I'm going to grab some cheese fries. They're absolutely irresistible. I'll be right back!"

As Roni approached the counter once more, Cindy raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess... cheese fries?" she asked knowingly. Roni nodded, a proud grin spreading across her face. Cindy couldn't help but laugh at Roni's predictability. "Put your money away, missy!" Cindy playfully scolded, reaching across the counter to gently swat Roni's hand as she reached for her wallet.

Roni protested, "But Cindy!"

Cindy shook her head firmly, but her eyes were kind. "No buts! You've been a loyal customer for nine years now. The least I can do is treat you to some free tokens and food. It's my pleasure, really."

Roni sighed in defeat but nodded gratefully as she tucked her wallet away. As Cindy prepared the cheese fries, she cast a knowing glance between Roni and Embry. "You've got yourself a good one there, Roni," she said with a hint of approval in her voice.

Caught off guard, Roni questioned, "What?" She hopped up to sit on the edge of the counter, her legs dangling as she waited for clarification.

Cindy's eyes twinkled as she nodded towards Embry. "That boy, Embry. He's a keeper, I can tell. The way he looks at you... it's special." Curiosity piqued, Roni glanced over her shoulder towards Embry, only to find his gaze already fixed on her. A warm blush crept across her cheeks, but she found herself unable to break eye contact. The arcade's colorful L.E.D lights danced across Embry's features, casting him in an almost ethereal glow that made him appear as if he'd been sent straight from the heavens. The moment was broken only when Cindy placed the steaming plate of cheese fries on the counter with a knowing smile. "Go on now, go get your lover boy," she encouraged with a gentle nudge.

Roni's blush deepened as she whispered, "He's not my lover boy."

Cindy's smile widened, and she replied softly, "Not yet." She gave Roni an encouraging wink before watching the girl make her way back to Embry, cheese fries in hand.

As Roni approached the table, her earlier embarrassment was replaced by excitement over the treat she was about to share. "I promise you," she announced with a grin, "these are going to be the absolute best cheese fries you will ever taste in your entire life. They're practically legendary!"

Embry's eyebrows shot up in playful challenge. "Even better than Emily's?" he asked, referencing their friend known for her exceptional cooking skills.

Without missing a beat, Roni nodded emphatically. "Even better than Emily's," she confirmed, then quickly added in a conspiratorial whisper, "But don't you dare tell her I said that! I'd never hear the end of it." The two shared a hearty laugh at the thought before eagerly digging into the perfectly crispy, cheese-covered fries, savoring not just the delicious food but also the joy of each other's company.