If one had to assign blame for the whole mess, one could argue it was all Betty's fault.
Not that Betty LeBow, owner and operator of Rumble Juice, would ever have done anything to hurt her five favorite teenage customers. She may have been a bit prickly at times...and quick tempered...but that didn't change how she felt about Lindy, Logan, Jasmine, Garrett and Delia. The youngsters were more than just customers to her. She considered them friends...almost family...especially Garrett.
So naturally he was the one who ended with a lion's share of the hurt.
It all started innocently enough. When Betty found a bargain at a rummage sale.
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"What is this exactly?" Garrett asked.
"It's an air hockey table," Betty answered with a note of disbelief in her tone. "How can you not know air hockey?"
Garrett merely shrugged.
"You kids with your smartphone, iPad, tablet, whatchamacallits," Betty muttered as she rolled her eyes. "you all have no idea what classic fun is all about."
The young man remained unimpressed. "Well, how does it work?"
Betty plugged in the table and gave her part-time employee a quick lesson in the basics of the game.
"This actually is sort of fun," Garrett admitted, a moment before he scored a point against his boss. "Oh wow!"
"Hey, pretty good. Not to many can get a goal against Betty," she said, referring to herself in third person as was her habit...right before Garrett scored again.
"Of course, Betty is out of practice," she said with a slight frown.
"I'm actually good at this!" Garrett's face wore a wide grin. He'd never been particularly athletic. And while he was not without talent, his skills weren't of the type that were appreciated by many of his peers (his four best friends being noted exceptions). So finding a new activity that came easily to him was a welcome surprise.
A few more minutes of playing made it clear that Garrett was a natural at the game...and Betty was indeed out of practice. But while she was miffed at being shown up by a beginner, the fact that Garrett was enjoying the game so much served at proof that her instincts were correct when she bought the table. The high school students that made up the majority of her customers would enjoy the game and this spend more time...and money...in Rumble Juice.
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As it turned out, the game was a pretty solid hit with patrons. Not everyone, of course. Some teens felt they were too cool to play something so 'old-school', but many more enjoyed it, including most of Garrett's friends. They all spent a fair amount of time (and quarters) on the game after school during Rumble Juice's business hours, except for Jasmine.
"How come you never give it a try?" Betty asked the Asian-American fashionista one afternoon. "You might like it."
"Oh, I know I would," Jasmine replied with an oddly knowing smile. "But look at them."
Betty turned her gaze over to the table and watched Garrett and another teen engaged in a very intense air hockey duel, with a group of excited spectators gathered around them.
"All I see is a bunch of your friends enjoying themselves," Betty commented.
"Yes, but look at Garrett and his challenger," Jasmine continued. "See the mussed hair? The sweat?"
"Oh...Betty gets it," the older female said. You don't want to look less than perfect in public."
"I don't do things halfway," Jasmine replied. "But I can't play at my best and look my best at the same time." She paused to smile as Garrett defeated his opponent and soaked up the cheers of his friends. "Besides...this is Garrett's thing."
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In just a few weeks it became obvious that air hockey was indeed 'Garrett's thing'. Almost none of his classmates could match his skill.
Unfortunately, one of the exceptions to that rule was an absolute jerk.
"HAH!" Myron Travis exclaimed triumphantly as he scored the winning goal. "I am supreme!"
Garrett frowned even as his friends cast sympathetic looks in his direction.
"You'll get him next time," Logan said as he patted his best friend on the back.
"Ah, it's okay," Garrett replied. "It's only one game."
The victor however, was treating his win as a monumental achievement. His gloating took on an insulting tone.
"All hail the mighty Myron," he called out dramatically. "Champion of champions! Destroyer of dweebs!"
"Oh give it a rest, Myron," Lindy said dismissively. "You won by one point."
"And if you really are the destroyer of dweebs," Delia added. "Wouldn't you have to destroy yourself?"
Jasmine and Logan chuckled.
"Just ignore him Deals," Garrett advised Delia. "Like I said, it's only one game." His expression hardened as he turned towards Myron. "And it won't happen again."
"Big talk, Dweeb," Myron retorted. "Care to make a gentlemanly wager then?"
"He might," Jasmine spoke up. "Do you know a gentleman he could make the such a wager with?" She then high-fived Garrett while the rest of their friends laughed.
"How very droll," Myron said sarcastically. "Not that I'd expect you to have the guts to accept my challenge."
"What's your challenge, Myron?" Garrett asked with an annoyed sigh.
His unpleasant air hockey rival responded by pointing to a handmade poster that had only recently been hung on Rumble Juice's wall. A poster about an air hockey tournament that was scheduled for the coming weekend.
"I intend to win that tournament," Myron declared.
"Well, that's going the be difficult," Garrett replied. "Since I'll be winning that tournament."
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The wager was quickly worked out though not without numerous insults being exchanged. Almost none of the insults actually came from Garrett himself though...as his friends were more than happy to step up and trade barbs with Myron.
In the end, the exact terms were written down to avoid any arguments. If Myron won the tournament, Garrett would act as his personal servant for one month. If Garrett won, Myron would be his servant. Some limits were placed to ensure that the winner couldn't interfere with their servant's school or job obligations...but other than that, the loser would be in for a very hard and humiliating time. A fact that was not lost on Garrett. He began to have second thoughts almost as soon as Myron had left Rumble Juice, but his friends were quick to reassure him.
Though he appreciated all their encouragement, his worries didn't entirely subside until Jasmine placed a hand on his shoulder and told him...
"There's no way you'll ever be Myron's servant."
And then, when none of the rest of their friends were looking, she leaned close to whisper in his ear and quickly added...
"I won't let that happen."
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Betty was pleased the day of the tournament, even though she was extra busy. There was a good crowd for the event, and she was working alone since she'd given Garrett the day off so he could concentrate on nothing but winning at air hockey.
Despite a sizable field of entrants and some exciting matches, it became clear early on that the finals would come down to Garrett and Myron. Both seemed pretty equal in all areas of their game...except for their cheering sections. In that respect Garrett was clearly far ahead, for Lindy, Logan, Jasmine and Delia were quite vocal in supporting their friend.
Little did they suspect that Myron had a supporter in the crowd as well. One who was silent...but who would prove to have a significant impact on the championship round.
Garrett was up by two points...but there was still plenty of time left in the match.
"Go Garrett!" Logan cheered. "You got this!"
Jasmine leaned against her boyfriend and seconded his comments. "Yeah! Go Garrett!"
Lindy and Delia shouted similar comments...but then another spectator rushed the table and knocked Garrett to the floor. Commotion broke out as the attacker raced out the door. Logan started to give chase as Lindy, Jasmine and Delia all rushed to help Garrett back to his feet.
"What's going on here?" Betty said forcefully as she left the counter and moved over to join her young friends.
"Oh the tragedy of it all," Myron said in an unconvincing tone. "An epic competition marred by random violence."
"Did you have something to do with this, Myron?" Delia said as she advanced on him with a menacing look in her eyes.
"Of course not," he said quickly as he backed away from the petite but surprisingly intimidating girl. "I swear. And I defy anyone to prove otherwise."
Logan returned at that moment.
"That guy lost me," he said in a slightly winded voice. "Did anyone see who he was? I didn't recognize him."
None of the others present could identify him either, though Garrett and his friends didn't miss the smug expression on Myron's face.
"You did have something to do with this," Lindy accused.
"I did not," he insisted. "And you can't prove I did."
Lindy glared angrily before turning to her twin brother. "Logan," she said. Who do you think can throw Myron farther? You or me?"
"I don't know," he replied. "Let's find out."
"Hold on! Hold on!" Betty shouted. "No more violence!" Then in a softer voice she told Lindy and Logan that she didn't want them to get in trouble.
Meanwhile, Jasmine was concentrating on Garrett. "Are you okay?"
"My wrist hurts," he answered as he held it tenderly.
He flinched when Jasmine touched him, even though she made every effort to be gentle. "It might be sprained," she said.
"I can't finish the game."
"What's that?" Myron cut in. "It looks like we have a forfeit."
Oh shut up, you little weasel," Betty snapped.
"You can't let him get away with this," Lindy said to the shop owner.
"I don't want to, Betty replied. "But-"
"Wait," Jasmine interrupted. "Under the circumstances, Garrett should be allowed a substitute to finish the game for him."
"That sounds fair," Betty agreed.
None of Garrett's other friends seemed overjoyed at Jasmine's suggestion however. None of them had the skill to beat Myron.
"Who's going to play for you, Garrett?"
The injured teen exchanged a look with Jasmine. She nodded, and then Garrett turned to answer Betty's question.
"Jas."
Betty raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?" The rest of their friends...and everyone else in the crowd looked equally surprised.
Garrett simply smiled as Jasmine took off her jacket.
"Okay," Betty said with a shrug. "For the final match we now have Myron Travis versus Jasmine Kang."
As Jasmine stepped up to the table she shot a withering glare towards Myron as she spoke. "But you can call me Kang...the Conqueror!"
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To be continued...