Chapter Six: Fun and Games with the Guns

Much of the time spent eating dinner between the trio was spent in silence, much to Adrienne's dismay. She had enjoyed the conversation she participated in when they were in the car. But the second Alex and Chris sat down, the only thing they wanted was their food. And once it came, Adrienne watched in astonishment as the men hastily devoured every bite. Granted, she could be a quick eater as well. But they ate as though they hadn't eaten in weeks.

Before Adrienne could even finish her food, Alex got up and immediately made a mad dash for the games. Chris, however, was more of a gentleman. He politely waited until she finished eating before getting up from the table. There was no doubt that his parents taught him well when it came to etiquette. As for Mr. Shelley, she couldn't say the same.

As Chris went to find his Alex, Adrienne roamed around the area, checking out the games. There were several air hockey tables, a row of skeeball machines, and many various arcade games. With the boys gone from her sight, she decided to play a solo game of skeeball. She was rendered speechless at the end of the game when she had only acquired 130 points. She used to be skillful when it came to skeeball. But now, it looked as though her skills had vanished before her very eyes.

She tried her hand at it again. By the time she had the fifth ball in her had, she had only racked up 70 points. Determined to defeat her old score, she pulled her arm back and geared up for the release.

"Need help?"

Glancing over to her right, she noticed Chris standing next to her. She chuckled in embarrassment at his question.

"No, I'm okay."

"You sure? I'm really good at skeeball. I can give you a few hints if you would like."

Before Adrienne could even answer, Chris positioned himself behind Adrienne and took her left hand in his. Her cheeks immediately turned red at the sensation of his body next to hers. She listened closely as he gave his suggestion, then pulled her hand back and pushed it forward gently. Releasing her grip, Adrienne watched as the ball rolled up and into the 100-point basket. She jumped up in exhilaration and turned towards Chris to give him a high five.

"See? It's as easy as that."

"Thanks, Chris," Adrienne smiled in appreciation.

Chris stood back and watched as Adrienne finished her game. At the end of it all, she was rewarded with 360 points and ten tickets. Instead of keeping her tickets, Adrienne decided to show her appreciation and hand them to Chris instead. But Chris held up his hand, refusing to accept her offer.

"But you deserve it," Adrienne pleaded. "After all, you helped me."

"Nah, keep them," Chris shook his head. "I could care less about the prizes. I'm just for the games."

"Hey! There you are!"

Adrienne peeked over Sabin's shoulder and saw a slightly angry Alex Shelley walking towards them.

"Hey, how's about giving me a head's up the next time you two go running off, huh? Damn, I thought you two bailed on me!"

"Aww! Is wittle Alex Shelley afwaid to be awone?" Adrienne taunted him in her baby voice, causing Chris to crack up. "Does he need adult supervision?"

"Fuck off, Carson," Alex teased her back by lightly shoving her. "No. The reason I asked is because I was looking to see if Chris wanted to play air hockey."

"Why don't you play with Adrienne?" Chris suggested. "It might give you two a chance to bond."

Alex moaned angrily.

"I guess I could. Come on, Carson. Let's get this over with."

As Alex walked off, Adrienne gave Chris a perplexed glance.

"What's his problem? Why is he warm with me one minute but cold the next?"

"That's for you to find out, not me," Chris answered.

Adrienne walked over to the air hockey tables and found Alex, paddle in hand, ready to go.

"Come on, Carson! How slow can you go?"

"Just shut up and play, Shelley," Adrienne grabbed her paddle and prepared for battle.

As they began playing, Adrienne couldn't help but ask Alex what his deal was with her.

"Why are you so indecisive when it comes to me? Why are you nice to me one minute, but mean the next?"

"It's not that I choose to be mean to you," Alex explained as he won the first point and pumped his fist into the air. "Let me ask you something. Why are you so mean to me?"

"Because you're mean to me."

Alex stopped the puck mid-game and stared at his manager.

"Look. I don't have a problem meeting new people. And I don't have a problem with you. Don't get me wrong. I know you're cool, Adrienne. I'm not trying to be mean to you. I'm just joshing you around. That's what I do to my friends. I tease them. I taunt them. It's just something I like to do when I want to have fun. And it helps relieve some of the tension when first meeting someone."

"So you don't have a problem with me?"

"Why would I? I know all about you. I've heard all the positive things that people have said about you. I have no reason to dislike you. I'm a Gemini, and us Geminis are naturally friendly people."

"You're a Gemini?"

"Yeah," Alex nodded. "I was born May 23rd. I'm pretty sure that makes me a Gemini."

Adrienne chuckled.

"My birthday is June 4th. I'm a Gemini too."

"See? Then you know what I'm talking about," Alex smiled. "We're more alike than you think. I mean come on. You can't tell me that you have a hard time meeting new people and being friendly with them."

"I am friendly with everyone I meet," Adrienne clarified. "I'm just a bit shy and reserved at first. But then I come around and start opening up."

"You weren't that shy when you met me and Chris."

"That's different. I knew what you were like before I met you. So it made it easier to be myself around you two."

"Okay, then what about being mean? Were you really trying to be mean, or were you just playing around like I was?"

"I was playing around just like you were," Adrienne admitted. "I couldn't be truly mean to anyone unless they hurt me. But I know that you weren't trying to be mean, and I'm sorry if I said anything that hurt you."

"Well, I'm sorry I ever gave you the impression that I didn't like you," Alex apologized. "To be honest, I'm really looking forward to being good friends with you. You're definitely the kind of person I like to hang out with for fun."

"Same here."

With the dilemma behind them, Adrienne and Alex finished up their game. And much to Adrienne's surprise, he graciously allowed her to win. After giving each other a high five and complimenting each other on their game, the two roamed around, searching for Chris. They finally found him getting ready to play a racing game. Noticing them out of the corner of his eye, Chris called out.

"Hey Adrienne! Want to play against me?"

She looked over at Alex, who nodded in approval, and shrugged her shoulders.

"I guess it couldn't hurt."

Adrienne took the seat next to Chris and inserted two tokens. As she was choosing her car, she smirked.

"Oh, by the way, Chris, don't be surprised if I cream you to death. Racing games are my specialty."

"Thanks for the fair warning," he chuckled as the green flag dropped.

Sure to her word, Adrienne won, crossing the finish line nearly ten seconds ahead of Chris. Impressed by her aptitude, he gawked at Adrienne in shock.

"Damn," he spoke as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I didn't think you were that good. How are you so skilled like that?"

"I've had a lot of practice when I was younger," Adrienne explained. "One of my older brothers bought me a Sega Genesis when I was only eight, so the majority of my time back then was spent playing video games, especially the racing ones."

"Wow. I wouldn't think of you as the kind of person who plays video games," Chris was taken back. "A lot of girls aren't into that kind of thing. You know if you want, maybe we could get together one day and play some video games."

"That sounds nice," Adrienne smiled at his offer. "I'm always for a good video game. But I have to warn you ahead of time. I get a bit crazy playing. I'm a passionate gamer. I'll throw a fit or curse like a sailor when things don't go my way."

"You're just like my brother," Chris laughed at her admission. "I'm not like that, though. I'm more of the silent gamer. But thanks for the heads up. I'll have to remember that when I'm playing against you."

After a few more games, the trio decided to call it quits. Adrienne chose to hold on to her tickets instead of turning them in. That way, she could come back later and play some more games for a chance at a bigger prize. With the night coming to a close, Chris drove them back to Adrienne's hotel, where he got out and escorted her back to her room. As they came to her room, Adrienne stopped and stared into Sabin's sparkling blue orbs, smiling in appreciation.

"Thanks for inviting me along with you guys. I had a lot of fun."

"You're welcome. I just hope that Alex didn't ruin the fun for you."

"Not at all," Adrienne answered. "In fact, we cleared up a lot of confusion between us during the air hockey game. Everything is cool now."

"I'm glad to hear it," Chris smiled back. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yeah. Thanks again, Chris."

"Goodnight, Adrienne."

"Night."

Chris stood in silence as she opened up her door and turned around to wave goodbye. Waving back, he waited until her door was closed before walking away. Once outside, he walked back over to the car, which held an exhausted Alex Shelley. Alex watched as Chris settled into the driver's seat.

"So, did you kiss her?"

"What? No, I didn't kiss her!" Chris answered, taken back by the query. "What the hell makes you think I would try that after only knowing her for a day?"

"Dude, I know you," Alex confessed. "The second you see a girl you like, you try and make her yours. It's obvious you two are starting to have feelings for each other. Why don't you just ask her out and get it over with?"

"It's too early," Chris clarified. "Like I said, I've only known her a day. Besides, what makes you think she wants to be with me?"

"Because she can't be with me considering the fact that I already have a girlfriend. And she has that look in her eyes every time she gazes at you or whenever you're talking to her. You know, that adoring, affectionate look that only a schoolgirl has whenever she has a crush. She likes you, dude. Don't deny it. And don't deny the fact that you like her, either."

Chris scoffed at his best friend's forecast on his love life. Like Alex really knew what he wanted. But indeed, Chris couldn't deny the fact that he did have feelings for Adrienne. But until he absolutely knew she had the same feelings for him, those feelings would have to be concealed.

For now.