Tuesday, April 9th, 2013

The morning was peaceful. Valarie had awoke at an hour where the hotel was not yet busy. It was nice and quiet. She rose from her bed and splashed water on her face in the bathroom. The reason Valarie was up early was because she was expecting a visitor. Soon, there was a soft knock at the door. She went to the door and opened it gently. Standing just outside was Ray. He was already fully dressed in his uniform, fresh from a shower and hair managed. All together all cleaned up. In contrast, Valarie's hair was more like a rat's nest, her clothes all wrinkly.

"Good morning. I got your text." Ray said

"You sure did, all dressed up and ready. That captain's thing is at noon." Valarie reminded.

"I got that, but, since I'm just a co-captain, would I even be allowed to participate?"

"Of course you can, It's a captain-focused event but it's not exclusively for captains. Think of it like you're my liaison."

Ray grinned and a chuckle escaped from his mouth.

"Ah, okay. Anyway, why can't you go again? You've never mentioned that."

"I have something important to do. Something that if it goes well will make me happier like nothing else. It's a golden opportunity that I just can't miss."

Ray was intrigued over Valarie's supposed opportunity. He narrowed his vision as he looked away from Valarie to the bed in the room. There, she saw Emma, awake, leisurely laying on the bed. She was browsing her phone, not at all aware of what was happening beyond the sheets. Looking at that scene for a few moments, it suddenly clicked. He now fully understood. A huge smile appeared on his face.

"Oh. I see." he said softly.

He started to walk away but turned once more to face Valarie.

"I'd say I hope Cupid has good aim today, but, I feel like the guy already let loose his arrows long ago."

Valarie's face was flooded with a blush as Ray now turned away, satisfied, to the convention. She turned around and returned to the room. Now, everyone was awake and in the process of getting ready. Save for Emma who continued to relax on the bed. As Valarie looked, she was surprised to see Heather and Ashley getting ready quickly.

"What's up guys? What's the rush?" Valarie inquired.

"There's this virtual reality game at the convention. Me and Heather are heading over to beat the lines. See you later!" Ashley explained

The two girls finished getting dressed and shot out of the room, leaving Emma and Valarie alone. The two then got ready themselves. After getting her hair in order, Valarie was set to leave though Emma was taking her sweet time brushing her hair.

"I'm off to those booths. Noon at the park, yeah?" Valarie asked.

"Noon. I will be waiting for you." Emma confirmed.

"See you then."

Valarie left the room and now Emma was alone. Perfect. She stopped brushing her hair and took out a paper and a pencil from her bag. Sat down at a desk, she began to write down her words for later. Like Hell she'll remember them come the big moment. Some minutes of putting her emotion to paper later, and she was done. She reviewed it briefly before neatly folding it up and tucked away in her pocket. She rummaged through her bags again and retrieved her bottle of pale blue nail polish. Packed for this exact moment.

"This will be a day to remember."


As the captain's event wasn't until noon, Ray had some time to kill. He has already swung by the food court and enjoyed what they had to offer so now he didn't know what exactly to do till the event. So, he wandered the convention hall, periodically looking at his phone to be aware of the time. He walked past various booths either trying to sell something or trying to teach him something, Then there were the displays. He had already seen the Panther II with Natalie and visited the E-10 wooden mock-up. That made him feel weird. A tank shorter than him? What an oddity. Soon though, he grew bored of walking around and sat down at the first empty table he found. He tapped his fingers on it as he thought about what else he could do to pass the time. His isolation at the table was short-lived as he soon felt a presence behind him. Turning around, there was a girl. Not from the team but he figured that the girl was around the age of a freshman. She was smiling and taking a good look at his uniform.

"Hi! Nice cosplay." the girl complimented.

"Huh? Cosplay?" Ray asked, confused.

"Yeah, you look like you're in tankery. So cool!"

Ray let out an astounded laugh.

"Oh my God! This is the real deal!" he exclaimed, tugging on his uniform.

"I am in tankery! I'm on my school's team!"

The girl became embarrassed.

"Oh…uh…I'm sorry! I didn't think guys actually did the sport."

"Yeah, well, this guy does along with three other dudes."

"An all-male tankery crew? Wow."

"Shattering those glass ceilings, eh?"

The girl chuckled as she saw down across from him.

"So, what's your tank?" she questioned

"Soviet heavy tank IS-3. My friends and I got it working over the past summer. It was the first tank added to our team."

He took out his phone and shared with her the photos of his tank along with the rest of the crew. In addition to that, she was shown photos of the rest of the Mojave Rose tankery team. The girl was greatly impressed and enthralled.

"What's that?"

"A SU-100."

"And that?"

"A Stuart."

"And…what's that?"

"A T-44."

"Very. Very Cool."

Ray put away his phone.

"I bet you've already been in matches, huh?" she asked.

"I have. Our team is in the tournament and already are we in the semi-finals."

"Is it fun?"

"Hell yeah it is. But it is also stressful, very stressful."

"I would think so. It's the only sport where people shoot each other."

"Well, there's paintball…but it's not really the same. Paintball doesn't have that element of danger that makes the sport absolutely thrilling. No sport can even hold a candle to the experiences tankery can provide. I heard the bullets whistle—and believe me, there is something charming in that sound. George Washington said that in a letter to a friend. I never understood it before. I understand it now."

The girl was utterly captivated. Hanging on to each word he says. She had one more question to ask him.

"What advice do you have for people who want to join tankery?"

Ray thought for a moment, eyes closed and hands clasped together.

"Two things. One, learn how to maintain vehicles yourselves. Being your own mechanic is a superb idea. You'll definitely save money that way too. Two, if you can help it, avoid tanks with two-part ammunition. Your reload rate will appreciate that."

Ray stood up from the table.

"This was a fun chat but I got a little event to attend to."

"Hey, before you go. What's your school?"

"Mojave Rose High School from Barstow, California."

"Thanks! I'll be watching you guys in your matches. Good luck!"

With a smile, Ray waved goodbye and walked toward the captain's event. The girl remained at the table, happy on meeting a genuine tankery participant. Her attention shifted to the nearby booths, her mind in action over what to do next. It was then she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Going to the bathroom, huh?"

The girl jumped from her seat.

"Ah…mom! I was going, honest, but I met someone along the way."

"Oh yeah? Whose that?"

"A tankery athlete. He gave me some beginner's advice."

"…he?" her mother questioned

"Yes, 'he'."

Her mother eyed her up.

"Boys in tankery huh? Interesting. I never thought I'd see the day…wow."

"I know right? I've been wondering, mom, is there anything stopping more guys from joining tankery? That guy I met is the only male participant I know of."

"Technically nothing. It's just everything else."

"Huh?"

"It all boils down to damn tradition. When the sport was getting formed, it was back during a time where equality between men and women was not ideal. Still isn't today but, it's better. It made so much sense at the time, an opportunity for women to feel empowered where they would otherwise not get the chance. Male interest in the sport has existed as long as the sport has. But back then, every single tankery team had a rule where only women could be in the team. Men had loads of other sports, they'd say."

"Isn't that illegal or something? To only allow certain people in sports?" her daughter questioned.

"It is now thanks to Title IX, but back then it was a-okay. Ever since Title IX got enacted, boys could, on a technical ground, participate in tankery. But it was those girls so obsessed with tradition that fought against their inclusion, even if they had a legal right to do so. If you were a guy and said you were just considering joining a tankery team, the girls would do whatever they could do stop that. For some…it got real bad."

Her mother rubbed her forehead as some bad memories resurfaced.

"I never told you very much of my own in tankery."

"You told me very little. How you started and some matches but—"

"Never how it ended." her mother finished.

She inhaled deeply, sniffling as she was trying to stifle tears.

"The worst year of my life was 1990. In between high school and enlisting in the Air Force, I was on a tankery team with the goal of going pro. It didn't happen, obviously. There was this…event….that damaged the popularity of tankery in Southern California. Teams all around were going defunct one-by-one. For my team, some members left but we were in decent shape that if we just could get replacements, we could survive. Some guys showed interest and were eager to join. But the other girls didn't like that idea at all. They hated it, actually. So, everyone left, effectively disbanding the team. They were so against having guys as teammates that they gave up a chance of going pro. I still can't believe it, twenty-three years later."

She was staring at the table for some long moments, so long that her daughter snapped her fingers by her face.

"Mom?"

"Oh…sorry. I was just reliving that moment. It was…awful."

Her mother stood up from the table.

"Though, from what you have told me, things are getting way better. That guy you met must have a supportive team. I'm happy for him. It makes me feel way better…vindicated in a way."

Her daughter, whose face was devoid of all expression due to listening to her story, now was sporting a beaming smile. A smile that was infectious as she was smiling as well.

"Thanks for telling me that mom. Now…uh…I gotta head to the bathroom now. I've been…holding…it in…it hurts…berightback."

She bolted off toward the nearest bathroom. Her mother reclined against a wall to wait for her daughter's return. She resumed thinking about her past, all the good and the bad when she was then approached by a convention official.

"Excuse me, but, do you mind if scan the barcode of your admission pass?"

"…sure?"

The official with her tablet aimed its camera at the barcode and scanned the code. On the screen popped up an information box.

"MmmHmm. MacKenzie Hayes. I hope the convention is treating you well."

"It's fun. For me and my daughter. I gotta ask, why the scan?"

"You're an older woman so chances are you are a former tanker. The Association finds it imperative to gather the feedback of former tankers and compare them to the ones of today."

"Ah, I get it."

The official browsed her tablet for a moment more.

"So, what relation have with the person who invited you?"

"Uhhh…come again?"

"The person who invited you. A Martin Redwood."

"I don't know anyone with that name."

"Oh…really?"

The two women were confused.

"Huh…strange to be invited by someone you don't know." remarked the official.

"And a bit unnerving too." added Hayes.

"Well, there's nothing against the rules over who people can invite, but it's odd all the same. Take care."

The official departed, leaving a curious Hayes. This Martin Redwood person won't ever leave her mind until she gets to the bottom of this. She'll learn why she is even here in the first place.


With a minute to spare, Ray had arrived at the captain's event. Just outside its door was a group of people. All girls. That made him anxious even though he fully expected this. His walk slowed as he approached them. He was taller than all of them, as if he needed any more attention. The feeling he was experiencing was one he felt before. When he walked through the women's sections in clothing stores. Obviously he didn't walk in those sections to gawk. His mom was there so of course he would have to go there. Even if the women in those areas who saw him understood, it still made him uncomfortable. Now, here he was among team captains of a sport heavily marketed toward women. It was more than a 'fish-out-of-water' feeling. It was more like the fish being flung a thousand miles inland. He stood outside the group, against a wall, waiting. No one noticed his presence at first, as they were chatting with each other. One did happen to look in his direction and was briefly bewildered. Her face returned to normal and looked away. She had quickly accepted the fact that he as here and it seemed like everyone else would too. The doors opened and the group walked in. Ray followed right behind, welcomed by the officials who had welcomed everyone else. When the doors closed, the outside area wasn't vacant. A trio of girls has been watching him for a while now. They were tracking Ray down ever since they've lost him the day before. At tables, they sat. Now waiting.

"When he leaves that event…we'll 'introduce' ourselves."


Valarie browsed the booths to see what they were selling, What piqued her interest were tank model kits. She looked through a selection but was disappointed that she did not find a T-44 kit. Some more perusing and she did find something that caught her eye. A Panzer IV model kit. With mark H specifications. She looked at the box for several seconds. Her eyes went from the tracks to the hull, to the end of the barrel. It was funny, she thought, that this tank has repeatedly popped in her life over the past few months. She wonders if it will ever stop being funny. After some more time looking at the kit, she decided against buying it. Considering the events of the past few months, she wasn't really keen on spending money. She walked off and checked her phone. It was five minutes to noon, five minutes until her and Emma meet at the nearby. Her heartbeat quickened. She must already be waiting for her. With an ever-increasing eagerness, Valarie left the convention. The weather outside hasn't changed, the storm has yet to pass. There was a break in the rain though. A cold breeze came through which cause Valarie to zip up her jacket, which she only realized now that it isn't warm enough for the current weather. No matter. Soon, very soon, she'll be warmer than the sun. Being in the middle of Houston, the ambiance was loud but that wasn't something she found irritating. The park, when she arrived, was scarcely populated on the account of the rain. This played to her advantage as Emma wasn't difficult to find at all. Sat at a bench. When she saw her, Emma gave her an endearing and genuine smile which she was more than happy to return in kind. When they met, the girls hugged like they haven't seen each other in years.

"Hi. Shopping good?" Emma asked.

"Ah, there wasn't anything good." Valarie answered.

"Yeah, that happens sometimes. Ha…ha."

A brief awkward silence ensued.

"So…what do you want to do? Valarie questioned

"Let's just have a walk."

"I'd like that."

The two began their stroll at a leisurely pace. No need to rush into things. The walkway they were on was flanked by trees on each side. Their leaves danced as gusts of wind blew them. The rustling sound they made producing a gentle sound. The birds, in defiance of the storm, sang their tunes. A tune seemingly made for the girls walking below. They looked at their surroundings but were mostly looking at each other. When their eyes matched, they quickly looked away. There was this electricity in the air. But it wasn't from the lightning. It was between two people. Emma Gray and Valarie Woodlin. And it was soon to make a long-awaited connection. Emma was nervous. Incredibly so. The words were in her mind but hesitated to be vocalized. She internally chastised herself over how cowardly she was. She fantasized for so long about this moment and now when there is a chance to make her fantasies come to life, but now she hesitates?

No.

She can't miss this.

She won't miss this.

"Valarie." Emma uttered.

She turned toward her.

"There is something I've been meaning to say…man…years now."

They both stopped walking. Both of their hair were faintly playing in the wind.

"Emma, I, uh, also got something to say to you." Valarie announced.

"But you go first."

Emma breathed in deeply and withdrew the piece of paper from her pocket, unfolding it. It was then Valarie noticed her painted nails. A meaning that she knew all too well. Emma was silently reading the paper. Her breathing increased and got deeper as her nervousness skyrocketed. She went back and forth looking at the paper and at Valarie. Her hands were shaking. They desired to be held. The heat of the moment got to her. She set down the paper.

"Actually…y-you go first." Emma suggested.

Valarie's fingers were fidgeting.

"Um…I don't have a letter like you so…you go."

A stand-off.

"I…ugh. I'm…just so nervous." Emma said.

"Well, you're in good company." Valarie said with a soft laugh.

They both thought of what to do. Emma then had the solution.

"At…at the same time, okay? We say what we want to say at the same time." she explained.

Valarie nodded. She counted down.

"On three."

Unknowingly, the two have stepped closer to together. Their cheeks steadily becoming a rosy red. Both of their breathing has now slowed as their eyes locked on to each other. Just one emotion existed in them both. An emotion that they held within themselves for years. Like an agitated soda can, they were about to burst. Years of waiting all to end in the next few seconds.

"One…two…three!"

"I love you!" they both confessed in perfect unison.

On each of their faces were an shocked expression. In truth, both of them knew that this was going to happen, the signs were all there. But hearing those words being exchanged elicited feelings that none of them could ever have imagined. The shock on their faces had given way to overwhelming elation, their smiles grand.

"You…you mean that right? This isn't some cruel prank?" Emma asked

"I mean it one hundred percent. I love you, Emma. I've always had."

"Oh my God…it's happening…it's finally happening!"

Valarie moved closer to Emma to the point where the girls were just inches apart. She grabbed both of her hands and held them gently, bringing them closer to their faces. The world, to them, was just each other.

"Valarie, I've known you for nearly a decade of my life. Each moment I've spent with you is filled with joy. I can't imagine being with anyone else. Every time I think of you, I smile. Every time I'm with you, I'm so happy. For the rest of my life, I want to be with you and you with me. I'd do anything for your happiness."

A solitary tear emerged from Valarie's eye.

"That was your letter, wasn't it?" she asked.

"It was. Despite it all, I remembered it word for word."

"They were lovely words. Lovely as you."

Emma blushed brilliantly. Valarie learned forward and they rubbed noses.

"You said you'd do anything for my happiness and I believe that with all my heart. When I was homeless, you helped me. You took me in and comforted me. You did all that without a second thought or expecting money. The only thing you wanted was my happiness."

Now it was Emma who was tearing up, though Valarie was sure that some of the water on her face was actually from the rain. The weather had gotten colder but they were anything but. Valarie had moved her hands. One on Emma's lower back and another just on the rear of her neck. What was about to transpire was going to make them nice and warm. The sky above them rumbled, thunder cracked, and a flash of lightning manifested in the distance. The rain began to come down more intensely. Their faces were drawn closer together as if they were magnetized. So close were they only mere inches separated their lips. Their noses once again touched and rubbed. They were just teasing each other at this point and they loved and savored every moment of it. Though the best moment was yet to come. Emma had now mimicked the hand placements of Valarie. All the pieces were in their positions. Simultaneously, they each brought their lips to meet. Finally, at long last, they kissed. The emotion shared between them was pure bliss, far exceeding their wildest dreams. It was intoxicating, in the best way possible. The kiss between them lasted several long, heavenly seconds. When it ceased, their eyes opened and were once again looking at each other. They laughed.

"You're soaked." Valarie noted.

"So are you."

The rain had intensified during their moment of passion. Their clothes were absolutely drenched, as was their hair. Looking up, they saw more bolts of lighting silently flashing across the sky. It was the type of weather that would ruin people's day. Not for them. As for them, it was the total opposite. This day was greatly enhanced because of it. They wouldn't forget this day for the rest of their lives.

"I was your crush, wasn't I?" Emma asked.

"Of course you were."

Emma smiled with satisfaction.

"Let's go back to the hotel and change into dry clothes."

"Sure. But…we aren't in any rush are we?" Valarie asked.

"No. No we are not."

Their arms interlocked and hands were held as the young couple walked back to their hotel room. They were bubbly, overjoyed at the fact that they were now together at last. Neither knew what the future held for them, but, they were fully prepared to write it together.


In the upper level of the convention, a girl sat alone at a table. She was waiting. Patient at first though over time, she grew more frustrated. Her fingers tapped methodically against the top of the table. From her peripheral view, she saw a pair of girls ascending a flight of nearby stairs and making their way toward her.

"Where the Hell were you guys? Is ten minutes not ten minutes anymore?" the waiting girl complained.

"Sorry Caroline. We got held up. But it's relevant."

"Explain."

"We met more with the students of the school you assigned us to observe. We understand them a lot better now."

"Great! Lay it on me."

"Well, Mojave Rose is exactly what we thought it was. Your run-of-the-mill public school. Nothing really to be concerned with."

"That's…that's it?!" Caroline exclaimed

"That's all you learned?"

The girls were annoyed.

"What the Hell do you want us to say, Caroline? That they have God on their side? That the Force is strong with them? They're normal."

Caroline rubbed her face and took a breath.

"Alright…alright. I'm sorry. You both did well. You can go now."

They left. Caroline remained at the table to think. She never told Penelope that she had some fear regarding Mojave Rose. A school that hasn't had a tankery team in over two decades only just recently revived it and now are in the semi-finals? That made her somewhat fearful of them. If Penelope, or anyone else for that matter, discovered that fear, they all would relentlessly tease her about it. But now, the fear was gone. She now fully understood that Mojave Rose was a normal school. A public school. No way did they have the same resources that Molly Pitcher has. If the two schools happened to have a match together, Caroline pondered, Mojave Rose won't stand a chance. But it will be fun, undoubtedly. All content, she reclined in her seat and relaxed. She enjoyed herself for a few minutes before the sound of approaching footsteps captured her attention.

"Hey. You seen a tall Hispanic guy around here" the stranger asked.

"Nope. Sorry. Really am." Caroline answered.

Disappointed, the girl left and descended back down the stairs. Her head turned in all directions. She saw a familiar face but it was not the person she was seeking.

"Jane!" she called to her.

Jane turned her direction walked over.

"What's up, Natalie?"

"Have you seen Ray?"

"No. Have you checked the food court?"

"That was the first place I checked but he wasn't there. I don't know where else to look."

Jane put one a thinking expression.

"Um…oh! He went to that captain's event."

"Him? Not Valarie?"

"She had something important to do so Ray went in her place. That's just what I heard though."

"Okay, but surely that event is over by now?"

Jane shrugged.

"I guess. He could be in his hotel room. Maybe he turned in early after the event? If not, you could just wait for him there."

Natalie nodded.

"I'll swing by there to see. Thanks."

She went off. Across the convention hall, she walked, ignoring everything else. Well, not everything. All the people she was walking past, it was impossible to not hear their conversations. Nearly all of which were not interesting in the slightest. Except when she heard something that stopped her dead in her tracks.

"…almost made him cry."

It was an obvious fact to everyone that at the convention that male attendance was out-shadowed by the fairer sex. So, it was a good possibility that this 'him' they were talking about was Ray. Natalie leaned against a wall in a way that looks like she was resting and started to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"He had the gall to be at that captain's event. If anything we were too lenient on him." one remarked.

"The bastard came real close to crying right in front of us. It would've been great if he did to complete his humiliation." added another.

"He probably thinks he can avoid us. He won't. We'll find and harass. If we're good, maybe he and his friends will quit the sport before the convention is up."

One smiled in a demented sort of way.

"He will be made to understand that he or any other guy has no damn place in tankery."

At this moment, Natalie felt that she could no longer be a bystander. She turned around and marched right up toward them.

"I once thought as you did. Thinking that boys have no place in the sport as I thought they only joined to pick-up dates. But I was wrong. So wrong. And so are all of you."

The small group of girls stared daggers at her. Natalie was unphased. One of them approached her, face a scowl.

"Don't you care about tankery?" she demanded

"I do. That's why I think the more people who join the better."

The girl let out a mocking laugh.

"God, you're a stupid one. Boys don't belong in the sport at all. They can fuck right off."

"The boys on my team belong. They are dedicated to the sport as much as you and me. The sooner you can accept that, the better you will feel. I know that first hand."

The girl just eyed her for several moments, eyes squinted.

"You have boys on your team? Are you from…Mojave Rose?" she asked.

Natalie answered with a nod.

"You're the school we're facing off against later this month."

"Yeah. A nice friendly match in Montana." Natalie said sarcastically

Another of the girls joined the conversation.

"I remember her from the picture of the article! She's the commander of their Jagdpanzer IV."

The girl closest to Natalie looked back at her.

"In our little match, we are going to find you and fuck you up. Right after we destroy that IS-3, and I mean destroy. That is if that male crew is still around anyway."

Natalie got up all in her face, arms at her hips.

"Why wait bitch? Let's settle things right here, right now."

They stared at each other for several tense moments. Their arms twitching in anticipation. Though the time they have known each other was less than five minutes, they already hated the other's very existence. The people around them began to take notice. Slowly, a crowd began to form. The crowd being entirely composed of high school students, they were hoping to catch a possible fight kick-off. Then, a member of the girl's group walked up to her.

"Cassandra, the captain wants us to meet with her for something. We gotta go."

Natalie put on a smug smile.

"Good tankers follow orders, Cassandra."

Cassandra looked at her with fury.

"Shut the fuck up. This isn't over."

The group made a hasty exit and the crowd dispersed. Natalie felt as she had won the first round, though, how many rounds are they left? Regardless, she now left the convention and back to the hotel. It was still raining but that was not at all her concern. At the hotel, she saw that there was a line at the elevator. Impatient, she went for the stairwell and climbed them to the fourth floor. Legs aching, she walked the floor reading the door numbers.

"D13…D15…ah, here it is, D17."

She stopped and knocked on the door. No response. Another knock, this one harder.

"Ray? You there? Anyone? Hello?"

Natalie rested her head against the door. She could hear the faint sound of someone getting up from a bed and walking slowly toward the door. The locks were disengaged and the door opened just enough for Ray's head to peak out.

"Oh. It's you."

There was a redness around his eye and when he spoke, Natalie noted that his voice was somewhat nasally. He looked rough and exhausted.

"Are you okay?" Natalie asked.

"I'm fine."

"You're no good at lying, Ray."

He sighed.

"No. I'm not okay."

"What happened?"

"It's a whole thing. Not enough for anyone to care."

"Well, I care. Care enough to walk all the way to your room."

Ray glanced down. Then he beckoned Natalie to enter his room. He then plopped onto the bed.

"What happened, Ray?" Natalie asked again.

"After the captain's event, a group of girls surrounded me and harassed me. They told me that I was ruining the sport and needed to get lost. I refused. They called me a bastard. An asshole. A mother fucker. And I could just ignore that really but when one of them called me a pervert, that was too much."

"That's awful Ray. Genuinely awful."

"I tried to walk away but they followed me around the convention. Hurled every insult they could've created. I managed to lose them and hid in the men's restroom. I was in the stall for like an hour, not even kidding. I left the bathroom and headed straight to my room. I was scared that they followed me here and when you knocked, I honestly thought it was them."

The more Ray explained what has happened, the more angry Natalie became.

"Did they make you cry?"

"Eventually they did. Though, I made sure they didn't see it. I held it in until I made it back to my room. I'm not giving them that satisfaction."

Natalie was stunned. She looked toward Ray who was staring up at the ceiling, his breathing interrupted with him sniffling.

"But the worst thing about it all…" Ray continued.

"…was that no one helped me. It's not like the girls caught me in some back alley. People were nearby. They saw what was happening. It made them uncomfortable, I could see it on their faces. But none of them did a damn thing. I was alone."

Ray tried to hold it in but still cried. Natalie reached for a tissue and handed it to him. He dabbed his eyes and cleared his nose and soon began to calm back down.

"Um…this may or may not be the right time to say but those girls are part of the team we're going against in Montana."

Ray looked at her and back at the ceiling.

"I see…"

He got up from the bed.

"They think they can bully me off the team but they won't. They can beat me with bats and pipes and I will still be in this sport. We're going to knock them the fuck out from the tournament."

Natalie smiled, the biggest one Ray had ever seen on her. She walked up closer to him and hugged him.

"You belong. Your friends belong. No one can say otherwise." she whispered into her ear.

They hugged for what seemed like forever. Natalie was enjoying this moment when she suddenly backed off.

"Um…uh…don't say to anyone I did that, okay?"

"Sure thing. I'll just say we cuddled instead."

"Don't you dare give people the wrong idea, Ray!"

"Take it easy Natalie, I won't say a word. Other than thanks."

With that, Natalie left. She didn't like the joke he made but she did like seeing that Ray was already returning to his joking-self.


"I'm not playing virtual reality games again. My eyes hurt and I only played for a few minutes." Heather complained

"Guess VR is nor for you. I still had fun at least." Ashley said

Heather rubbed her eyes and blinked them repeatedly

"Feeling a bit better now."

"When we get back to the room, I got some eye droplets."

The elevator dinged and they stepped off. They walked down the hallway to their hotel room. The moment they unlocked the door and stepped inside, they halted.

"Oh my." Heather whispered.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Ashley said as loudly as she can.

They had walked in on Valarie and Emma, kissing and cuddling on the bed. Everyone was just looking at each other for a few moments in silence. An awkward silence that only Ashley seemed to be enjoying.

"Um." Valarie uttered.

"Yeah…we're dating now." Emma announced.

"It's about time!" Ashley exclaimed.

"What do you mean 'about time'?" Valarie inquired.

"I'm not blind, Val. I saw this happening a mile away. I'm so happy for you both."

Valarie and Emma blushed and held hands.

"So. Who confessed first." Heather questioned, near demanded.

Emma and Valarie exchanged glances.

"Um, well, we both said 'I love you' and kissed at the same time. So no one really went first." Emma explained

Astounded, Heather and Ashley faced each other.

"What do we do now? Who wins?" Ashley asked.

"I…don't know. I don't think there is a winner." Heather mused.

"So we both lose? Really?"

"What are you guys talking about? Winning? Losing?" Valarie asked, totally confused.

"We…uh…bet on which one of you would confess your love first." Ashley admitted.

"But since you both confessed at the same time, that messes with our bet a little." Heather said.

"Ah sorry. Not too sorry though." Emma remarked.

Heather and Ashley paced around the room to think of some sort of solution to the conundrum facing them. Heather then smiled.

"I got it."

She withdrew a twenty-dollar bill from her wallet.

"Let's just exchange the bills."

Ashley looked at the bill in Heather's hand and nodded.

"A fair compromise, I guess"

They swapped the cash.

"That was fun, but the next bet we place a bit, there will be definite winners and losers." Ashley said.

"I'm looking forward to taking all your money." Heather responded.

The day wasn't fully over but the four girls decided to turn in early today. For Heather and Ashley, their day was spent playing that VR game which wore them out and strained their eyes. For Emma and Valarie, their relationship has blossomed into one that was more romantic. They could now call each other girlfriends. Already were they brainstorming where to go for their first and proper date. They slept together on the bed and cuddled into the night, an act that was absolutely blissful. It was good that the girls went to bed early as they'll need all their energy for tomorrow. The air will be thick with engine gas fumes. Tires will screech and reaction time will be tested. A Panther II was up for grabs and the Mojave Rose team was ready for the checkered flag to drop.