Chapter 16: Games

Inside Chuck-E-Cheese it's loud from all the noisey games and the kids talking, laughing and running around. It's also bright from the lights. With my vampire vision and hearing it's very loud and dazzling in here. And also very, very, very fun.

"I never want to leave this place." I announce as Auntie Rose and I walk in the direction to where the Nickelodeon race car game is.

"Yes, it is fun here." Auntie Rose agrees. "But eventually we'll have to go home. We can't stay here forever."

"But this is my home now." I say and thinking fast, I add. "Please forward all my mail here. Thank you."

I don't exactly know what that means, I just know it's something to say when you move. I know that because that's what Daddy said when we moved from Forks.

Auntie Rose giggles. "No one can actually live here. The restaurant closes at a certain time, they turn off the games as well as the lights and no one is in here. Everyone has to leave." She explains as we get to the game we want to play.

"Oh." Is all I say. I didn't think about all that.

Walking closer to the racing game and sitting down in the orange plastic race car chair, I begin to think of our ride over here. Our ride had been speedy even though we lost the race, which made Uncle Em a bit grumpy until Auntie Rose gave him a kiss. That cheered him up right away. All seven of us walked into Chuck-E-Cheese then, that was after Daddy and I made our deal, which has to do with me eating food. Yuck.

We then had to wait in line to get our hands stamped, then we had to wait in another line, a longer one where Daddy ordered my pizza, that still isn't done yet. I stood next to him but I didn't help him even though he wanted me to assist him with choosing the toppings. That was not something I wanted to do. So he did it all on his own, choosing pineapple because that's my favorite smell and ham because there was a pizza on the menu that had both toppings and he said it might be good. I don't think any human food will ever taste good to me.

Auntie Rose and I went to get my drink after the pizza situation was taken care of. We waited in line and she thoughtfully chose my drink for me. She went with the color red for obvious reasons, because that is the color of blood. However, even though it's the same color, I know it won't taste delicious like blood does.

There was a lot of waiting in line, I don't like waiting. But once that part - the waiting part - was over, Auntie Rose put my pink cup full of the red sticky liquid, on the table at the booth where we had set our jackets.

With my cup on the table she and I went to play games just like the rest of our family

was doing. The first game we played wasn't a game at all but a photo booth. We sat in the photo booth behind the red curtain and got our picture taken a bunch of times. Once we had enough pictures we decided to play a bee catching game. That was very fun. After that we decided to find a racing game.

"Ready, Nessie?" Auntie Rose asks, holding up the purple Chuck-E-Cheese card, so she can swipe it and start the game when I'm ready. "Ready to race?"

The word "race" makes me think about her and Uncle Em and their real car race.

"Will you and Em race when we go home?" I wonder. I say Em and not Uncle Em because we're out in public and that's when I have to not use the proper titles for my family members. That is because it would seem weird to humans.

Auntie Rose shrugs. "I'm not thinking about that right now. But if he wants to, I suppose I'll give in and we'll have a rematch." She answers with a beautiful smile, showing her teeth.

I smile. "I think he'll want a rematch."

"I think so too." She touches my chin with her hand. "Ready to race?" She gestures to the game in front of me with her other hand.

"Yes!" I say a little too loudly.

Auntie Rose swipes the card in the little card thing to make the game work. Right away the game lights up and the sounds of car engines are heard, it's loud and I like it. I quickly choose my Nickelodeon character to race with, which is SpongeBob and Auntie Rose helps me choose my car and the accessories that will make it faster. She knows a lot about cars and knows which race car is best to pick. I take her advice and pick the car she points to.

I never doubt Auntie Rose when it comes to her car knowledge. When I was two years old she started teaching me how to work on cars, because every girl needs to know how to change a tire and fix an engine, she said. Because of that, I know quite a bit about cars but not as much as she does.

The race starts. I stomp my foot down on the pedal and steer the orange steering wheel to where I want SpongeBob and his supercharged pineapple car to go. This car is fast and I pass five other characters in a roll as my aunt cheers me on. I completed the first lap, coming in second place. I have two more laps to go and I want to win this game. I don't doubt that I will win with my fast pineapple car. After all, Auntie Rose picked it and told me why each accessory was necessary.

Where Uncle Em teaches me about strange things, like, the word 'Ewok' is never actually said in the original Star Wars trilogy. Or that football was invented in China around 476 B.C. Or the weirdest thing about cucumbers is that they aren't just for facials but they can also be used as erasers. That's because the waxy outer layer is able to erase a pen mark on paper. It's true. We actually tried it, that was his school Science fair project last year.

Auntie Rose teaches me more useful things. Like, that 60 million cars are produced each year and which ones are not good to buy. Or that one billion cars are currently in use around the world and how to change the oil and transmission fluid to keep the car running properly. And my favorite thing she taught me so far is that the average car contains over 30,000 unique parts. She taught me the names of most of those parts and how to fix them and which ones to replace to make the car go faster.

It's always fun to help her out in the garage. One of my favorite times was when she made my pink sparkly Barbie Power Wheels jeep, that she and Uncle Em bought me when I was two-years-old, go a lot faster than it should have. She did that because it was too slow. Seriously, before she fixed it I was able to walk faster than my little car could drive, that wasn't much fun for me. I was right by her side when she worked on it, telling me exactly what she was doing. That's when she first started teaching me how to work on cars because she saw that I enjoyed it.

Once she was finished working on it Uncle Em put it in the back of he's Jeep to take it on our weekend hunting trip. My Barbie Power Wheel car ended up going so fast that I was able to drive up the side of the wall and upside down in an empty bear cave. That was the best hunting trip I went on with my aunt and uncle.

That was fun and so is playing this racing game. On the screen my pineapple car goes around the race track, I'm ahead of the other characters. Lights flash and SpongeBob laughs as I drive through the finish line and the words 'Winner. First Place' is now on the screen.

"I won." I look up at my auntie, smiling very big. I like winning.

"Yes you did." She returns my smile. "That was some really good driving. Do you want to play again, or would you like to find another game to play?"

Putting my index finger under my chin and pretending to think very hard about her question, even though I already know what I will say since I like this fun game. I look at her while I pretend to be deep in thought. Her golden eyes twinkle as she patiently waits for my answer.

While pretending to be deep in thought a noise - laughter gets my attention. I look at where the loud laughter is coming from. I see my uncles at a big Paw Patrol game a lot of feet away from us. Paw Patrol is for babies and Uncle Em and Uncle Jazz are big boys but they look like they are having lots of fun. Now my answer to her question has changed.

"I'm done with this." I hop down and grab her hand. "Let's go over there." I point to where I want to go.

"All right." Auntie Rose says.

With her hand in mine I lead the way to where I want to go. I rush through the games and pass all of the people, not paying attention to either. When we finally get to where I want to be, well, actually a few feet away my uncles and the PAW Patrol game. I stand very still behind another game that no one is playing, Auntie Rose stands with me. From here I have a good view of my uncles, their backs are facing us so they don't know I'm here yet. I begin to make a plan in my mind.

I let go of Auntie Rose's hand and get ready to sneak up on Uncle Jazz. As quiet as a mouse I tiptop over to him and jump up, my hands touching his shoulders before my feet touch the floor.

"Whoa." Uncle Jazz says. He sounds a little surprised.

I giggle and so does Auntie Rose.

"Well, that's a great sneak attack, Small Fry." Uncle Em compliments as he and Uncle Jazz turn around.

Uncle Jazz picks me up and I put my arms around his neck. He may not be able to read minds like Daddy but he almost always knows what I want without me having to ask, like him picking me up. I think that's because of his mood magic, it allows him to feel what others are feeling and know what people want or need.

"You startled me, little one. I wasn't expecting that." Uncle Jazz admits. "Where did you come from?"

Pulling back so I can see his face better, I look at him very seriously. "I don't exactly know because no one will tell me where babies come from. I'm also not allowed to ask."

Uncle Jazz blinks his eyes and clears his throat. He looks very surprised with what I just said. Was that not what he was asking me?

"Oh my God!" Uncle Em mumbles, reaching for Auntie Rose's hand. "It's the baby question again. Let's go." He sounds very scared.

"That's not really what she was saying." Auntie Rose sounds bored. Or maybe a little annoyed? I'm not sure.

"I'm not taking my chances. Let's go play some games." He says to Auntie Rose. He then turns to Uncle Jazz and pats him on the shoulder. "Have fun, bro."

"Yup." Uncle Jazz says, setting me down.

Before anyone can say another word, Uncle Em and Auntie Rose leave. Uncle Em looks funny as they walk off very fast. He seems to be panicking, I don't know what is wrong with him. Auntie Rose seems more relaxed as she walks by his side, holding his hand.

Now it's just Uncle Jazz and I. Grabbing his hand I look up at him. I'm curious about Uncle Em's odd behavior and I know Uncle Jazz can feel my curiosity without me having to speak or ask a question.

His golden eyes meet mine. "Well, I do say that you sure traumatized Emmett the other day with that one question." He chuckles. "In all the years he's been my brother I have never seen him act that way." He shakes his head.

I can tell by the way his mouth curves up into a smile that he thinks all this is funny. I don't think I will understand what it is about that one question that makes people act the way they do. After all, it's just a question. Why do people panic, look sick, or want to laugh with the question of where babies come from? It doesn't make sense to me.

That particular question is off limits to me until I'm fifty years old. That's what Daddy said and I know he won't change his mind. So I just shrug the whole thing off.

"Jazz, wanna play some games with me?" I ask sweetly.

"Of course." Uncle Jazz smiles. "What would you like to play?"

I don't really know. I look around at all the games, there's so many to choose from and I know he'll play anything I want. Finally I see the perfect game to play.

"The dancing game!" I shout with excitement.

"As you wish." He answers with a grin.

The feeling of happiness bounces off of me and onto Uncle Jazz and back again as we walk over to the game, talking as we go. Our conversation is about the games we've played so far. He's played a few more than I have and got a lot of tickets that he is keeping safe in his pocket, all my tickets are with Auntie Rose. That's so I don't lose them. He nods his head in understanding. He goes on to say that once it's time to cash in the tickets for the prizes he promises that all his tickets will be for me to get anything I want. That makes me so happy. I give him a big hug.

We walk to the dancing game but someone else got there first - two girls. They start dancing once the dance floor lights up. I feel sad. This means I now have to wait my turn. I don't like to wait, not one bit.

"Come on now, don't be disappointed." Uncle Jazz's voice is soft and kind. "There are many other games we can play while we wait."

"I know." I try to sound happy but I don't. "I just don't like waiting. I really wanted to play this game with you." I'm talking to him but my eyes are on the dancing game and the girls that are playing it.

That is true. I don't like waiting and when I want things to be fast they never seem to be. And besides, I really had my heart set on playing Dance, Dance Revolution with Uncle Jazz. After all, he is the best dancer I know, I'm sure we would get lots of tickets. That's because he's the best dance teacher in the world, I'm sure of that. He taught me how to do the Cha-cha-cha, the Charleston and The Twist. All without me bumping into anything. Which turns out that isn't so easy to do. Well, for me.

Considering I broke Grandma's favorite vase when Uncle Jazz was showing me how to do the Tango, bumping into things while dancing seems to be a bad talent that I have. That's what it must be because another time I bumped into the couch and flipped it over. Nothing broke and I wasn't hurt but I was very surprised that by me tapping the couch while I was dancing made it flop over. That happened during my Jive lesson.

We also didn't have much success with the Foxtrot either. I actually broke a coffee table when I was trying to learn that dance. I tripped over the rug in the living room and fell right onto the coffee table and cracked it in half. Uncle Jasper picked me up right away. Everyone was scared that I was harmed and Grandpa gave me a check up right away but I didn't get hurt like a human would. That's a good thing because I like to dance and I seem to have a few accidents when doing so. That really didn't surprise Mommy or Daddy. Though, with every dance I learn I often notice that Daddy holds his breath.

"Waiting can be hard." He agrees. "But we'll be here for a while and at some point you and I will play that game. So why don't we go play something else for now?"

"Oh, okay." I sigh.

"Alright." He turns me around and we begin walking away from the dancing game.

Still holding my hand I can feel him doing his mood trick. A surge of happiness passes from his hand to mine. I can feel it working.

We stop walking when we come to a game with a red bull dog. I feel very happy again. Uncle Jazz points to the game that we are standing in front of. He begins to tell me what to do since he and Uncle Em were playing this game a little bit ago. He says I have to press really fast on the red dog bone lever to get the balls into the dog's mouth. At the same time I let go of his hand he swipes the card and the game barks. Plastic colorful balls rain down rain down inside the game as it's time to play. I press the lever - but not too hard because I am strong and don't want to break it - making it go up and down as the balls bounce and I try to get as many balls in the dog's mouth so I can win a lot of tickets.

It's a really fun game.

Just like when Auntie Rose was my cheerleader when I was playing the car racing game, Uncle Jazz is cheering me on right now. Only with his encouragement I can feel his jolly mood bouncing off of him and onto me. It puts me in a very sunny mood and I never want to stop playing this game.

"Can I play it again? Please?" I ask once the game is done.

"Of course." He swipes his card again.

The game starts all over again. I focus all of my attention on the game. I'm only a tiny bit aware that Uncle Jazz has rolled up the big roll of tickets that I won during my first round and put it in his pocket. Or that Auntie Alice has joined us and the two of them are now talking.

As happy as can be I keep playing the game until it ends. By the time the last ball goes in the dog's mouth I have another giant roll of tickets that Uncle Jazz is once again putting inside his pocket to keep safe. I ask to play the game again but Auntie Alice seems to have other plans. For a second she looks into my uncle's eyes and he looks into hers, both of them are quiet but I know that they are having a secret conversation that only they can hear. They do this a lot.

I don't want to bother them so I stay quiet while they have their talk that only they can hear. I count each second that goes by. Twenty seconds pass and now their secret talk is done. They stop looking into each other's eyes.

"I found this really fun game to play but I need a little partner to play against." Auntie Alice explains to us. "Jazz, you wouldn't mind if Ness came with me. Would you?"

"Nope. She's all yours if she wants." Uncle Jazz replies.

Looking between them I start to wonder a few things. First off, I wonder exactly what game Auntie Alice is talking about. And second, how can my aunt and uncle seem to read each other's minds? I never wondered that before but now I am. They are the only ones in our family that do this.

Auntie Alice rocks back and forth on her feet. She looks like she wants to bounce up and down. "Nessie, would you like to go play with me? Please?"

I want to play this game again, it's so much fun. But I also want to see the game my aunt found. Judging by how excited she is, the game must be super cool. I'm thinking about what to do.

Uncle Jazz gently puts his hand on my back. "We'll play more games later. As many as you like." He pats my back then drops his hand.

"And the dancing game?" I ask him.

"Of course." He nods his head.

The way Uncle Jazz speaks the words it sounds like a promise. With that my mind is made up. Even though Auntie Alice can't see me in her visions and doesn't know for sure what I will do or say before it actually happens, she seems to already guess my answer. She reaches for my hand. I'm not sure how she knows.

"Great!" She says before I can even give an answer.

"How did you know I was going to say yes?" I wonder as she and I start skipping away from my uncle.

"It was a lucky guess." She says as she stops skipping and begins walking. "Now, the game is over this way." She leads the way.

Even though Auntie Alice is walking normally I don't. I keep skipping. I like to skip when I am very happy.

While we walk she tells me all about this water shooting game that she wants to play with me, that has two cannons, one for each player that shoots out water. The players have to press down on the cannons to shoot out the water to hit the screen. She's talking fast now, saying that you have to aim for the mean 'ol pirates and the pirate ship that's on the screen. The more She talks the more fun it sounds and the more I want to play it.

Turning a corner and passing a big machine where you can buy ice cream, I see the prize counter. There's lots of fun big prizes that are on the wall over there. I see a giant fluffy white Unicorn that's very pretty and a bunch of other stuff. And behind the counter where a lady stands, showing a boy that looks older than me a tray full of colorful vampire teeth. I also see plastic rainbow rings, rubber snakes and other little toys in the glass counter.

I stop skipping. I want to go to the prize counter and get something for somebody very special before we go play a game.

"Ali," I call her by my going out name for her. Which is a nickname that Uncle Jazz sometimes calls her. "Do you have any tickets? I would like to get a prize now."

"I do.'' She answers slowly.

"Great!" I say before she can say anything else. "Lets go to the prizes. Please?" I begin to pull her to the prize counter.

"But wouldn't you want to wait till we are ready to leave?" She wonders. "That way all of us can pull our tickets together and you can get a really awesome prize."

We are at the prize counter now, in line behind the boy who is still picking out small little toys. I don't have to think about my answer to her question. I already know what I want. I also know that I don't want to wait to get it.

"Nope." I answer with a smile. "It's time to shop."

I say the word 'shop' instead of 'prizes' or any other words that can be used in this situation. That's because I heard Mommy tell Daddy before that Auntie Alice gets hypnotized when she hears the word 'shop' and can't think about anything else. I hope that is true.

"Alight. Prizes then games." Auntie Alice smiles. "Shopping does sound fun."

I smile too. I think Mommy is right. That Auntie Alice really does get hypnotized with that word.

"Next person." The prize lady says as the boy walks away with all of his little prizes. Auntie Alice and I walk up to the glass counter. "May I see how many tickets you have?" She asks Auntie Alice.

"Sure." Auntie Alice hands her the tickets.

While the prize lady and my aunt talk about what prizes we have enough tickets for, I don't really listen. Instead I look right at the toy I want to get for one of the best people in the world that I love a lot, I think he'll really like it. As I look at another prize that would be good for a different person that I also love so much, Auntie Alice asks what I want. I don't have to think about that. I know exactly what toys and what color they will be. I bet my Mommy and Daddy will be so happy when I surprise them.

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Thank you for reading.

Amber wrote this chapter in a day. :)) If you liked it she would be delighted if you left her a pleasant review.