Maeve had been losing her mind trying to figure out what to do for her date with Otis. She really wanted it to be something that was fun yet special but she had no idea what that could be.
"I have no idea what to do." Maeve said, as she carried the popcorn over from Aimee's kitchen. They were having yet another movie night.
"I think you're overthinking this. He's crazy about you, he probably doesn't even care what you guys do." Aimee said.
"Yeah but I do. He's letting me plan this so that I have control and so that I feel safe while letting him in. I sound like such a sap." Maeve said, cringing at how cheesy she was beginning to sound.
"You really do. But it's cute." Aimee said, reassuringly.
Maeve just rolled her eyes.
"Look, I kind of feel like you'll just know what to do. Your stomach will tell you." Aimee said.
"My stomach?" Maeve asked, a mixture of confusion and amusement in her voice.
"You know, like your instincts will tell you." Aimee said.
"Do you mean my gut will tell me?" Maeve asked, trying to suppress her laughter.
"Yeah, that." Aimee said, still completely nonchalant.
"Thanks, Aims." Maeve said, wrapping her friend in a hug.
"No worries." Aimee said, picking up the remote to start the movie.
The girls were watching 10 Things I Hate About You for the 100th time and Maeve wasn't paying a lot of attention. They were watching the scene where Kat and Patrick go on a date where they play paintball.
"That's it!" Maeve said, having a little eureka moment.
"What?" Aimee asked.
"Otis and I can go and play paintball on our date!" Maeve said.
"That actually sounds like a lot of fun. See I told you, you know when you know." Aimee said, looking very proud of herself.
"You were right, my stomach really does know what's up." Maeve said.
Aimee just nodded in agreement and went back to watching the movie.
Maeve quickly looked up some paintball places. Once she'd found her favourite, she texted Otis the address.
"Hi, what's this?" Otis responded.
"This is where we're going on our date tomorrow but you can't look up the place." Maeve said.
"What? Why?" Otis asked.
"Because I want it to be a surprise." Maeve said.
"Yeah but I need to look it up because I don't how to get there.." Otis said.
Maeve had really not thought this through in all her excitement.
"Alright, you make a good point. How about this, you and I go together, after school but you can't look up where we're going." Maeve replied.
"Alright, I won't." Otis said.
"If you do, I'll know." Maeve said.
"I know you will, I promise I wont." Otis said.
"Good." Maeve replied, not being able to suppress the smile that appeared on her face whenever she spoke to Otis.
"I'm really looking forward to this, Maeve." Otis said.
"Me too." Maeve replied, putting her phone aside and getting back to the movie.
She was getting really excited and nervous at the same time. But that's how she always seemed to feel when it came to Otis.
The next day, Maeve cancelled all their sex clinic appointments so that nothing could come in the way of their date. They decided to meet up at the school entrance and just walk because the paintball place was very close.
"Hey." Otis said, walking up to Maeve and giving her a peck on her cheek.
"Hey dickhead." Maeve responded, trying to hide the blush creeping up her cheeks.
As they began to walk Maeve reached out and took Otis' hand and intertwined their fingers. Otis looked down at their hands and smiled, hoping that Maeve couldn't tell how nervous how he was.
"So there's no way you're going to tell me where we're going, is there?" Otis asked.
"No, not a chance." Maeve said, looking smug.
"Ah fine." Otis said.
"The good news is, we're almost there." Maeve said, giving Otis a small smile.
The rest of their walk was filled with them discussing their day and staring at each other way more than necessary.
"We're going to be playing paintball!" Maeve said extending her hands to highlight the board, which said "paintball" behind her.
Otis tried really hard to hide his discomfort but it was no use because one, he was horrible at controlling his face and two, Maeve could read him like a book.
"You don't like it." Maeve said, deflating a little.
"No no, I do!" Otis said.
"You really need to tell your face that." Maeve said, a little irritated.
"No.. I.. This is really embarrassing. I bruise like really easily…" Otis said.
Maeve started at Otis for a second and then burst out laughing.
"What?" Otis asked, getting a little embarrassed.
"Don't worry, I'll go easy on you." Maeve said between fits of laughter.
Otis just rolled his eyes and started walking towards the entrance; Maeve followed him in, still laughing. Both of them went in to get geared and once they were done, they were assigned to teams. Of course they were on different teams.
They were about to head out but Maeve stopped Otis. He looked really confused but that could've been because he honestly had no idea what he was doing. Maeve just stared him for a second, he looked so cute in all that protective armour that she couldn't help but lean in for a quick kiss.
"What was that for?" Otis asked, sounding very clearly dazed.
"It was because I'm about to kick your arse." Maeve said, running out.
Otis just stood there for a second, his brain taking time to catch up with his body.
"Hey!" Otis said, running out after Maeve once he was finally back in his senses.
Otis was trying his level best to just hide. He didn't want to be hit, he figured if he hid long enough, the other players on his team would get them to either win or lose, and in both of those outcomes, the game would be over.
Of course Maeve had other plans. In the game, much like the rest of her life, she only had eyes for Otis. It didn't take her long to find him hiding in one of the sheds.
"Hey, so now that you've found me, you don't really need to shoot me right?" Otis asked, really hoping this would work.
"Yeah no I have to shoot you, it doesn't count otherwise." Maeve said, walking closer to Otis.
"But Maeve.." Otis began but was interrupted by her shooting him right in the chest. It honestly didn't hurt as much as he thought it would. And it was kind of worth it seeing the smug look on Maeve's face.
"Ugh, right in the heart huh?" Otis asked, clutching his chest in a super dramatic way. Eric would've been proud.
"Oh fuck, are you hurt?" Maeve asked, dropping her gun and rushing towards Otis who was sitting at the other end of the shed.
"Umm hmm." Otis said, still clutching his chest. He decided to go along with it, because it was actually fun fucking with Maeve.
"Oh shit, I'm really sorry." Maeve said, checking Otis for marks.
Otis found Maeve's concern really endearing but also very amusing, which is why he burst out laughing.
"You're a real dick head, you know that?" Maeve asked, crossing her arms across her chest.
"I'm sorry." Otis said, reaching for Maeve but she backed off.
"Oh come on." Otis said, pulling her arms off her chest and wrapping his own arms around her waist.
Maeve wanted to still appear mad but her façade was crumbling really fast having Otis this close.
"Thank you for planning this, I had a really time." Otis said, leaning in to kiss Maeve.
Every time they kissed, it always felt as exciting and electrifying as the first time. They pulled away when they really needed to catch their breaths. And while they were doing so, they just shared a moment looking into each other's eyes.
"What's on your mind?" Otis asked, sensing Maeve was worried about something.
"I was just thinking about how glad I am, that you had fun." Maeve said.
"Were you worried about that?" Otis asked, pulling Maeve into himself.
"Yeah." Maeve said, leaning her head against Otis' chest.
"Why? I always have fun when I'm with you." Otis said.
"I just.. Since we've gotten together, I've kind of been really emotional and I was worried that we were becoming one of those couples that had no fun and was super boring." Maeve said.
Otis pulling away so he could look into Maeve's eyes. "I am never worried about us being boring."
"You aren't?" Maeve asked.
"Yeah! Don't tell Eric I said this but you're the most fun person I know. I have fun with you whether we're in that dingy toilet we can an office or if we're playing paintball. You're always exciting to me Maeve, especially when you open up to me. It means everything to me and nothing you tell me will ever make think of you as less fun, only more real." Otis said.
Maeve didn't really know what to say. She smiled her Otis smile and leaned into kiss him as passionately as humanly possible. She was hoping the kiss would tell him everything she didn't know how to articulate. Otis reciprocated her level of passion, his hands fast finding her hair. And that's how they spent the rest of their afternoon, making it out in a shed at the paintball place. It was not the most romantic place by a long shot but it didn't matter because they were with each other, exploring new facets of the person they loved.
