29
Amy
I checked the time on my phone again. Five thirty. Sonic mentioned his mentorship summit ended at three-thirty. He promised he'd head home afterwards, grab a shower, and take a quick nap if he needed one. But, the black Jeep Cherokee that Manic brought him was nowhere to be seen on the block.
Last night, we agreed to head out to O'Reilly's Mega Center around five o' clock. The center has been a fan favorite for our birthdays over the past few years. Inside the huge building was a restaurant, an arcade, a laser-tag maze, a trampoline park, and an ax-throwing space for adults. We made plans to meet up with Silver , Cat, and their significant others for a few laser-tag matches and spend some time in the arcade. Sonic insisted the two of us got there earlier than the rest of the group so we could have dinner together. While we weren't expecting our friends to arrive until at least seven, I didn't want to rush through dinner.
A sigh of relief escaped my lips as the headlights of his car finally pulled up behind his brother's Nissan Rogue. I yelled out to Papa that I was leaving before hurrying out the door.
I climbed into Sonic's car and popped him over the head.
"Damn," he said, putting a hand to his head. "If you wanted to fight, all you had to do was say that."
"You're late," I told him. "Where have you been?"
"My cousin texted me and told me to come pick up my birthday present."
I raised an eyebrow. "Do you want Manic to kill you?"
"Technically, he told me not to smoke weed in the car. He didn't tell me I couldn't store it here temporarily."
I rolled my eyes. "And you've been on Paco's block all this time?"
"Yeah, but we were just talking. He's usually busy when I stop by, so we were just catching up on life."
I crossed my arms and pursed my lips in disbelief.
"I swear we didn't smoke. Look at my eyes." He widened his brown eyes for emphasis. In the darkness, I could barely see the whites of his eyes. But, I didn't smell any lingering scents of cannabis on him.
I looked away, huffing as I threw my back against the seat.
"Come on, mamas, don't be like that," he said. He shifted in his seat, throwing one of his arms over the headrest of my seat and the other to grab my chin. Gently, he guided my face back in his direction. "Perdóname," he whispered. "I promise I'll never be late for a date again."
The butterflies in my stomach fluttered lightly against my ribs as he placed a soft kiss on my lips. He kissed me slowly for a moment, his mouth warm against mine. His tongue trailed against my fresh lip gloss, and he hummed at the sweet taste. A small fire lit in the pit of my stomach, turning the butterflies into flickering fireflies. Their light bounced around my tummy, sending waves of heat across my body. Relaxing against his kisses, I granted access to his silent request and deepened our kisses for a few moments.
Pulling away, I did my best to fight a smile. "Fine, I forgive you - this time," I said.
He grinned, pecking one last kiss at my lips. He put the car in drive and pulled away from the curb.
The car ride was filled with a rap playlist that Sonic had blaring through his speakers. I sat contently in his passenger seat, holding his hand and tracing the veins in his arm.
The Mega Center was crowded when we arrived. Tons of cars were parked across the large lot, and small mobs of people shuffled in and out of the three-story building. Inside, loud music boomed from the speakers spread around the ceiling. Vibrant lights directed people to their areas of choice. The trampoline park was the main attraction on the first floor. Large windows framed the wall, showcasing the park and all the children and teenagers jumping within it. Up the first flight of steps lay the arcade, restaurant, and ax-throwing attractions. The laser-tag maze resided on the top floor, taking up the entire floor so multiple matches could occur at once.
Sonic led me through the crowds, towing me through the first floor towards the staircase. Once we passed the threshold of the staircase, the atmosphere quickly shifted from bright lights to dimly lit. Yellow and red lights spurred around the ceiling. Large signs with bold lettering and colorful borders covered the walls. Loud cheers and yells echoed from the arcade, and soft pop music crept from the restaurant.
I followed Sonic into the modern style restaurant. Blood red tables and black chairs lay across the large space. A bar lay at the far right of the restaurant. Television screens broadcasting various sports donned the walls. The mouth-watering aroma of wings and burgers wafted through the air, mixing with the voices of the occupants sitting at the tables.
Thankfully, it wasn't super crowded, and the hostess was able to find Sonic and I a booth near one of the televisions. A UFC event was conveniently playing, momentarily stealing Sonic's attention for a few moments.
I shed his gym jacket from my shoulders, revealing the top of a short sleeved navy blue jumpsuit that Sonia convinced me to buy. The sweetheart cut of the top and the frill of the sleeves covered a bit of unwanted skin, but my skin still felt unnaturally cold from the air. Instinctively, I crossed my arms, trying to hide as much of my scarred skin as possible.
Sonic's eyes caught my movement, and he looked at me. His eyebrow rose in appreciation, his brown irises scanning over the fabric hugging my torso. A smirk appeared on his lips as he raised his eyes to meet mine. "You look beautiful," he commented.
Blood rushed across my cheeks under his alluring gaze. "Thanks."
"Are you staying over tonight?"
I shrugged. "If you want me to, I can. My fathers already gave me permission."
"Hm, is unlimited time kissing you later part of my birthday present?"
Heat crawled up my neck as his eyes dipped again - this time to my lips. My stomach twisted and twirled in wild spirals. The foreign feeling spiked my anxiety, sending chills down my spine. "I got you a birthday present," I blurted out, fulfilling the sudden urge to change the subject. I dug into my small bag and dug out a small black suede box with a red bow on it. Smiling, I slid it across the table to Sonic. "Open it," I commanded.
He obeyed, flicking open the box to reveal a gold chain with a pendant that resembled boxing gloves. His initials were engraved on one of the wristbands of the gloves, and tiny diamonds decorated the other.
"I thought you needed a proper trophy for winning your last tournament," I explained.
A smile spread across his lips. "Thanks, Amy. I love it." He slipped it out of it's box and tried to hook it around his neck.
I quickly got up and hurried to his side. I grabbed the ends of the chain from his hands and reunited the clasp for him. My arms wrapped around his neck, and I pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Happy birthday," I murmured against his cheek.
After dinner, we headed to the arcade to meet our friends. The gaming area was booming with activity. Lights from the variety of machines flashed around every inch of the room. The idle sounds of the different games created a chaotic symphony that filled the air. Children ran around from wall to wall, eager to add to their growing buckets of tickets. Despite the room being filled nearly wall to wall with a variety of games, there was a small area near the concession stand with tall tables and high chairs for people to sit and take a break.
Silver , Blaze, Cat, and Noah were sitting around one of the tables. The girls were sipping on sodas while the boys were chatting. For once, Noah didn't tense up when he saw Sonic. He actually smiled when Sonia opened her arms and hugged her older brother.
"Happy birthday!" she exclaimed happily.
Sonic chuckled, embracing his sister in a tight hug. "Thanks." He nodded to Noah and exchanged his signature handshake with Silver .
Blaze eagerly grabbed me into a tight hug, briefly stating how excited she was to hang out with us again.
Within a few moments of our greetings, the boys ditched us. Sonic mentioned something about one of the basketball games, and he and Silver started wandering away. Noah was hesitant to follow but, with a nudge from Cat, he quickly joined the duo and disappeared into the crowd with them.
The three of us chatted for an hour or so while the boys ran around the arcade. I listened to Sonia and Blaze exchange tips about their hair and makeup. Blaze was intrigued by Cat's fresh acrylic set, a french manicure with jewels lining the edges of her white tips and a light pink rose painted on each of her ring fingers. Her eyes grew wide when Sonia admitted she did them herself out of boredom a few nights ago.
"Wow, you're really talented," Blaze said. "Are you thinking about going to beauty school after you graduate?"
Sonia shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Maybe." She paused. "You're a senior, right? Have you decided what you're doing after graduation?"
"I'll be attending the University of Chicago to study computer science. It's going to sound nerdy, but I'm really interested in computer coding and things like that."
"That is not nerdy - that is badass!" Sonia exclaimed. "I watch a lot of crime shows, and I have an appreciation for all of their technical analysts."
Blaze giggled. "I don't think I'll come close to Penelope Garcia from Criminal Minds status, but I hope I'll get pretty close."
"Well, considering you're going to an Ivy League school, I'd say you're on the track to surpassing her."
Our new friend beamed from the compliment.
When the boys were finally ready to leave, we headed upstairs to the laser-tag areas. As we walked up the steps, the lights grew dimmer and dimmer until we were left in near darkness. Green and blue neon lights lit up spots of the darkness, flashing in colorful shapes and words. The carpet below our feet glowed with small neon yellow stars, guiding our way towards the check-in for the maze.
We geared up in our color-coded vests; a bright neon blue for the boys and a glowing neon pink for the girls. Apparently, while the boys were having their fun in the arcade, they decided they wanted a boys vs. girls laser tag game. Not that we minded. We usually split ourselves up into pairs anyway, hunting down our respective partner. Sonic was usually mine, and he never failed to catch me off guard. More often than not, I was running from him, and this time wasn't any different.
Once I'd split up from my friends, I wandered strategically around the maze, glancing over my shoulder every other second and peeking around corners. Sonic seemed to keep his distance for the first few minutes. Around me, I could hear the cartoonish shots coming from the other players around the maze. Quietly, I jogged into another empty hallway of the maze.
As I was passing a corner I forgot to check, a pair of hands reached out and grabbed my vest. I squealed in surprise as my back was gently pinned against the walls. My attacker grabbed my wrists, knocking my plastic gun out of my right hand and holding them up over my head. Before I could try to knee him in the gut, he pressed his torso against mine, trapping me between his body and the wall. Hot lips slammed down against mine, urgently moving against mine. I froze under the body weight for a moment, my stomach a mess of knots and whirling butterflies. We'd played this Sonia and mouse game plenty of times before, but he'd never caught me like this.
His tongue slipped between my lips and initiated a wrestling match with mine. The contact sparked a fire in the pit of my stomach, turning it into a cozy fireplace. Heat from the fire warmed my bones, some of the flames licking at the depths of my heart. Our kisses, usually sweet and passionate, became wild and unruly for a brief moment - the thrill of the chase fueling the intensity behind our kisses. His hands slithered down my arms, caressing the curves around my sides and finally stopping to grip my hips. My own arms looped around his neck, and my fingers tangled around his curls. I pressed my body against him, difficult to do with our vests in the way. An odd sensation spurred below the fire pit of my stomach, summoning unusual thoughts of needing to feel close to him. Not close like cuddling or even kissing. No, I wanted to crawl underneath his skin and cover myself with every inch of his being like a blanket. I wanted to feel warm, safe, and desired underneath his touch.
He pulled away before the doubts of my mind could tell me I'd never be desired that way. The light from his vest illuminated his wide smile.
I stared up at him, both in shock and desperation for more. Before I could even form the words I wanted to say to him, he held up his gun and shot a laser straight at my heart.
His grin widened, no doubt from the shift of adoration to bewilderment in my eyes. His chuckle echoed through my ears as he took off in a blue blur down one of the adjacent hallways.