There were occasional slight scuffles as people continued to fight for food, people reaching constantly across each other. Rythian frowned, keeping his eyes on the table at all times whilst writing messily on the notepad he had on his lap. People were moving so quickly and he didn't have the time to text the others to let them know he was struggling. He narrowed his eyes as he saw Duncan reach for a sausage roll, noting it carefully before his attention was drawn to Alex eating two chicken rolls at once whilst laughing at Chris's look of disgust.
Rythian sighed to himself. This was much harder than he had thought... Glancing at his watch, it showed half an hour had gone by. Rythian wasn't sure he could take much more of this... He could only hope that the others were doing a better job than him. He had noted they were subtly recording numbers on their phone now and again, and could only hope they were having better luck than him.
Kim made her way over to Echo, laughing. "You keeping tabs?" She murmured as they watched Zoey take another pringle happily.
"It's really hard, everyone is going at different times so I'm having to constantly watch it... Plus Hannah keeps looking at me suspiciously whenever I try and talk to Teep!" Echo huffed in annoyance, trying to look happy. Kim nodded.
"Same here; at least you don't have the three idiots on your table..." She said half seriously as she glanced over to her table, which showed Ross, Chris and Alex trying to stuff as many marshmallows on their faces as possible. Echo followed her gaze and snorted.
"At least it wasn't marshmallows on the list..." She giggled as she imagined Rythian trying to keep tabs on how many were stuffed in their mouths.
"We need a break from the food anyway... Oh!" Kim exclaimed as an idea came to her. She looked at Echo smugly. "Just play along when Zoey comes, okay?" Kim said hurriedly as she raced over to Zoey, pulling her away from the others. Echo watched in confusion as Zoey and Kim began to walk towards her, Zoey looking horrified whilst Kim nodded sadly. Kim whispered something to Zoey who nodded firmly and shouted for everyone's attention.
"Everyone!" Rythian watched as Zoey's voice called loudly out to everyone, looking serious. "I have just been informed of a terrible tragedy..." Zoey continued, pointing at Echo. Echo couldn't help the worry and confusion from forming on her face.
"Echo has never played a game of hide and seek!" Zoey burst out, rushing over to Echo, who was now simply looking highly confused. Echo glanced towards Kim, who was laughing, as Zoey gave her a hug.
"We're going to sort this out, okay? Don't you worry!" Zoey smiled kindly as Echo managed a small confused smile back. "Right, I propose we all play some games now, starting with hide and seek for Echo! They will be a point system, everyone gets a chance at seeking, and the winner gets to request a prize!" Zoey bubbled excitedly as Teep pinged.
Sounds great! Who's seeking first?
Zoey looked thoughtful before Kim spoke up. "How about we seek in pairs?" Kim suggested, looking at Echo knowingly. Echo immediately picked up on her look.
"Yeah, I'll seek with Kim!" Echo stated, already walking towards her. She was surprised when Zoey pulled her back, objecting.
"No, you have to hide first, it's the most exciting part! Kim can seek with... Ross?" Zoey suggested innocently as Ross shrugged as a response but smiled. Kim smiled back but looked at Echo worryingly; they needed an opportunity to speak to Teep in private - the only way that was going to happen was if two of them found the other whilst seeking.
"Right, everyone start hiding! Boundaries are the hedge!" Zoey called as she motioned to Kim and Ross to close their eyes. They looked at each other and nodded before closing their eyes and began counting together out loud.
"1... 2... 3..."
Instantly, Echo ran towards the back of the hedge, looking for a place nearby so she could contact Rythian if need be. She ran towards a rounded bush relatively near to Rythian's hiding space and proceed to cautiously climb into it. There was surprisingly a lot of room as Echo sat inside, hunched up and breathing slowly, surveying her surroundings as she noticed a wheelbarrow propped on it's side against the hedge. She opened her phone and began to text Teep before realising he might be hiding with someone else, and she couldn't text Kim as she was seeking. She paused for a moment before smiling as she texted Rythian.
How r we doin with v food count? :)
She heard a slight noise go off near her and almost fell over in panic from her hunched position. She immediately texted Rythian again.
TURN UR SOUND OFF!
This time there was no noise as a reply soon lit up Echo's screen a minute later.
I was in the middle of turning it off. Food count is not going so well, people keep reaching across each other and taking food for other people... How are you lot doing?
Gr8 :) ish. Teep seems k, it's Kim that's havin trouble with v trio :/
I noticed. Maybe you could swap places for a while? Say you want to know more about them/Kim.
P.S Your text language is upsetting me.
Echo smiled as she closed her phone, looking out between the branches as Kim began to approach her. She coughed quietly and Kim immediately looked in her direction, making her way slowly over to Echo, pretending to be looking around it.
"You updated Rythian?" She asked quietly as she pretended to look around. Echo made a small noise of agreement as Kim paused.
"... Do you think if you win you could ask Zoey who brought what food? Maybe ask to see the lists at the end of the night?" Kim suggested quietly. Echo gasped at the thought.
"That sounds perfect; alright, shoo!" Echo hissed as Kim walked away, shaking her head at Ross as he looked over towards her. Ross suddenly ran towards the Mushroom Fort widely and leapt behind it, causing two shrieks from Zoey and Hannah, who had been hiding behind it.
Echo chuckled quietly as Zoey and Hannah playfully hit Ross as Kim paused by a tree, looking up slightly. She was turning her head to side to side, seemingly looking around the base, but her mouth was moving quickly; Echo realised in amusement that Teep must have climbed the tree. She quickly texted Rythian Kim's idea and waited impatiently for his reply. Several minutes later her phone lit up, by which time Duncan and Chris had been found, leaving herself, Teep, Lewis, Alex, Sips, Simon and Sjin.
Good plan, you just have to hide well; I assume all three of you are going to try and win each time so one of the three of you have a likely chance, seeing as she found Teep but didn't reveal him. I suggest you hide down the side of the house by the bins next round; not many people look there, although I think someone may have gone in that direction.
Echo smiled at the advice and logic behind Rythian's words. She had a sudden idea as she texted him quickly.
If I seek, wil u tel me wher ppl hide? O:)
Only if you correct your text language. Sips and Sjin are about to get found by the way.
Echo looked up, scanning for Kim and Ross, who were looking confusedly at a leaf pile in the corner of the garden. Echo almost burst out laughing when she realised what they were looking at.
Kim cleared her throat loudly. "You do realise your butts are sticking out, right guys?" She said loudly as everyone laughed, Sips and Sjin included as they crawled out, leaves in their hair. They made their way over to the tables where all the people being caught were sat, evidently blaming each other. Zoey's laughter could be heard above everyone else easily as she wiped tears from her eyes.
Echo's phone lit up again as she opened it, her face falling slightly when she saw it was from Teep and not Rythian.
Has Kim told you the plan? If so, I think some serious cheating is needed now because either Alex, Simon or Lewis needs to be found right now for us to score points.
Echo scanned the large garden from her hiding place before noticing a slight movement from the shed near Teep's tree; she spotted a tuff of hair poking out from the slightly open door and smiled to herself as she texted Kim.
Shed.
Kim felt her phone go off in her pocket and poked her head in the nearest bush, subtly checking it whilst she was there. She smiled as she read Echo's text and made her way seemingly randomly towards the shed. She stood there for a second, pausing and looking at it until Ross ran over.
"I thought I heard breathing..." Kim said casually as she looked at the shed door as it creaked slightly, marching forward and opening it with a loud bang. Instantly Lewis and Alex ran out yelling, causing Kim to shriek slightly as she fell backwards towards Ross, who caught her before she could fall. He looked at them angrily.
"That wasn't funny guys, Kim could have hurt herself!" Ross said severely as Kim rolled her eyes, smiling as Ross let go of her. Zoey shouted loudly from the tables.
"The winners are Echo, Simon and Teep! Come out guys!" She called as Teep dropped down from the tree, drawing everyone's attention as they applauded and laughed which allowed Echo to sneak from her hiding spot, walking causally towards them. Hannah laughed as Simon rolled out from behind the bins. Echo's face fell slightly as she noted this as Simon had revealed her next hiding spot.
"You sure you've never played this before?" Hannah asked Echo, who laughed convincingly.
"Beginners luck; Ross walked right past me!" She said jokingly as Ross frowned in confusion.
"Well, I guess it's me and Zoey on now!" Hannah said with a look of utter determination on her face as Lewis smiled at her.
"Try and go easy on Echo" he said kindly, glancing at Echo's face before explaining "... She's probably the best seeker there is."
Hannah winked at Lewis, who went slightly pink as she and Zoey turned around, beginning to count loudly.
"1..2...3...4..."
Instantly Kim and Echo rushed towards Echo's previous hiding spot, Echo pushing Kim in first. However, when Kim tried to create some space, Echo realised after a while that it wasn't large enough to hide both of them as she looked around, spotting the wheel barrow.
"29...30...31..." Echo stuck her tongue out at Kim as she ran towards the wheel barrow, moving it slightly away as she climbed inside and rocked it until it fell back against the hedge; she could only hope Hannah wouldn't notice it was slightly pushed against the hedge as she hunched up uncomfortably behind it. She took long and slow breaths as she heard Zoey and Hannah finish counting.
"That's actually a fantastic hiding spot." Rythian's voice said quietly right behind her as Echo held onto her aching muscles and laughed slightly after almost jumping out of her skin.
"You had better not be able to see my bum on the other side of the hedge Rythian, I'm not sure this dress is covering everything..." She whispered back savagely as she heard Rythian move slightly behind her.
"Nope, you're good." He said innocently as Echo and him giggled quietly for a while. Echo was unhappy in her rather painful hiding spot, but Rythian made it better by telling her where everyone was and telling her who had been found when shrieks sounded randomly in the air, seeing as she couldn't see anything.
"... So who's top on the food list so far...?" Echo asked hesitantly after a while of silence as Rythian shuffled slightly behind her. It was strange that a selection of leaves and twigs were preventing them from seeing each other.
"Sips on sausages, Alex on the chicken rolls and Duncan and Zoey relatively tied on Pringles." Echo noted the edge to Rythian's voice as when he had mentioned Duncan and Zoey and she frowned to herself. She wished she could see his face.
"... Was that picture of you and Zoey in her locker serious?" She asked as another whoop of laughter carried through the air. She had been wondering about it since she had seen it there, pinned up with hearts around the edge of the frame. She heard Rythian breathe deeply before answering, knowing he knew which one she was referring to.
"You mean the one where I was proposing?"