Helpless (Book 1)

Chapter Thirty-Six

I'M SCREAMING. I'M screaming with rage, with fury as I race across the field, my gun aimed at my opponents, dodging paintballs or jumping over an opponent. I'm screaming as I pull the trigger to the paintball gun, letting a bright pink paintball break open and splash the opponent across from me, dodging them as I spot their flag. I'm screaming, everyone else is as well. I'm letting the lion out of its cage. 

 I push back branches as I run through the woods surrounding the fields, hoping no one has noticed my plan or my strategy. I keep glancing over my shoulder, making sure I'm not being followed. I'm not. My heart pounds rapidly against my chest, it almost feels like a hammer is slamming against me over and over again. I'm panting, already out of breath as I pull back branches and duck under some and hop over a few low branches. I risk it and sneak a glance through the trees. I see paintballs being opened and splattering over each other's opponents, I hear someone call the other "Out", I see—very faintly—John hopping over an opponent who's been "shot" by the paintball gun, reaching towards the white flag. I grin, panting hard as I make a left towards Jefferson's side of the field. Come on, Jack. Come on. 

 I glance over my shoulder, still clutching onto the paintball gun in my arms, ready to fire it if necessary, as I race through the split opening from the woods and out into the wide open field, dodging paintballs, firing paintballs, keeping an out on Jefferson or Lee or Madison or any of his teammates. Just when I turn back around, I inhale a sharp gasp and aim my paintball gun at Lee who aims his at John's who's completely oblivious to the fact that Lee is trailing right behind him as John reaches for their flag.

 "Laurens!" I scream, my throat going raw. 

 John whips his head over his shoulder. His sky-blue eyes widen and his face pales a little as he crouches low and tucks and rolls across the grass, completely dodging the paintball. Lee grumbles a curse as John scrambles to his feet. John reaches me and yanks me by the elbow, dragging me back into the woods near the field. We hide behind the bushes, crouching down behind the bushes as Lee just stands there, growling like a dog, frantically searching for us. He curses and jogs towards his next target. 

 I'm shaking a little with adrenaline and excitement, panting hard. I can feel beads of a sweat trickling down the side of my face. We're still in a crouched position behind the bushes, my paintball gun still aimed through the bushes while John's is aimed towards my left, towards the hiking trail where I ran through the first time. John whips his head around and kisses me firmly. A few seconds later, we break apart, gasping for breath. 

 "You alright, Alex?" John whispers as quietly as he can. 

 I nod. "Y-Yeah. J-Just the a-adrenaline. I-I'm fine. Are you? Are you okay? You didn't get hit, did you?" 

 He shakes his head, pressing a kiss to my lips again. "No. I didn't. I'm fine. You saved me from being hit, actually." 

 "Okay, so...what's the plan?" I say after a moment of silence as we catch our breath. 

 "You're the team captain, Alex," John says.

 "Yeah, well, you're supposed to work with me!" I snap. "Come on. We don't have much time left—" 

 John suddenly clamps a hand over my mouth. I stare at him, confused yet surprised. John puts his finger to his lips in a shushing gesture as he slowly turns his head back towards the hiking trail. He scans the woods, frowning, aiming his paintball gun towards the direction of the trail. I try to breath through my nose quietly as we just sit there, crouched behind the bushes, the game still going. We sit there, tensed as we search the woods. John must have heard something, a branch snapping probably. John cocks his paintball gun, propping it against his knee as he squints through the eye piece. He lowers his hand and straightens back up, frowning. I frown as well, tilting my head a little.