The Days Before 16

Chapter 11 Continued

Wednesday, 4 March 2015
Happy new month guys!!

By the time there were no Taco's left; I'd had two, Trevor had had three and Stan and Todd had had four each. We'd also downed our drinks. I didn't like Diet Coke much but I hadn't bought anything different. And I think Todd was starting to like Trevor. I think.
"Come on man. Let's get back to the game so I can beat your ass. Again." Stan said. Todd smiled.
"I think it's the other way around mate." He said. They sat back down on the couch.
"Well I better clean up." I said to Trevor. I started collecting up the plates and stacking them so I wouldn't have to do a second trip. Turns out I would have to because I stacked more than I could carry. I didn't have to though; Trevor carried the rest and the empty cans into the kitchen after me. He was such a gentleman. Most of the time anyway, I thought as I remembered what he did at school today. How come I kept forgetting about that fight when I was with them? I left the dirty plates in the sink and I threw the empty cans in the bin. There was no sign of the fight on him though, I noticed as I looked closer at his face, not one single bruise or anything.
"So what now?" Trevor asked. It was a good question. What were we going to do? The T.V was taken and I didn't want him in my room. Oh God my room was a mess! Definitely not my room. Oh and I'd properly die if Todd found out.
"Dammit!" Todd yelled then came the sound of Stan's laughter.
"I told you. I told you, man. I told you." Stan said.
"Willow! Can you come in here please?" Todd called.
"Why does he want you in there?" Trevor asked. I shrugged so I didn't have to make up some lie to tell him. I knew exactly why I was being called in. It was time to bring out the big guns. The reinforcements, Todd would always say.
"Come on." I said and walked into the living room.
"Sit down." Todd said and held out my dark blue PS3 controller.
"Oh bringing in your little sister, scary." Stan said. Oh he didn't know, did he? Bring it.
"We're playing teams; you're on mine Willow so sit down." Todd said.
"Then Trevor's gonna have to play and be on Stan's team." I said.
"I don't care; just get him a controller and sit down." Todd said.
"Calm down man; it's just a game." Stan said in a gloating voice. I sat down in between Todd and Stan and took the blue controller Todd held in his hand.
"Wait. Do you even want to play? Do you even know how to play?" I asked Trevor.
"Ouch. Gotta give me some credit don't you? Move over and hand me a controller." Trevor said and sat down in between me and Stan.
"Prepare to lose again Todd. Too bad you're bringing your sister down with ya." Stan said. Trash talk. Always fun.
"Ha ha very funny. But I think it's you who should prepare to lose man." Todd said back.
"Let's just settle this. Hit the start button." I said.
"Let's do this." Stan said. Todd hit the start button and set up the game. I selected my Avatar along with everyone else. We started the game and the big red numbers on the screen started to count down. Five, four, three, two. The game started. The objective of the game was to kill as many Zombies as you could while trying to get to the other person or team first so you could also kill them, ultimately winning the game.
"Wait. How do I shoot again? Is it the blue 'X' button or something?" I asked. "You move by moving the circle thing here, don't you?" I asked Todd, and just for a little more fun I pretended to accidently move the joystick so my Avatar turned in a different direction. "Oh gosh, what do I do now?" I continued.
Stan laughed. Trevor smiled but tried to hide it. And I met Todd's eyes. It worked. I winked.
"Dude! You've got to be kidding me! Yeah smart move dude, smart move. She doesn't even know how to play. Dude, girls don't get it." Stan said.
"You shouldn't have said that man; she'll have your ass now." Todd said.
"What do you mean?" Stan asked.
"I thought this was only a little fun game. I didn't realise we were picking on girls cause they don't know how to play." I said.
"I didn't mean it like that Willow. I'm sorry." Stan said apologetically. Too late for that.
"Yeah well I'm sorry too, Stan. I'm sorry I'm not just another girl. Sorry but um, I'm different." I said. I shot and killed five zombies in one round of bullets. I killed more zombies and got to their side of the map first. I killed Stan's Avatar-violently. Stan tried to defend himself but I'd jumped over him, grabbed his neck and bought him down with me. I slit his throat with a small knife. Trevor came after Stan and I put him down more easily- I shot him, once in the chest. Todd had killed the zombies I hadn't killed while I killed the opposition. Todd slung his arm around me when the T.V screen showed that we'd won. He kissed my cheek.
"That's my girl." Todd said happily. We looked at the other two people on our couch. They were shocked.
"How'd you do that?" Stan asked, shocked. I smiled.
"It's my game, idiot. I told you I wasn't like the next girl." I said. They both blinked and had an 'Oh-My-God-I-Can't-Believe-She-Just-Said-That' look on their faces.
"Oh. But still, how'd you do that move?" Stan said.
"Yeah 'oh'. As I said it's my game. When I first got it I stayed up all night and finished the game." I said.
"Good job, aye?" Todd whispered in my ear. I nodded. I looked at the clock. It was six-thirty. Huh, early dinner. "But it only took you what, five hours to finish the whole game?" Todd said out loud to them. I could hear the proudness in his voice. I guess they could hear it to.
"That's impossible. What you cheat or something?" Stan said. I heard the shame of being beaten by a girl in his voice.
"I didn't cheat." I said.
"Sure you didn't."
"I swear I didn't cheat."
"Sure you didn't. Then how'd you get those moves?" Stan said. Oh, he was getting angry all right.
"I got those moves because I beat the game as I finished it. When I finished the game my avatar got all the skills that the game had so it's pretty easy. When I was going through the maps I found hidden quests where as a reward for winning the bonus levels, my Avatar got special moves." I said.
"Yeah. Whatever." Stan said.
"Let's settle this then. Feeling up to another game ladies?" I challenged them and looked from left to right.
"Fine. Only if we get to swap teams." Stan said.
"Ah no, I don't think so." Todd said. "She's mine." He continued.
"Aw, come on man. Please?" Stan begged.
"Nope." Todd said, this time he was the one gloating.
"Fine then. Whatever man, I don't need her anyway. I don't play with cheaters. Set it up man." Stan said. I clenched my jaw.
"Ok man but she's gonna get ya. She doesn't like being called a cheater." Todd said.
"Seriously, I don't." I put in. The game started. I went after him first. Of course, I got him first. I didn't bother with the zombies this time. My main focus was to make Stan pay for what he'd said. He swore, a lot, when he saw me coming towards him. This time I killed him with a sword. I slid under him and bought my sword up. It was a long sword so it must have gone up to his Avatar's throat. I moved out of the way before blood started flowing out of the wound but I kept the sword there and as I moved out from underneath him, I pulled my sword with me leaving his back open as if it were getting surgery. It was an awkward way to kill someone but it had to be done. No one says that to me except my brother unless they wanna die, that is. He swore again when his Avatar faded off the screen. Todd killed Trevor. Trevor was a good player. He knew what he was doing. Stan would be a great player if he wasn't such a smart arse while he was playing. I was kind of glad he was a smart arse though, it just made it that much more fun to beat him. We won the game.
"Aha. That's two now." Todd said in that gloating voice. He held up his fist and I tapped mine against it.
"Yeah. But just know that you're actually a loser unless you're wittle baby sister plays with you." Stan said to him.
"Actually he's not a loser without me; he just let you win so that he could bring me in and play with you." I said. I didn't mention how much fun it was to watch him act like he does and that was another reason why I did it. I know it was cruel but it was funny.
"So he cheated so that you could play." Stan said.
"You might call it cheating but we call it strategy or team work." I said. Stan didn't like that much. He stood up and chucked the controller down on the couch.
"I gotta go." Stan mumbled and walked out of the room.
"Go on then. Go." I said to Todd. He started to say something but I cut him off. "He's your friend." I continued. He sighed, got up and went after his best friend. I heard the front door open.
"Hey man, wait up." I heard him say then I heard the front door close. The conversation was lost to my ears.
"So, did you actually finish this game in five hours?" Trevor asked.
"Yeah, I did. Sorry about that. Stan's a nice guy and all and Todd's best friend, but he gets coemptive. Like me, I guess. Todd just, I guess, wanted to show him that's it's not all about winning; it's about having fun. Don't get me wrong, I love to win but I also love to play." I said.
"Yeah I know what you mean, about winning, but, ouch, harsh way to teach someone a lesson. Remind me not to get on your bad side ok, I'd hate to see you do that to me." Trevor said.
"Oh if only it was real, aye. Another game?" I said.
"I'm glad it's not. Sure." He answered. I set up a battle.
"Let's play." I said. I played this game with little knives. I killed most of the zombies as I went towards Trevor's Avatar. A zombie came up behind me, grabbed my Avatar's hair and yanked my head to the side exposing my neck. It went to bite my throat but I double clicked the square button on my controller so that my Avatar brought the knives around in a circle as if to go to my back but it was stopped by the zombie's sides. It screamed and I pulled my knives out before it fell to the ground. I kept going. When I reached Trevor he pulled his gun up and shot at me. It was like slow motion when the bullets hit me; my shoulders went back but I kept going forward. I wrapped my hand around his neck and lifted him off the ground. I slammed him back onto the ground and bought one of my small knives up and sliced him down his chest. His Avatar faded away.
"Well I guess you win, again." Trevor said.
"Guess so. I am really sorry about it though you know. But you are a really good player for someone who hasn't played it before." I said.
"But not as good as you."
"Maybe not but I've finished the game so I haven't given you much chance to win."
"I still can't believe you can do all those moves. So you just got them when you finished the hidden levels throughout the game? Did it take long to learn how to use all the skills that you got?"
"No. It only took me two to three hours to learn them all."
"That's not very long."
"Yeah. I guess I shouldn't tell you."
"Tell me what?"
"That I learnt all the skills and completed the game in one night." I said. That surprised him.
"So there was really no chance of me winning a game was there? Not even a slim one?"
"I don't think so."
"Wish you had of told me that before I started playing, could have saved myself the embarrassment." Trevor said in a normal voice. He wasn't angry or upset; he just said it in a normal voice. Huh.
"Well then it wouldn't be fun then would it?"
"I guess not."
"When it comes to this game, I'm like a Video Game Lord; well that's what Todd says anyway."
"He was right."
"Thanks." I said. He looked at the clock.
"Sorry I got to go."
"No that's fine."
"Thanks for dinner."
"That's ok. Thanks for staying."
"No problem. Dinner was lovely."
"See you at school tomorrow?"
"Yes you will." He said as we walked to the front door. I held it open for him and he stepped out.
"Bye." I said.
"Bye." He said and started walking to his car. He walked off the concrete at the door onto the grass then stopped. He looked over his shoulder at me and I smiled. What was he going to do? Hug me? He smiled back then like he was making himself, he walked to his car. I stayed at the open door until I couldn't see his car's tail lights anymore. I closed the door. Something touched my shoulder. I looked out the corner of my eye. It was a hand. My heart beat picked up. Whose was it? Who was in my house?
"I scared you didn't I." Todd said. It was Todd. It was Todd's hand. My heart beat slowed.
"No you didn't." I lied.
"I heard your heart beat; as soon as I put my hand on your shoulder, it picked up."
"No." I said nervously.
"I even felt your heart beat; you were scared." He said.
"I wasn't scared. I was just surprised, that's all." I said.
"Whatever."
"He seems nice, Trevor." He said.
"Yeah."
"Dinner was nice. It's just that when I make them it goes everywhere and you make me clean it up but when you do it, it's nice and there's no mess." He said kindly, confessing his motives for what he said at dinner.
"Man your wife must be a mental patient if she marries you." I said.
"Damn girl, ouch." He said in a fake hurt voice. He wore a smile and he wore it good. I smiled and he slung an arm around my shoulders as we walked into the kitchen. I sighed.
"I gotta clean up. What happened to Stan?" I said. He laughed quietly.
"If you mean are we still friends, we are. He calmed down then apologised for acting stupid about losing. He told me to say to you that he'll never underestimate you again and that you were really good and that dinner was great as always."
"Wow, you have a great friend there. Seriously. Tell him we're cool." I said.
"Will do." He said and left the kitchen. A second later the sound of my Zombie killing game came on. He practised a lot. He was trying to bet me. I washed the dirty dishes and dried them then put them back in the cabinet. I went upstairs to my bathroom. I stood under the warm water of my shower and debated with myself about washing my hair. I decided to wash it and I quickly shaved. I decided to change PJs as well. I put my dirty purple ones in my dirty clothes basket and pulled out my penguin ones. The T-shirt featured an adorable penguin like the one from Happy Feet on a grey background and the boxer shorts had the same penguin on them just smaller and a lot more of them. One row they were the right way up then the next they were upside down and they kept going in that pattern. I towel dried my hair a little then left it out to air dry. I sat down at my desk with my school bag and pulled the work I'd missed out. Maths was just homework sheets which were easy and a letter saying that the assessment this term was an exam, Science was just revision sheets for the investigation and write up we were doing for assessment, History was the task sheet about our assignment- I decided to do a power point, and lastly English was the sheets about our assignment. It seemed pretty easy. We had to persuade teenagers and schools to read the book The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. We were to do a visual presentation and on it we had to have pictures and why teenagers would want to read the book. I thought a poster because they were easy to do and I loved making them. It took me an hour and a half to do all the work and work out what I was going to do and that was only from today's classes. Tomorrow I had all my other classes with only Maths as well. My hair was dry enough when I brushed it. I still dried it with my towel a little more. After that I couldn't be bothered anymore so I put it up again and brushed my teeth.
"Todd?" I called from the top of the stairs. I heard the sound of the game stop.
"Yeah?" he called back.
"I'm going to bed. Is there anything else you wanted me to do before I go?"
"No. It's fine. Good night."