Leopards

Join Forces

"I swear I'm the best singer in our music club." Chris bragged for the umpteenth time. "If it wasn't for me, they would've never gotten that award last year."

"Okay." Ava gritted her teeth, hoping that Chris would shut up for one second. She felt the urge to stuff the napkins in his mouth. Her brain was exploding just to hear him brag about himself all night.

"Look I know you probably don't believe me but it's—" He was interrupted when Ava grabbed the fork and stabbed the meat. She quickly darted a fake smile at Chris who flinched a little for her actions. He cleared his throat to finish his sentence. "—true."

She took a deep breath. Though she wasn't the one prattling all the time, she felt relaxed to have him silenced. It didn't last for long once he started talking again.

"Okay, this is—" Ava paused when she realized her comment would insult Chris. "Never mind go on," She waved her hand for Chris to go on talking as she threw him a genuine smile. She pulled out her AirPods and put them in her ears when he wasn't watching.

Ava never liked Chris. To her, he was just a random guy that had a massive crush on her. She only agreed to go out with him because he asked her out a hundred times already. Ava agreed to go out with him so he'd stop bugging her. She planned to let go of him after a while, but it was definitely going to be tough.

Chris kept blabbering but she heard nothing he said because her music was on the loudest. She smiled and nodded to make him believe she was listening.

He asked her something and she answered him. "Yeah."

He raised his eyebrow and said something else. She turned down the volume so she could hear him.

"Are you even listening?" Chris grumbled.

Ava widened her eyes and bit her smile. "Of course I'm listening to my gorgeous date." She struggled to let the word 'gorgeous' off of her tongue. "By the way, what exactly were you saying?"

"I knew it! I knew you only pretended to hear me." He seemed excited that he caught her lying. "I mean why would you say yeah so blandly when I asked you to be my girlfriend? You were supposed to say it with some pizazz."

"How about we rewind and I don't say yes at all?" She played with her food.

"Or how about—" He stopped talking when the door flew open and three guys in all-black outfits and ski masks walked into the restaurant. One of them walked over to the cashier and pointed a gun at her head and everyone stared with their jaws dropped.

"Nobody moves! Or we'll shoot you!" Another one of them held a gun and pointed at everyone.

The lady at the counter who looked like she needed a change of pants, struggled to hold the phone to her ears. Her hands quivered. One of the guys ran towards the lady and pointed a handgun right at her face.

"Put the phone down!" He yelled. "I said put it down or I'll shoot you!" The guy threatened the lady as she put the phone down with trembling hands.

The guy who pointed a gun at the cashier began to empty her cash register into his backpack.

Ava couldn't sit around there and watched them rob the restaurant. She got up and glared at them. "Leave that woman alone!"

They were confused. Everyone in the room thought she was on some suicide mission. The guy who was walking around the room, threatening anyone who moved to kill them was now pointing the gun at her head.

"Why don't you shoot me? You guys are just a big bluff," she said, pretending to be braver than she is. "You threatened to kill anyone who moved. Well, go on!"