A Sterling And April Story

Part 23

Sterling arrived at Fun Zone a bit early. She grabbed a drink from the vending machine, sat at the Mario Kart arcade machine and started playing. The lighting was low. Very low, actually. She couldn't see too much other than the luminous signs of arcade machines. She didn't feel nearly as nervous as she has done the first time they'd met here. She felt like she knew April better now.

"Brave choice, going for Princess Peach". Sterling looked up and behind her. April was stood with her forearm leaning on the back of Sterling's chair. She looked down at Sterling and smiled. Sterling smiled back, and felt butterflies again. "The girls always win" Sterling said and she turned back to the screen to finish the race. April showing up had lost Sterling a rank; she came in third. She threw her hands on her lap in frustration.
"Girls do always win" April said, as Sterling turned back round to look up at her. April leaned over the chair and kissed Sterling gently, and stood back up. Sterling grinned at April, and reached her hand back to squeeze her side. This was ideal, the lighting was low enough to cover them.

April squeezed between Sterling and the seat next to her, stroking Sterling's upper arm as she did. She sat down in the empty arcade seat and joined Sterling's game.
"Who are you gonna be?" asked Sterling. "I think I'll be Bowser", said April matter-of-factly. Sterling opened her mouth a little but no sound came out at first. "O - Okay. Good choice." Sterling muttered as she turned back to face her screen.
"I mean, Bowser is good. He can throw things at the others really easily, and can cause a lot of destruction." April continued to talk whilst setting up her character in the race. Did April know who Bowser was? She couldn't know his name, surely. This must be a coincidence. I mean, we're playing Mario Kart and one of the few characters is called Bowser, she thought. She shrugged it off.

"Ready when you are " April looked at Sterling. "You're on" Sterling replied.
The two played Mario Kart for a couple of races. April won both, unsurprising as she was quite competitive. After the last race, Sterling leaned over and kissed April. April held the back of Sterling's head gently as she did.
"I really like being able to do that" said Sterling quietly as she sat back in her seat.
"Me too" April replied. "And I was thinking -" she reached over to hold Sterling's hand, weaving her fingers in-between Sterling's. "I'd like to be able to do this at school."
Sterling beamed at April, and stroked her hand gently. April continued, "And I was further thinking, we could do this first at the art exhibition after party...? What do you think?"

Sterling's body started to tingle. That was exactly what she wanted. To be able to hold April's hand, hug and squeeze her, kiss her, with no thought to having to hide. "That, April, sounds perfect to me." Sterling replied. The two smiled at each other for a moment, holding hands.
"I'm going with Ezekiel and Hannah B, but I'll meet you there?" April said, still stroking Sterling's hand.
"Still sounds perfect" replied Sterling.

The two let their hands go and they stood up to leave the Mario Kart machines. "Where to next?" April asked.
"How about House of the Dead over there?" Sterling pointed to the other end of the room at the shoot 'em up game that was covered by a backdrop and side curtains. April smiled. "Because it's co-op, and you know I'd win if it wasn't?" she said with a cheeky smile. Sterling nudged her in a playful way. "Well obviously." she said.

The two headed over to the other end of the room and stepped into the booth to play the game. They both drew their respective side curtain, and as soon as they did they turned to each other and embraced. Sterling stepped back a touch. "Right. You better be good at this." she said.
"Have I disappointed you yet?" April replied.
"Absolutely not" Sterling said. The two turned to pick up the arcade guns and started the game.

April was extremely good, better than Sterling had imagined. And Sterling was a really good shot. The game ended after Sterling lost too many lives.
"Woah April. You are reeeeaaally good. Where did you learn to shoot like that?"
"Oh you know, here and there." April shrugged off Sterling's compliment/question. She rested her arcade gun back in the holster. Sterling did the same.

"Well I'm really impressed. I thought I was good but you're... you're incredible." Sterling stepped towards April. "In more ways than one." she finished as she kissed her. April lifted her hands to Sterling's neck and kissed her back. They parted and Sterling stepped back, and suddenly the side curtain next to April was ripped open loudly. April jumped up and Sterling let out a loud gasp.
"Oh sorry, are you guys finished?" It was a group of young boys wanting to play House of the Dead.
"Yeah, just." April replied as she pushed past them to exit the booth. Sterling followed and the two hooked arms as they scurried away, laughing.