Dream Catcher

Chapter 12: Arcade

"NO. We are not watching another Harry Potter movie," Nick insists, grabbing the remote from George.

"What? We have nothing else to do," you groan, but George cuts in.

"Maybe we should do something else," he suggests. You glance worriedly out the window, hoping to find something to distract you fast.

"We could go to an indoor arcade?" Liam offers, scrolling through his phone.

"YES! Let's do that!" Nick says aggressively, already putting his shoes on.

"We should have a competition! Whoever gets the most tickets wins!" You shout, already excited.

"Alright, bet. We have an hour, and it starts as soon as we all have our coins. We'll all have a max amount of coins we can spend, so its fair," Clay says, already planning out the rules.

A new enthusiasm washes over your group of friends, and you all rush to get wallets and shoes. Nick manages to score the passenger seat, despite George's stubborn complaints. Clay zooms out of the parking lot, throwing you against violently George. To your great appreciation, George offered to sit in the middle. Liam grunted on the other side of George, rubbing his head as Clay laughed it off.

"Clay! Slow down!" Nick cried, clutching Clay's elbow.

"I can't if you're holding my damn arm! Let go!" Clay shouted, grinning at Nick's terrified expression. George giggles, glad to see his friend distressed. You bounce your leg nervously, avoiding looking up in case you see lightning.

"It's okay. We're almost there," George says, patting your shoulder awkwardly. You laugh at him, shaking your head.

"Thanks."

"We should do teams!" George suggests, perking up.

"I call not being with George!" You and Clay yell at the same time, knowing how awful George is at most arcade games. You glance at each other, grinning.

"What? No!" George moans, pouting.

"I'll be alone! Liam, you can have George," Nick suggests, twisting in his seat to face us.

"Don't worry, George. With my skills, we'll win," Liam boasts, and you roll your eyes.

"Not if Y/n and I are together. There's literally no chance we lose," Clay says, laughing.

"Hell yeah. Do we get a prize, or is it just a competition?"

"If we win, we don't have to pay for dinner," Clay says, looking at you for approval. You nod, happy to save a few bucks.

Finally, Clay pulls into a crowded parking lot, filled with people hoping to do something despite the rain. You cover your head as you rush undercover, followed quickly by the rest of the boys. As you all head in, the excitement kicks at your stomach, immediately met with loud voices yelling in either victory or defeat. Little kids run around chasing each other, hoping to convince their friends for one more coin. Parents bustle around, being pulled this way and that by their excited kids. A group of young adults gambles in the corner, clinking beer bottles together and laughing at their friend's demise.

"One hundred coins, please," you ask the worker, handing her your card as you beam at your surroundings. "We're so going to win."

"You're like a kid," Clay laughs, patting you on the head, "But yeah. It's barely a competition."

"Are you sure you want to go alone?" Liam asks Nick as he glances sideways at you.

"You would only slow me down. I'm so good at arcade games. I'll beat all of you guys with no help," he says confidently. You and Clay roll your eyes simultaneously as you accept your coins.