The VLC - Adelaide

Paint

Saturday morning I woke up extra early. I wanted to leave the house before my parents got up. They were surprisingly good at sleeping in. I had always heard that older people wake up early, but fortunately, my parents didn't fall into that category. I dressed in a pair of old jeans and began walking down the street at 6:50. I sent Gavin a text to let him know I had left, and met him several blocks from my house.

Breakfast was amazing. I tried biscuits and gravy for the first time in my life, and they were amazing. Tony and Jake were with us, and they were actually pleasant in the morning. Probably because they weren't inebriated. We drove for about a half an hour before arriving at the course. Gavin gave me a pair of somewhat baggy camo pants, a loose button up top and a mask. He said that loose clothing makes the paintballs sting less. I put on the extra large outfit (sure I looked super attractive), and listened to the instructions for the game.

We were in a wooded area, but there were bunkers and wooden walls spread throughout the course. We were on a team of twelve, the four of us, and eight other guys they assigned us. There were no girls playing in this round. Gavin assured me that girls do in fact play, but it's rare. I really wasn't concerned about it. I am always up for a good gender role reversal. This first round was classic capture the flag. My team was stationed in one of the bunkers. The guys were all talking strategy. Because I was new, and didn't know anyone, I held back my comments. After deciding on a plan of action, Gavin said, "Just follow me, and fire when I tell you. Don't worry about hitting anybody right away. You will get the hang of it after a few more times."

"Hey!" I was offended. "I know how to use a gun. You should probably beware of friendly fire after that comment."

"Okay, okay, but tell me if you need help." There was a loud bell in the distance signalling the start of the game and the guys divided into trios. Gavin and I left the bunker with Jake in tow. Tony had joined two of the other guys. The plan was to leave one group behind, a little away from the bunker, but close enough to guard our flag. The other three groups would fan out and search for the other players and their flag. I followed close to Gavin as he ducked behind trees, and slinked across the open areas. We ran into a group from the other team. It seemed like they might have the same strategy as us. Gavin and Jake took out two of them fairly quickly and the other sprinted away under the cover of some rather large bushes.

"Let's go after him. We might find him meeting up with some others." Jake suggested.

"Sounds good." We began moving quickly through the forest (or what Californian's consider a forest). The course was a lot bigger than it had seemed at first. Gavin and Jake were very confident and knew what they were doing. I was a little more hesitant. I constantly looked over my shoulder, thinking I was being followed, and slowly fell behind.My mask became foggy and my adrenaline was pumping. I am a pretty competitive person so I was determined not to cause my team to lose. Unfortunately, I lost Gavin somewhere along the way. I spent most of the time evading attacks, rather than actively seeking out targets.

I had stopped to relax, and suddenly they were upon me. I felt three hard hits on my back. Wanting to avoid a fourth, I shouted out "I'm hit!" as Gavin had instructed me, and held my hands up over my head. The three masked men nodded their heads at me and vanished. I made my way back to the entrance of the course where I found a few team members there, including Tony.

"Hey Addy! You lasted longer than I would have thought. What happened to Gavin and Jake?" I gave Tony a dirty look from behind my mask. Lifting the front, I was relieved as I felt the cool air rush over my face.

"Hey, jerk. I lasted longer than you did." This time, he saw the dirty look. "And, I don't know what happened to Gavin. I lost them somehow. They are probably out there winning on our behalf." Moments later another bell blared. That signalled the end of the game. Those of us who had been hit anxiously waited to find out who had won. It didn't surprise me when Gavin returned, unmarked. After all, he made paintball guns. I would think he would know how to use one.