Your Dangerous Game

Chapter 10. Getting into the Bus

Chapter 10. Getting into the Bus

(Mindy Esmond’s Perspective)

As Mindy was getting up early in the morning, she received a text message from her mom last night. She had been texting with her mom regularly since her mom and her stepdad went to stay in Washington DC. She missed them already.

Mom:

You have no idea! Washington has a great view! We love it here. How’s your college life now?

Mindy smiled as she read the energetic tone of her mom’s text message. Then she quickly typed on the keyboard to reply to her.

You:

It’s been great so far. I love it here in UPenn! So great to hear that you also love your new place! I just hope you won’t be wanting to stay there permanently. I’ll miss you so badly!

From across her bed, Brittany stared bewilderingly at her. Then she murmured, “Mindy, who are you texting with? Your new boyfriend?”

Mindy chuckled out. Then she snapped out, “No! Absolutely no! I’m texting my mom.”

“Oh, I see. Your mom and your dad are staying in Washington now, right?” Brittany said.

Mindy nodded while her eyes were staring at her phone screen. “Yup, my mom accompanies my dad working overseas there.”

And then Brittany quickly jumped out of her bed and shouted after, “Okay, don’t forget what day it is, Mindy Esmond!”

Mindy immediately pinched her eyes at her, feeling flustered. “What day it is?”

Brittany giggled at her as she took a white towel from the closet. And as she walked toward the bathroom, she shouted out, “It’s the Scavenger Hunt day!”

“Ugh, don’t remind me, please!” Mindy exclaimed out peevishly. And then she instantly threw herself on the bed, feeling lazy.

Brittany stole a glance at her from behind the bathroom door. Then she snarled out, “Get up and wake up! You don’t want to miss your extra score, Miss Smarty Pants!”

As Brittany said that out loud, Mindy hurriedly covered her face with her white pillow. Then she giggled alone.

***

It was Wednesday morning at UPenn. Everyone in the English department was ready to celebrate the monthly event. And this time, the head department got an idea to invite the students to go out in the wild and enjoy the sunshine.

Mindy and Brittany walked into the blue bus together with other students. Once they sat side by side in the bus, Mindy sighed heavily.

Brittany nudged her arms and murmured, “Come on, it’s going to be fun! Don’t pout.”

“I am not pouting,” Mindy denied.

“Sure, but I can see it written on your face,” Brittany teased her.

Mindy rolled her eyes, annoyed and bored about joining this creative event.

And then her eyes caught the bad boys and the hot chick girls sat near each other in the middle of the bus.

“Look at them,” Mindy nodded her chin at those people. Then she smirked as she muttered, “People like them are programmed to meet each other. They are just like stupid magnets. Always find each other whenever and wherever they are. Well, energetically speaking.”

“I can see that,” Brittany agreed with what she said. “Bad boys meet pretty girls. It’s not something new. We see people like them in cheesy rom-com movies.”

Mindy giggled with her punchline. “Well, that’s a good one.”

“Yeah, huh, I know,” Brittany chuckled.

For a second, they gazed out again at those people. There were Brandon, Roy, Rachel, Shelby, Stacy, and some other boys in their group.

And the last person that got on the bus was Alain Elwood. Seemingly, he seemed lazy and uninterested to be here with other students as well.

Rachel immediately raised from her seat. She waved her curvy hand at Alain, who was walking toward her. She hurriedly invited him to sit with her together. And her voice was just so annoying at the time, “ALAIN! DARLING! COME HERE! SIT WITH ME!”

“Gosh, I hate her high pitch voice. It’s like the sound of stupid drum rolls is being smashed altogether,” Mindy muttered peevishly as she half-covered her ears with her hand.

Brittany followed to cover her ears. “Yeah, I can’t agree more.”

They just couldn’t bear to hear Rachel snarling out. They had to keep their hands on their ears for a moment.

When Rachel realized what they were doing against her, she immediately shouted out at them, “MAJOR LOSERS! KEEP DOING THAT UNTIL YOU’LL SORE YOUR ARMS!”

Mindy and Brittany giggled concurrently when Rachel was pissed off.

As Alain approached the boys in the middle of the bus, he turned around to see Mindy. Then he grinned at her. She wondered why he was grinning weirdly at her.

Rachel talked to him while leaning on his arm mischievously, “Ah, come on, Alain, Baby. Sit with me here. Shelby and Stacy already sit down together.”

“Yeah, Alain, sit with her or open a room already!” Brandon shouted out stupidly.

And then Roy added, “You guys remind me why I stay single! I’m jealous!”

Alain giggled at their joke. And sometimes, he liked to steal a glance at Mindy again.

“I think Alain is secretly staring at you,” Brittany noticed.

Mindy glanced at her, half bulging her eyes out. Then she snapped out, “Maybe he has an issue. Isn’t he a guy with a lot of problems in his life?”

Brittany chuckled as she shook her head.

Mindy added, “Just look at him over there. He’s joining the bad club party. Pathetic.”

Afterward, they heard Shelby snarled out with eyes looking in their direction, “This bus is a special place for the cool people only. No geeks like you are, girls!”

Those bad club party people immediately laughed out loud together.

“Gosh, I hate those people,” Mindy muttered.

“If Olive is here, trust me, she will make Rachel and her minions learn their lesson,” Brittany murmured assuredly.

Mindy grinned and said, “Yeah, why didn’t she come along with us here?”

“I think she gets into the other bus,” Brittany nodded her chin at the bus window.

Mindy immediately glanced to see where her eyes were staring at. There was another bus in the university’s parking lot, where other students were waiting in line to get in.

As Mindy leaned back on her seat, then she muttered, “I hope this trip won’t be boring.”

***

The creative festival for the English students of UPenn was always held monthly. But this month, the head of the English department agreed with the other lecturers to have the event took place outdoor.

And they all would go to the wilderness area in Philadelphia, which was located in Fairmount Park. The view of the streaming water and the autumn footpath in the area looked invigorating and chilling.

As soon as they arrived in Fairmount Park, the lecturers ordered the students to line up. There was Mister Saltzman that would guide a group of students that he chose to go with him.

As Mister Saltzman started foreshortening the students, he called out some names to form a group with him.

“Brandon Davis, Roy Grey, Shelby Sheldon,” he kept on pointing out his index finger at the student he called, “Mindy Esmond, Brittany Parker—”

After he had called out some other names, then the last name he called was, “Alain Elwood. Okay, come on everyone, make a move, we have to go to the wilderness now!”

Mindy slightly exchanged a glance with Brittany when Mister Saltzman invited Alain to join this student group with them.

As if she could read her mind, Brittany grinned and chuckled at her.

After they walked further to the park, then Mister Saltzman paused and turned to see the students that followed his footstep.

And then he clapped his hands and shouted out, “Alright, here is the plan! You’re all going to partner up with your friend. And I will give you the creative assignment, which you will have to write out anything creative that you can find here in Fairmount Park.”

Brittany smiled at Mindy and whispered, “I’m sure we will make such a good team.”

Mindy nodded agreeably with her.

Mister Saltzman continued telling the students, “I want you to be inspired by nature. Write a story. Anything related to the woods, the environment here. Just try to be free and wild, people. Express yourself!”

The students nodded as they understood what he said.

When the students were about to go separately, Mister Saltzman whistled and clapped his hands once again. And he shouted out, “Wait a minute, you guys!”

The students immediately got stopped and turned to see him.

His eyes were scanning all of the students that stood in front of him. And then he smiled widely as he said, “You can’t possibly go out there in the wilderness before I will be the best matchmaker for you guys.”

Mindy and Brittany secretly exchanged a glance. Surely, Mindy narrowed her eyes perplexingly when the lecturer said that weirdly.

And then he started playing a matchmaker book, matching the students with each other. He wanted to make sure that everyone would get to know everyone.

“Next, Brittany Parker—” when he called out her name, Brittany almost got a heart attack. She stood still frozenly. And then he said, “You go with Mister Roy Grey.”

“What? This is so unfair!” Mindy muttered peevishly.

Mister Saltzman heard Mindy’s alerting voice. He immediately pointed out his index finger in her direction and then he smirked, “Uh, uh—”

And then his eyes caught Alain was standing side by side with Brandon near the pine tree.

He immediately shouted out, “Mister Elwood, you go with Miss Esmond here.”

“What? No!” Mindy immediately refused.

But Mister Saltzman didn’t want to take no for an answer. He immediately walked away with other students who were ready to visit the wilderness.

Mindy saw from across the tree, Brandon laughed as he tapped Alain’s shoulder. As soon as Brandon went away with Shelby, there were only Mindy and Alain.

Soon, Alain nodded his chin at her. “Come on, let’s start our scavenger hunt together.”