20. "THE BEST CHOICE?"
1035 Words
"Wow." That's the first word I can utter.
"Amused?" Claude laughed as Elise giggled in excitement.
"More like amazed." I stared at the game center in front of me. "This one occupies the whole floor!" I exclaimed.
"I know right. Looking from here, I can't even choose what to play first." Elise replied, her eyes were beaming while roaming the whole floor.
"Do you play Tekken?" I asked her when I saw the console at the right part of the center.
"I do, but don't you wanna try that?" She asked, pointing at the racing game.
"Of course I do, but let's start warming up with Tekken. Shall we?"
She gave me a high five before we went our way to the gaming console.
"Alright ladies, gear up while I top up my gaming card."
"Your treat? That's so sweet of you, Claude." Elise gave him a back hug.
Claude looked at me, waiting for my turn to say my thank you speech.
"Thank you Claude, that is very nice of you." He moved towards me then stretched his arms, waiting for me to run on his arms. "But no, I don't do hugs."
He laughed as I expressed my thoughts. "I know." He waved his hand a little then turned his back at us to go to the top up machine.
"So how was the university so far?" Elise asked while setting herself up in the gaming chair.
'Still in the adjustment phase, I guess." I replied.
God Aly, still awkward in conversation, way to go to make new friends.
"Good to have Claude, right? She also helped me when I first transferred to Addilyn."
"Oh really? I guess he works at Addilyn, he just don't want to tell us." We laughed in unison.
"I heard my name." Claude tilted his head in confusion. His face was frowning.
"Oh, we're just talking how good as a university tour guide you are."
"I don't believe you. But anyway, here is the card. Play anything you want."
Time just went by in a blink. We were so busy playing all the games available. I think it's been three hours already and for our last game we will be playing The dawn of dead.
"Can you hold a gun?" Claude asked Elise.
What I noticed this whole duration of being with them, Claude looks differently at Elise. Most of the time he stared at him from afar. When we were playing the claw machine, and Elise was too frustrated she cannot get a single toy, he walked far from us. I followed him, blending in the crowd so he won't notice. He went straight to the farthest claw machine, one we cannot see him playing. I took a quick peek at Elise, just to see if she is still busy. She was still in front of the claw machine, tapping the buttons hard as if that would help.
"Guess she really likes to get Pikachu." I whispered to myself.
Looking back at Claude, I saw him having trouble getting one as well. Well, they loosen up the claw, you really can't get one unless your lucky.
I was about to go back to Elise when I noticed Claude roaming his eyes around. He saw a school boy, maybe he was around seven.
"Woah." He was holding at least seven toys in his hands. How can he do that?
I saw Claude whispering on his ear. The boy stared blankly in the air for a second then he nodded his head.
He gave him money.
I laughed while I make my way back to Elise.
"Where were you?" Elise asked me, her eyes still glued on the prize.
"Just went around to check out if Dawn of the dead has players. Let's go there after that."
"I don't think we will be over here anytime soon, honey. I want that Pikachu." She was serious, though I can see the frustration in her eyes.
"Whaddup, ladies." Claude was back.
"I can't get a Pikachu." Her face faced Claude who was holding one.
"Pikachu?" Elise pointed at his toy. "That's unfair! How did you get one?" Elise put her palms on her face. Such an innocent lady.
"The boy gave it to me, he was holding a lot." Claude explained plainly. "Here, you can have it." He offered the Pikachu which she quickly grabbed.
"Thank you Claude!" She looked at him with teary eyes.
I laughed at her response.
"I didn't gave you that for you to cry." Claude moved towards her, getting the Pikachu back. Of course he was just faking.
The next thing she did surprised us both.
She jumped on her feet while Claude instantly fixed his stance to catch her. When she was being carried by Claude, she kissed him on the cheek.
No one utter a word.
Claude, his ears were red. His eyes were looking from afar but I can feel it from here how messy his thoughts were as of that moment.
Elise smiled at him before she went down.
"Hungry?" She asked which we both nodded in response.
---
"Uhm. So, where do we eat?" I asked them both. I can feel Claude's awkwardness from here.
On the other side, Elise was just happy walking beside him with the Pikachu still on her hands.
"Have you tried "The best choice"? I think that's one of the most delicious restaurant here.
"Uh yeah." Claude, finally back on Earth, responded. " I bet Aly hasn't tried that yet, right?" I nodded at him. "Let's go upstairs, it's on the third floor."
We made our way to the escalator. While we are on it going up, a whole load of men in black suit and tie were going down.
My eyes were fixated on them.
Halfway the escalator, I saw a familiar figure in the middle of all these men.
"Daniel." I murmured under my breath.
His eyes turned to mine. I know that from his reaction he noticed me, but before he could even let me meet his eyes, he turned his gaze away.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, Daniel's family own this mall." Claude said to me.
So they own The Sinclair.
- Writer
