Chapter Five: The Game Plan
913 Words
Carlos lounged on Kirk’s worn-out beanbag in the middle of his game room, sipping soda as they brainstormed—or, more accurately, schemed. Kirk’s game room was a chaotic mix of video game consoles, neon posters, and empty snack bags. Jessy sat on the couch scrolling through her phone, clearly uninterested in their discussion.
“Alright, boys,” Kirk said, spinning in his swivel chair dramatically, “how do we make Becky do all the work for this project?”
Carlos smirked, tossing a basketball from hand to hand. “Simple. I’ll work my charm on her through w******p. You know, make her think I care about this whole ‘team effort’ thing.”
Jessy snorted. “You? Charm? The only thing you’re good at is annoying people.”
“Watch and learn, Jess,” Carlos shot back, grinning. “She’s quiet, introverted. Easy to convince if I play my cards right.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Kirk said, waving a hand. “But first, we need a group chat. We can’t coordinate chaos, people!”
Kirk grabbed his phone and created a new group chat titled **“Group Five Champions”**. He immediately added Carlos, Becky, Anil, Jessy, and himself.
Carlos leaned over to glance at the chat name. “Champions? Really? We haven’t even started.”
“Manifesting success,” Kirk said proudly, puffing his chest.
Jessy rolled her eyes. “More like manifesting laziness. We all know none of you are doing squat.”
The chat quickly lit up with messages:
- **Kirk:** “Hey, team! Let’s kill this project!”
- **Carlos:** “By ‘kill,’ he means ‘make Becky do it all.’”
- **Jessy:** “Lol true.”
- **Becky:** “Hi, everyone. Should we assign tasks?”
- **Anil:** “Agreed. Let’s plan properly.”
- **Kirk:** “Whoa, chill, Anil. We just made the group. Give us a minute to vibe first.”
Becky sighed as she read the messages. This was going to be a long project.
---
The next day, the group met in one of the study rooms to discuss the project. Becky arrived early, her notes neatly organized and ready. Anil joined her, carrying a stack of reference books.
Carlos strolled in late, holding a coffee and looking far too relaxed. Kirk followed, carrying nothing but his phone, and Jessy trailed behind, chewing gum and scrolling t****k.
“Alright,” Becky began nervously, “so I’ve drafted an outline for our presentation. We need to decide who’s presenting which sections.”
Carlos leaned back in his chair, clearly uninterested. “I vote we let Becky present. She’s got that serious, bookish vibe. Perfect for impressing the professor.”
Anil shot him a glare. “This is a group project. Everyone has to contribute, including presenting.”
“Uh, hard pass,” Kirk said, raising a hand. “Public speaking isn’t my thing. Jessy, you’re up.”
Jessy frowned. “No way. I’m... uh, I’ve got menstrual pain. Can’t do it.”
Kirk groaned. “You’ve been using that excuse for three years, Jess.”
“It’s legitimate,” Jessy snapped. “And it works. So shut it.”
Becky looked at Carlos, hoping for some form of accountability. He raised his hands defensively. “Hey, don’t look at me. I’m allergic to standing in front of the class.”
Anil rolled his eyes. “You mean you’re scared.”
“Call it what you want,” Carlos said, shrugging. “Stage fright is real.”
Becky sighed. “So, it’s just me and Anil, then?”
Kirk clapped his hands. “Perfect! Becky, you’ve got the brainpower. Anil, you’ve got the voice of reason. Dream team!”
Carlos grinned, clearly enjoying the situation. “Yeah, you two have this under control. Team spirit and all that.”
Anil shook his head in disbelief. “Unbelievable. You’re all useless.”
“Hey!” Kirk protested. “I’m the visionary here. Every team needs a Kirk.”
“No, they don’t,” Anil muttered under his breath.
---
The day of the presentation arrived, and as expected, Becky and Anil stood in front of the class while the rest of the group sat comfortably in the back.
Professor Gracious raised an eyebrow as she scanned the room. “Where are the rest of your team members?” she asked.
Becky hesitated, glancing nervously at Carlos and the others. Anil stepped in smoothly. “They contributed to the planning, Professor. Becky and I are just handling the presentation.”
In the back, Carlos gave them a thumbs-up, his grin unapologetic. Kirk whispered to Jessy, “See? Told you they’d pull through.”
Jessy smirked. “You’re lucky Becky’s not the type to snap. If I were her, I’d have dumped this project on you and walked out.”
Becky and Anil delivered a stellar presentation, earning nods of approval from Professor Gracious. As they returned to their seats, Carlos leaned over and whispered to Becky, “Nice job, library girl. You saved us.”
Becky shot him a withering look but said nothing. Anil, on the other hand, glared at Carlos. “Next time, you’re presenting,” he said firmly.
Carlos chuckled. “We’ll see about that.”
As the group left the classroom, Becky couldn’t help but feel both frustrated and amused. Working with this group was proving to be an exhausting rollercoaster—but at least it wasn’t boring.
- Writer
