Hellcat

Chapter 19

Abraham Bennett

I love the cinema. Even though I am seventeen I can't help feeling like an excited ten-year-old whenever I walk through the doors and see the rows of velvet seats and the big screen. I usually get there early enough to snag my favourite seat, then I would sit there hugging my family-sized popcorn until the film begins. I would allow myself a few slurps of pop in the trailer, but other than that I usually just wait.

But today, I'm not alone. 

Josh offers to get the snacks, mainly because he plans on getting everything they have available, leaving Wilder and I to get tickets and the seats. 

We walk over to the reception desk together. I am hyper-aware of her presence next to me. I get wafts of her perfume and I can feel her body heat because of the very little space between us. She does not seem to notice how heavy my breathing is, or how red my neck is. I feel hot, and my hands are starting to get clammy.

"Hi!" I say, wincing slightly at how loudly that came out. 

Eli gives me a sideways glance. Her eyes say, are you that excited? But her lips are sealed. 

The last behind the desk plasters on a fake smile when she sees us. "Hi, I'm Lady. How can I help you?"

"Which movies do you have on show tonight?" Eli asks. 

Lady shuffles around the desk for a few seconds before handing us two flyers. "Tonight we are showing La La Land, The Invisible Man, Sorry We Missed You and Moonlight."

"Which would you suggest?" I ask because they all sound amazing but I have watched Moonlight before and it wasn't very appealing to me. I can't say I like the idea of watching it again but if that's what Eli wants, I'll go through with it.

Eli doesn't answer, she's reading the synopsis on the flyers Lady gave us. 

"I would suggest The Invisible Man. It's a really good scary movie, " Lady says. 

"Eli?" I ask, seeking her consent.

She shrugs. "It should be an interesting attempt to scare me." Translation: sure. 

"Okay. Now it's just left with seats."

"Well if I were you I'd take the seat in the right corner, nobody else is sitting around there, so you two can easily enjoy your movie and have your 'you time'."

I flush. "We're not-"

"Babes!" Josh yells, coming over to us with his hands full of snacks. I don't even know how he is managing to balance all of that in his hands. "I put the bill on your credit card Abe, " he says. "Turns out cinema snacks cost more than twenty dollars." 

"How did you get my card?" I ask with narrowed eyes. 

"Eli thought me how to pickpocket, " he says then beams proudly at her. "I hope I made you proud master."

She pets his head, smirking at me. "You did."

"I didn't realise there were three of you, " Lady says. "Of course our movie theatre is progressive so I totally respect your relationship."

"They're brothers, " Eli says flatly. 

Lady's eyes widen. "Oh wow. I thought brothers sharing their ladyloves was just in erotic fantasy books." 

I'm stunned. Appalled. Shocked. Horrified. I can't believe she actually thought the three of us were in an amorous relationship. 

When I look at Josh, I am surprised to find him laughing. It's not just the quiet polite laughter when someone says a joke that isn't funny. It's a full-on belly laugh that leaves him wiping stray tears at the end. 

Eli is still. Frozen. But she doesn't seem to be in shock. In fact, she seems unfazed. Like a stoic. Or she's just masking her emotions. I wish I didn't wear my emotions on my face because then I wouldn't feel like she had the advantage over me. 

"What's so funny?" Lady asks, not understanding our reactions. 

I look her dead in the eye. "The three of us are just friends." 

Lady pales. "Oh."

"Yeah, " Eli says. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

"I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding. I just assumed you were together."

"That was your mistake, " Eli spits. "Where's your manager? I need to speak to him about the quality of the personnel he has hired."

Lady seems to be on the verge of tears. "You don't need to get my boss involved. I truly am sorry for the misunderstanding."

"Sorry doesn't cut it, " Eli snaps. "Call your boss so we can get this issue settled quickly. I will not tolerate such disrespect from a commoner like you. Do you know who I am? My mom is a judge. I can have you fired." 

"Please, " Lady whimpers. "I have a son. I need this job to take care of him. I'll give you whatever you want. Just don't get my boss involved."

"Whatever I want, huh?" Eli smirks. "Free movie passes for a month."

"Yes! Yes!" Lady says excitedly, fumbling with the drawers and handing us the tickets. "I'll even get you the best seats in the house."

"That won't be necessary, " Eli says. "Thank you for all your help."

"Thank you, " Lady lets out. "For not involving my boss."

Eli smiles. "Have a nice day, Lady." 

"I thought you said your parents are dead?" Josh asks after we have settled in the middle row between the teenagers at the back and kids in front. 

"They are." She answers simply.

"So you made all of that stuff up?" I ask incredulously. Damn, this girl's acting skills are par excellence. 

"Yep, " she says, taking popcorn from the bucket in Josh's lap and munching on it. 

"But why?" I ask.

"That lady basically accused me of having a menage with brothers. That is wrong on levels even I can't comprehend. And you guys should be even more offended than I am, she was implying incest as well."

"I think it would be kind of hot, " Josh confesses with a smirk earning a glare from me and a whack on his head from Eli. He rubs his head her she hit him while mumbling something along the lines of, "Why are you so violent woman?" 

"Of course you would, " I say with an eye roll. Being with Eli sounds kind of exciting, adding my little brother to the picture makes me want to throw up. "You're Josh."

"Hey, " he whines. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're a nasty little fucker." Eli states deadpan. 

"I wouldn't say it in those exact words, " I say. "But, yeah."

"You guys are mean, " Josh grumbles, aggressively tearing his chicken drumsticks and chomping them loudly. "I don't like you any more." 

Eli slurps her grape soda. "That's something I can live with." 

Annoyed, Josh sighs and crosses his arms, turning to face the other side stubbornly. 

"That was some pretty impressive acting back there, " I admit, staring at her shily. "You really had me convinced."

"I have my moments, " she dismisses my compliments without much thought. It's almost as if she's scared to be told there's something good about her. 

"I'm sorry about your parents, " I say, remembering what Josh had said. 

"I'm over it, " she says, quietly staring at her hands. "Fifteen years is a long time to get over someone." She sounds bitter when she speaks. It's obvious she's lying. I can hear the pain in her voice. 

"You don't have to worry about-"

"Shh!" Josh hisses, cutting me off rudely. "The movie is starting." 

I glance at Eli, she shrugs her shoulder and begins staring intently at the screen while occasionally taken popcorn from the bucket on her lap. 

In a way, I'm glad I was interrupted by Josh. I don't want to imagine what she would have thought had I got the chance to finish what I was saying. 

You don't have to worry about that anymore. You have me now. 

"What now?" Eli asks as we walk out of the theatre, still laughing at how Josh was screaming and throwing popcorn at the screen throughout the movie. I've always known my brother to be scared of trivial things but The Invisible Man is a good movie and so I have to admit even I was a little spooked.

But Eli was completely unfazed by it. Clearly, she has seen greater horrors in her life than witnessing the slitting of a sister's throat by an invisible figure and subsequently being framed for the murder.

"Now, " Josh says. "I drive." 

"No way, " I say instantly shaking my head. 

"But I want to keep it a surprise!" 

"You can give me directions, " I say. 

"You're no fun, " Josh pouts. 

"If being fun is willfully putting the safety if my car into your hands then yes, I'm no fun. The only reason my car is still in such great shape is that you haven't been allowed behind the steering wheel."

Josh and Eli make eye contact and both begin snickering. 

"Why are you laughing?" I demand. 

Josh looks like he's about to let me in on the joke when Eli 'accidentally' steps on his foot and mumbles what is supposed to be a discreet and incoherent 'shut up!'. 

"Nothing, " he says, smiling innocently. "You can drive."

"Where are we going?" Eli demands. 

Josh grins at her. "Laser tag."

"Now you have no reason to drive. Get in the car." I instruct. "Eli up front, " I interrupt Josh as he is about to call shotgun. 

He glares at me with his mouth pulled into a sour expression. "Not fair."

"What's not fair?" Eli asks, savouring the victory. 

"I'm his brother. He should have chosen me."

"Obviously Abe wants someone pretty to sit beside him, or he would have considered sitting next to you in the theatre as well." 

So she noticed. I thought I was being discreet in my efforts to always be close to her. Thankfully, she was assuming it was something completely different.

"If I was a girl he would totally choose me," Josh says. 

"Yeah, " Eli snorts. "Not true."

"It is."

"It's not."

"It is."

"It's not."

"It is."

"It's not." Wilder and I chorus. 

Josh looks at me with a hurt expression on his face and I can't tell whether it's fake or not. The realization that his acting skills have gotten so good scares me. He could be playing me right now and I wouldn't even know it. "It's not?" 

"It's not, " Eli deadpans. 

"Aw, " he frowns. "I seriously thought if it said it's not then you would say it is."

"Life doesn't work like that. Now come on, I'm excited about the prospect of gunning you down." 

"You're scary, " I say, opening the passenger door for her before going to the driver side and getting into the car. 

"You didn't open my door for me, " Josh grumbles, sulking in the back seat with his hands crossed over his chest. 

"You haven't seen the worst of me yet, " Eli answers. "What music do you like?" 

"Mostly Contemporary Christian music and a spritz of pop culture." 

"By spritz, he means lack thereof, " Josh adds unhelpfully. 

"Sounds boring, " she makes a 'yuck' face. 

"It's not, " I argue, shifting gears and pulling onto the main road. "Listen to this." With one hand on the steering wheel, I use the other to go through my tracklist and select my favourite song. 

"Let love explode and bring the dead to life. A love so bold. To seek a revolution somehow, " I can't help but sing along to the first few lines, tapping the steering wheel awhile. 

"Let love explode and bring the dead to life. A love so bold. To bring a revolution somehow, " I croon, my voice soft as I feel Wilder's eyes on me. 

I spare her a glance from the corner of my eye. The golden-brown eyes hold a question in their liquid gold and amber pools. 

What are you? 

"Now I'm lost in Your freedom. In this world I'll overcome, " I sing, feeling the rush of wind in my face as I roll the windows down. 

I don't know what I am.

"My God's not dead. He's surely alive! He's living on the inside. Roaring like a lion!"

I don't care that I'm singing loudly and Wilder is staring at me with growing amusement on her face because as I sing the words I know they are true. God is alive.

"God's not dead! He's surely alive. He's living on the inside. Roaring like a lion!"

It's why I have such an amazing life and I have failed to show Him just how grateful I am for all the good things he has done for me. But no more, tonight is the night when I forget about all the disappointments and failures. Tonight is the night of happiness. And freedom. 

I stare at Wilder again, this time, I meet her gaze. I hope she can understand the message I'm trying to convey with my eyes otherwise I am risking a car accident to make eye contact with her for nothing.

I don't know what I am. But I know you are what I want. 

It's not long before we arrive at the laser tag place. I recognise a few of the cars in the parking lot. Keith's Lexus, Cole's navy and rust orange motorcycle. 

When we get inside, I discover that the entire basketball team is here. Most of them have already registered for the games and I can see their names on the board above the welcome desk. Some of them have gone dark which means they have been eliminated. Keith is still in the game. So is Aspen. 

I follow Josh and Eli to the front desk. 

"Hi. We have a session here. Booked under Josh Bennett."

The receptionist smiles. "Of course. Arena 3, on the first floor. The other members of your group have already arrived."

"Thanks." Josh flashes her a smile and the woman blushes. He has that reaction on everyone. Well except Wilder. Maybe that's part of the reason I'm interested in her. She does not even respond to Josh's charms. I've never someone like that. 

"Are you okay with the stairs?" She asks, referring to my ankle. To be honest, despite the heaviness of the walker boot, it felt almost normal. 

I smile, glad she at least worries about me. "One flight of stairs doesn't sound too bad."

"You can hold on to me for support, " she offers. "That's if you need it."

An excuse to hold her without being judged is one I would usually jump at. But the idea of making myself look weak in front of her diseases me so I have to turn down her offer. 

"Thanks, but really, I can manage."

"If you insist, " she shrugs. I'm a little disappointed she does not offer to help any further. 

"Shall we go then?" Josh asks, he's done flirting with the receptionist. 

"Yeah." 

I heave a sigh in relief when we arrive at the arena. It takes a few minutes for us to gather all the guys. I can see that the whole team is here. Keith, Marcus, Cole, Aspen, Willian, Rodney, Dale, Allen, Lloyd and Jerome. Rodney and Cole brought their girlfriends, Jemima and Raina respectively. Willian's sister Beatrice is here too. 

I'm told Vernon couldn't make it because his sister was sick and he had to play nurse for her. 

When we convene, we take about ten minutes with the introductions. Eli doesn't know Willian, Jerome and Dale because they don't sit at the basketball table with us. William usually sits with the other chess club members, Jerome likes to hang out with the 'popular crowd'. He is one of Christine's regular booty calls though I know he actually likes her. And Dale is sort of the nerd of the group. He usually has his lunch in the courtyard even though we have tried and failed several times to invite him to join us. 

After that, Josh sets off to find the referee and returns a few minutes later with the referee. 

The referee looks a bit worn, even though he is trying his best to conceal it. "Welcome. I'm Dan, and I'll be your referee for today. 

"As you can see this arena does not have a clear path to anywhere. The obstacles provide cover for both teams,  and I will be watching through the numerous cameras hidden in the room. Unlike real lasers, the guns don't actually blind the cameras so don't try shooting at them, you won't succeed." This brings a sprinkle of laughter from our rather large group. 

"While this is supposed to be a fun activity, there are a few rules you have to follow. Try not to get within 5 feet of another payer. If you do, back away from each other and resume playing.  Do not leave the boundaries of the play area. No climbing trees, y'all are not Tarzan."

More laughter.

"When you are eliminated, put your hands and gun up in the air to let other players know you are out. When you are eliminated, do not give your team any information about enemy players." Dan takes a breath.

He continues, "Because you are so many, you will divide yourself into three teams. Each team will be identified by a certain colour, which will show on the vests. The objective is to be the last team standing. Or if you are feeling particularly violent, the last person. You're not allowed to take away an opponent's weapon. Alright, so now you'll have to go put on your vests and sun and sensors."

The teams that are formed are

Red team: Keith, Wilder, Cole, Allen, RodneyYellow team: Abe, Josh, Willian, Dale, Aspen, BeatriceBlue team: Marcus, Jerome, Raina, Lloyd, JemimaThe idea of splitting the couples is Josh's. I'm pretty sure he just wants to test just how cold-blooded we really are when it comes down to it. It annoys me that I'm not the same ream as Wilder. I'm not sure why Josh did that since we're not a couple, she doesn't even know how I feel (I think). But at least she's one the same team with Keith so I know she's safe. My team has six members because according to Dale, I'm only half a person thanks to my sprained ankle. He is kind of right though. 

The lights in the arena have been dimmed, but I believe the domain is about the size of a football field.

A buzzer sounds throughout the arena, signalling the start of the game. It's time to assume roles. I have been elected team captain since I'm the smartest with Josh as my assistant because he has the most experience in the game. 

We talk strategy. Aspen labels me as 'high maintenance' true as it is in this situation, is still very insulting so we agree that I'll stay at our base be the lookout. Josh came prepared with walkie talkies for us to use to chat so everyone gets one and our team disperses with only the aim of crushing the other teams. 

After ten minutes, I get bored with sitting still and decide to wander around to see if I might get lucky and hit someone. 

"You were supposed to stay still, " a female voice says. 

I turn around, to find Beatrice standing there with her laser gun aimed at my helmet. "We're on the same team," I say. 

"Doesn't matter, " she shrugs. 

I weigh my options. There's no way of knowing for certain that if I reach for my weapon she might not actually just decide to end me but at the same time, I don't like being in this vulnerable position.

"Lower the gun, Bea, " I say softly. 

She complies. Bea is really pretty with icy blonde hair, marked with the lightest blue eyes much like her brother's and flawless extremely pale skin. Josh's type, I think. And yet the two of them have never been together. At least not to my knowledge though I heard some rumours that they fooled around a bit in sophomore year. 

"How did you know I wasn't going to shoot?" She asks coming to sit next to me on the artificial rock. 

"If you were, you would have done it the minute you saw me."

Bea is about to say something when we hear the rapid-fire. A few minutes later, our walkie talkies start sizzling and cracking before

"Josh to yellow team, do you read me? Josh, over."

"Yeah, Josh, we hear you, " I answer. "What happened?"

"I just took out Jerome, Rodney and Keith. Unfortunately, Keith managed to get me so I'm out too."

"Anyone else hit?" Bea asks. "Willian? Dale? Aspen?"

"Fine, " Aspen groans. "I think I was tripped by a wire. I almost got shot by Jemima but I took her out."

"Still here, " Dale says. "Aspen is right. It appears there have been traps set around the arena so be careful." 

"I've been eliminated, " Willian admits. "Sorry I let you guys down."

"Okay. Let's-"

I'm interrupted by the sounds of more shots.

"Dude, I'm already eliminated why are you still shooting me?" Josh. "Keith just double murdered me. I think that counts as cheating which means we are allowed to cheat too." 

"No, " I say instantly. "Well play fair. And be careful. Shoot as many of your friends as you can." That sounds so wrong but it's the truth. I turn to face Bea. "Let's split up. I'm going to a higher level so I have the advantage of land to shoot at more people."

"I shot your girlfriend, " she blurts out. 

"But I don't have a girlfriend..." I trail off, realising who she's talking about. "Eli." 

"I saw her on a killing spree. She took out half of the blue team and when I saw her take out Willian too, I had to take action. I'm sorry."

"It's just a game, " I chuckle. "I really don't think she will hold it against you." 

The game ends twenty minutes later. The red team wins. Since Eli eliminated the most combatants, it is decided that she will choose where we would go for dinner. Only two people remained standing at the end, Dale and Cole. Cole took Dale out and the game ended. I was eliminated shortly after I left Bea by Rodney, revenge because Eli took out Jemima. 

 Josh is brooding in the backseat as I drive to Sandy's Frizilla. Sandy's is one of the most popular diners in town. They are infamous for their amazing sloppy joe sliders and beef steaks. 

I don't get why Josh is unhappy because after we got eliminated, we had a lot of fun in the screening room watching the other players in the arena. But I know Josh is only unhappy because he was eliminated so early in the game after showing off about how experienced and nimble he was. 

"I heard you were a real Calamity Jane today, " I say when we're on the road. 

Wilder looks at me with a confused expression. "Calamity Jane?" 

"Lady gun-slinger from the West, " I answer. "How many people did you stamp out?" 

"Four, " there's a hint of pride in her voice when she says it. 

"I only took out two, " Josh grumbles in the back but we both ignore him. After a few minutes, he will snap back to his normal self.

"Who were they?" I ask. I want to know more about her success and avoid talking about my lack thereof. Embarrassingly enough, I didn't fire at anyone. 

She smirks, only too happy to elaborate on her winnings. "Marcus, Lloyd, Jemima and Willian. I might have gotten Keith too if Josh hadn't beaten me to it."

"But he was on your team, " I say. 

She looks at me with am imploring smirk. "So?" 

I stumble over my words and sigh in defeat murmuring a 'never mind' when I realise I can't find the right words to describe her.

To think I thought I had a competitive spirit. This girl is vicious. 

But maybe vicious isn't so bad.

We get a booth near the front door and it's not long before the others arrive. But its just Keith and Allen. The others begged off the offer because apparently, they had other stuff to do. 

Allen and Wilder seem to get along nicely. But they're not flirting so I'm not concerned. Our food comes round and the conversation flows as we chomp down our burger sliders. 

"So Abe, " Allen starts. "Did you have fun tonight?"

"Besides the part where I had to watch the game from the sidelines, I did."

"I still can't believe that woman thought you three were a couple. How crazy is that." Of course, Josh told Keith and since Allen was here, he got to hear it too. 

"Well, Eli put her in her place, " I say. 

Staring at Eli as she messily devours her sloppy joe I can't help but think,

Everybody needs a little Wilder in their life.

Second double update in a row! And this one is extra-long too.