Hidden Within the Shadows

escape in an arcade

Arcades were fun. Nina could spend dimes and quarters on the stupid video games. However, having to take her kid brother and his annoying friends along with her? Not so fun.

Nina had gone to the Hellfire club meeting, and felt very out of place and welcomed at the same time. It felt like she was one of the boys. After a few initial weird, stilted conversations, they managed to get into the flow of the start of making a campaign. It was odd. Nina had helped Mike with campaigns before, but this one was different. Maybe it was because she was around boys her age, or because they were so ... terrified of her. Apart from Munson. He didn't seem to be scared of her at all.

"We are once more graced by the fair maiden's presence," Munson had said when Nina entered the room. "We such lowly creatures are humbled,"

Nina rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but feel weird. Maiden. Prince - no, princess, since she was a girl. No, that made her feel weird too. Words were nasty.

Afterwards, Munson offered to drive her home. Nina's mom knew she was staying behind at school but didn't know what for. Nancy certainly hadn't asked, too preoccupied with hanging out with Barbara, flirting with Steve The Hair Harrington.

"Can you not call me that?" Nina said, and Munson frowned at her. "Fair maiden. I don't like it,"

Munson nodded. "Something else you wanna be called?"

"Not sure," she admitted. "I just ... being a girl fucking sucks, man,"

"Hm. I'll think of something."

Nina smiled, not sure why she was feeling so pleased.

Nina liked arcade games, where she could pretend to be the bulky, thick-muscled man. With nothing to do but waste the weekend, Nina knew she had to figure out what the hell was wrong with her. It wasn't like she could talk to her family about it. She knew that they wouldn't understand and would jump to conclusions. So until she figured it out, she would keep it safe, a secret hidden in her heart until it was allowed to be released.

But there she was, in the arcade, trying to ignore the way Keith was staring at her as he licked at his ice pop. Mike and his friends were a few games down from her, shouting and cursing to themselves as Will tried to kill whatever foe was on the game. Nina was playing Lunar Lander, just to pass the time. She was waiting for the Pac-Man game to become free.

"Lunar Lander?" came the voice of Keith. Nina resisted the urge to shudder. Something about Keith made her feel uncomfortable. "That your go-to game?"

"No," she said shortly. Maybe she could deck him if he bugged her enough. Aggravated assault or something.

Keith opened up a bag of Cheetos. Nina grimaced. "You should try Space Invader,"

"I have the high score," she told him, trying to keep the conversation short. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "Get away from me, Keith, I'm not prostituting myself for you. Fuck off."

"Sheesh," he said, and continued to mutter to himself as he walked off. Nina figured he'd call her a slut or a frigid bitch. Nina didn't care, so long as it made him leave her the fuck alone.

"Who would you prostitute yourself for?"

Fuck, could she not get some time alone?"

Finishing her level, Nina looked to Ben the Dungeon Master. "Not you, that's for sure. I have an alphabetised list of those I'd fuck. You're not on that list,"

"Oh, and who is?" Andrew appeared at Ben's shoulder, followed by Jeff, Eddie and Gareth.

Nina looked each of them in the face. "I have standards, and none of you meet them," she said, then glanced to Eddie, who shot her a crooked grin. "If you don't mind, I was enjoying my time on my own before some horny teenage boys decided to harass me. Trust me, boys, I know how to castrate you."