No Guidelines

Chapter 8-2

Looz

Looz and Emma walked around the carnival booths. People lined up playing the games and taking photos. Emma's face hardly ever lifted from her phone. The urge to put on her music and ditch Emma tempted Looz—she was already being ignored. She put those feelings aside and tried to talk.

"Want to play some of the games?"
Emma replied without losing her concentration, "yeah sure if you want to."

They walked around to find a game they liked. All the while, Looz was trying to make conversation but Emma kept giving dry responses. Suddenly Emma's voice jumped.

"Oh my god! Look at that stuffed ducky! It's so big and fluffy! I want it!"

The duck hung above a ring toss game. It was the biggest stuffed animal they had. There were bottles lined up in a circle. The outer circle was three layers of blue bottles, then 2 inner circles that were green and then a singular red bottle. The owner of the booth chimed in. "It can be yours if you can get all three rings on the center red bottle."

"How much to play?" Looz asked.

"1 dollar," he said.

Emma pulled out her wallet from her handbag. "Easier done as said lizzy!" She handed the man a buck in exchange for three plastic rings.

"Hold on little lady, there's a trick to winning now,"

"Yeah I know! I've done this game plenty of times before," Emma said. She got as close as she was allowed and tossed her first ring. It landed on the center red bottle.

"Yas! See that Liz!" She exclaimed.

"Wow that's pretty impressive Emma. I didn't think you'd be good to be honest."

Emma prepared herself again. Holding the ring in front of her—her focus pure. She tossed it and it landed in the green circle.

"Fuck!" She exclaimed.

"Maybe it was just beginner's luck," Looz said.

Emma glared at her and then focused again. She got the red bottle again.

"Good job!" Exclaimed the man, "But unfortunately, you had to get all three rings in the red to get the duck. Feel free to pick one of the smaller prizes on the first two rows."

Emma put on a cute facade. "Oh cmon, you can't let it slide just this once?"

"Sorry, rules are rules."

"Whatever," she said. She flipped him off and walked away.

"Fuckin' teenagers," the man muttered under his breath.

"Sorry about my friend sir, she's a real bitch and a half," Looz said, "but is there anyway I can just buy that duck?"

"20 bucks kid or win the game."

"All I got is ten, is that okay?"

The man rolled his eyes, "you got enough for ten tries."

She better be fuckin grateful. Looz spent her first dollar for the very same rings Emma had used. How hard can it be, she thought. Her hands had a slight jitter to them, as if she was nervous—although she felt there was no reason to be. Still she couldn't help the minute shake of the hands. She waved her hand forward and back, like a pendulum, aiming for the red bottle. On her third wave she released the first of three rings.

Blue.

"Fuck!" Looz exclaimed. She purposely fumbled the rest of the rings, to move on to her next try.

"Another try?" The man said. Looz Handed him a buck. Behind Looz was another student, "I'd like a turn too," they said.

"Wait your turn bud! I'm a paying customer!" The student looked to the man running the booth for help, but was met with a neutral shrug of his shoulders. They sat back and waited.

Looz concentrated once more, really aiming for the red bottle. She released the ring and hit red.