Forever Roses

Chapter 5 - The Arcade

It was a quiet afternoon in the city, and the sun was casting a glow over the streets. Some people were rushing up and down the streets, while others took their time to go shopping. Justin and Rachel were walking down the street until they stop at the entrance of the arcade, the lights of the place turning on and off, while music blared out from inside. Rachel then proceeds to take a glance at her watch. "I told my dad we'd be back by six." she said. Justin nods. "We'll be back by then." he replied, as they walk inside the arcade.

Inside, there were a lot of flashing lights and blaring music, along with row after row of video game cabinets. The smell of popcorn and cotton candy filled the air, as the two walked around, trying to find a good game to play. As they were walking around, Rachel played with a strand of her hair, her eyes scanning the place, trying to find something.

"Hey, you want to play some games? Or do you want to try the race cars?" he asked, trying to sound casual. She hesitated for a moment before nodding. "How about the games?" she replied.

As the afternoon wore on, they walked around the arcade, and pausing to playa few games that stood out to them. Justin was surprised to find that Rachel wasn't half bad at some of them. He couldn't help but smile as he watched her focus intently on the screen. As they played, Justin couldn't help but notice the way Rachel's eyes lit up whenever she successfully completed a mission or destroyed an enemy. The game then ends, and both Justin and Rachel smile as the score was displayed on the screen.

The arcade began to empty out, and the lights started to flicker off one by one. Finally, with a sigh of relief, they made their way out onto the deserted sidewalk. "Well," Justin said, stuffing his hands in his pockets, "that was...interesting." Rachel nodded. "Yeah, it was," she replied, glancing at her watch." We should probably get going.

As they made their way back to the entrance of the arcade, they passed by a row of claw machines, and Rachel stopped in front of one. "You want to try?" Justin asked, gesturing to the machine. "I guess," she replied, inserting a few quarters into the slot. Justin stood beside her as they both watched the machine. Rachel leaned in as she made a few quick movements, trying to guide the claw, but it didn't seem to be working. Finally, she let out a frustrated sigh and stepped back. "I guess not," she muttered under her breath.

Justin reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder. "It's okay," he said gently. "We can try another one." She looked up at him, surprise appearing on her face before she quickly composed herself. "Yeah," she replied. "Let's do that."

Together, they moved on to the next claw machine, their fingers crossed behind their backs. This time, they both watched in awe as the claw swooped down and carefully lifted a small stuffed animal off the shelf. Rachel let out a triumphant whoop. "Yes!" she said, letting out a huge grinning. Justin couldn't help but laugh ashe took the stuffed animal from the machine and handed it to her. "I guess that's your prize." he said.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Very funny," she replied. She turned back to the machine, her hand reaching out to run her fingers along its surface. After running her hand on the machine, they then proceed to walk outside. "Thanks for coming with me," she said. "It was... nice." Her voice trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished. He wanted to say something more, to tell her that it had been nice for him too, but he didn't want to ruin the moment. So instead, he simply nodded and said, "Yeah, of course."

Rachel then stopped abruptly, her eyes fixed on something across the street." Justin, look." she said. Justin followed her gaze and saw a small kitten in the middle of the sidewalk. Without hesitation, he dashed across the street, scooping up the kitten in his arms. "Poor thing," he murmured. "I'll take care of it from here," he told her, his eyes meeting hers. "You go home, and I'll find it a new home." Rachel stared at him for a moment, happy by his kindness. Before she could say anything, he turned and walked down the sidewalk.

As she watched him go, she felt a sense of relief, knowing that the kitten was in good hands. As she walked home, Rachel found herself thinking about the kitten and Justin. After unlocking the door, she made her way to her bedroom slowly, and with a sigh, crawled into bed. She closed her eyes, feeling the weight of her decisions pressing down on her. But as she drifted off to sleep, she found herself thinking about Justin.

The next morning, she awoke to the sound of a knock coming from the front door. Groggily, she threw off the covers and walked down the hall, her heart racing with anticipation. When she opened the door, she found Justin standing there, holding the kitten. "Good morning," he said. "Slept well?"

"Yes," she replied, smiling. "Thank you for taking care of it."

"It was nothing," he said. "I'm just glad I could help." They sat in silence for a moment, watching the kitten chase a piece of yarn around the room. "So, did you find it a new home?" He looked up at her, his eyes meeting hers. "No," he said." I haven't yet. But I don't think I want to give it away." As they continued to watch the kitten play, they didn't say anything else.

The rest of the day passed, as they talked and laughed, while watching a movie. Rachel found herself enjoying Justin's company. As the sun began to set, as Justin stands up to brush the dust off his pants, he says- "I should probably go. It's getting late, and I should probably start thinking about finding that new home for the kitten."

"Wait," she said, her voice catching in her throat. "I have an idea." He cocked his head to the side. "What is it?"

"Why don't you stay?" she blurted out, surprising herself." Just...for a little while longer."

His eyes widened, and for a moment, she thought he might refuse. But then, slowly, he nodded. "All right," he said. "I'll stay."

A bit later, Justin asks- "So, do you have any plans for dinner?" She shook her head. "No, I don't have anything in mind. What do you feel like?"

He shrugged. "I'm not picky. Whatever you want." She lets out a smile as he says this. "Would you like to order some pizza?" she asked, and Justin lets out a nod.