Drawn To You (boyxboy)

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Peter

"You've got to be kidding me."

My sudden exclamation garnered a few confused glances and one disdainful glare. Oblivious to these responses, I looked from the pseudo-firearm in my hand to the pack, but more in the general direction of Christian. "We came all the way here to play paintball?"

"Well you can't really play double-dutch with paintball guns, now can you?" Eli chuckled as he attached what I assumed was a paintball canister to his own rifle.

"Assuming that he wasn't referring to our choice of equipment," Shane responded, rolling his eyes at Eli, and then turning his attention to me, "what's the problem with paintball?"

"A number of things, actually," I scoffed. "Why paintball and why out here in the middle of nowhere, to name a few."

"We don't get to join any of the teams at school, or anywhere really," Dannon added, slipping on a pair of thick gloves. "We'd have an unfair advantage, so it wouldn't be right. So we play on our own."

"And out of sight," Christian explained, pulling on his vest and buckling it at the back. "Just in case we wolf up - things can get a little intense when we play sports," he added with a little laugh. "So we have these private facilities where werewolves go to play. This paintball field just happens to be the closest one."

"I can see why you didn't give me a heads up," I muttered. I shook my head quickly. "Look, considering I've never played paintball before, and that it qualifies as a sport, which I fail at in general... I should probably sit this one out."

"Haven't you been listening? You have an advantage now. Speed, quick reflexes, accuracy - that's what you'll need here, and you have all of them." He picked up a vest from one of the bags, and walked towards me. "Okay, since you've never played before, we'll make it a simple deathmatch. You shoot the other team, and you try not to get shot." He held the vest in front of me. "It'll be fun, I promise."

Something told me the idea of being shot by a gas-propelled, high-velocity sphere of paint wasn't the most fun thing in the world. I sighed as I looked into his eyes. I could tell that it wasn't just about the game. He was really trying to help me fit in with the others. And since, apparently, I couldn't help but find that sweet, I gritted my teeth and took the vest from his hand.

His eyes lit up, and a grin filled his face. "I'm telling you, you'll enjoy it," he said, and the happiness in his voice made the thought of getting a headshot from Allison almost bearable. He gestured to where the bags were. "Dannon will help you suit up, then we can pick teams."

I nodded slightly as I finished putting on my vest, and began making my way to the curly-haired beta. He gave me a pair of gloves and a sympathetic look. "Don't worry. You'll survive."

"I appreciate your reassurance, but right now it means nothing to me," I sighed, and put on the gloves. There were also knee pads, elbow pads and a belt that looked more high-tech than it probably was, before I had a pair of goggles in one hand and the gun in the other, walking with Dannon to the already assembled group.

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Allison said, us walking in at the tail end of her declaration. "But if I remember quite right - and this is from almost a year ago - Christian and I have an old score to settle."

"You may sound like a bitter old grandma, but yes, you do remember correctly," he replied, a smirk playing on his face. He folded one arm, his paintball gun in the other resting casually against his side, and for some reason the way he looked in that vest made my blood rush. "And since my team won last, I'll be gracious enough to let you have first pick."