Steal My Soul

13 | asia

Asia

Bobbi and I slipped out of Ken's car, along with the other five guys who were cramped in the backseat with us. Ken pops the back trunk and two freshmen scramble out, gasping for air. Now that I think about it, squeezing all of us into his BMW sports car wasn't the best idea.

I stretch my legs and arms as we make our way to the arcade. Bath's Arcade is right in the smack middle of town, alongside other amusement spots. It has a bright red and blue sign, with a racing car game right in the front.

People push past us to hurry inside. When we reach the front, Dominic pulls me and Bobbi into a hug with his good arm. When he reaches Ken he stiffens, giving him a curt nod and then walking over.

"What was that all about?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

He shrugs walking inside. It's dark inside the arcade besides the bright screens and vibrant colored lights flickering. We steer through the entanglement of games. Bobbi and I manage to lose Ken in the crowd.

Dominic was gifted this Arcade for his sixteenth birthday and now he uses it as a hangout spot for his friends or to just throw a party when he feels like it. The Bath family went all out for today. There's a popcorn maker and cotton candy machine.

Bobbi already has a pair of Jell-O shots in her hands. She scoops out the spiked red gelatin with the plastic cap of the container while she hands me one. I pop the plastic cup, tasting the sweet, refreshing flavor of strawberry and champagne.

"Don't take too many of these," I warn her. Jell-O shots were dangerous because their effects took a little longer to develop and you could easily eat a whole bunch of them. I've done it before, at a party back in LA and I still can't remember what had happened that night.

She rolls her eyes at me grinning. "Yes Mom," she says.

I poke her in the chest. "I'm serious, I'm not taking care of you if you get wasted,"

She takes my hand pulling me through the crowd. "We both know that's not true," she says over her shoulder.

I groan. "This was going to be a long night."

A DJ is set up in the middle of the room, spinning music, and people are gathered around, singing and pumping their hands to the songs. The tunes go in sync with the beeping of the games. My skin and the floor vibrate as he cranks up the sound.

The football team is huddled around a football game, throwing footballs through the air into a net. Ken is in the center, grabbing footballs from his side of the game as he goes up against Dominic. They cheer each time their scores go up, a trail of tickets, flowing out of the machine.

I stop by the snack table and grab a pretzel slider,  shoving it into my mouth. Bobbi moves quickly through people, her black mini-skirt getting lost in the sea of teens. She stops moving when she reaches the photo booth and I run into her, squishing the remains of my Jell-O shot on both of our white tube tops.

She rips the burgundy curtain open. "Move," Bobbi says sharply, pursing her lips.

I rub my forearm against her back, trying my best not to smudge the tiny small red stain. The girls leave the Photo Booth whispering and giving us icy glares. I mouth a sorry when Bobbi grabs my arm and we sit down inside.

We pose waiting for the camera to flash and click, switching to silly faces and then kissing each other on the cheek. Bobbi turns to face me, staring me down hard. She pulls a strand of hair out of my face and grins.

"I have a surprise for you," she says.

I tilt my head to the side, tapping my chin. "You do? Should I be worried?" I ask.

She smiles. "No, you're going to like it!" She says.

I smile, pulling her into a hug. "I'm so glad that we're able to be friends," I say into her hair.

We pull apart and she's staring at me. She swallows excessively, her gaze clouded. I wave my hand in front of her.

"Bobbi?" I ask, frowning.

She repeatedly shakes her head, wrapping her arms around herself. "Sorry, I got distracted there for a minute," She offered me a small smile. "But why wouldn't be friends?"

"I don't know, I felt like there was always this kind of competition between us, and we hadn't seen each other for so long, I thought maybe we would have grown apart," I say.

She takes my pinky and links it with hers, kissing the top of my thumb. "Are you kidding? You're like a sister to me, we'll always be friends, no matter what,"

I smile, kissing the top of her thumb. "Glad, we're on the same page," She pulls me into a hug again.

"So what's this surprise you have for me? It better be covered in ice cream," I tease.

She grins, winking at me. "Don't worry, it's something sweet,"

Bobbi and I laugh as we saunter out of the photo booth, retrieving our photos. She takes my hand again, leading me to the bar. She orders us two drinks. And I sit down looking at her skeptically.

I play with my bracelet and I glance at my surroundings. And then that's when I saw him.

Darius Quimby was standing in front of me. He was here and he was more beautiful than ever. He looked different.

He was wearing a faded denim jacket over a dark shirt and jeans with a pair of black sambas. His dark hair was styled and gelled in a swooping swish. He looked good.

He smiles taking my hand. "Hey,"

He was a jolt of electricity sparking, a flicker of magic dancing at my fingertips. I wanted to gasp but instead, I turned to ask Bobbi what the hell he was doing here. She grins taking her drink and leaving me there with my jaw hanging open.

I turn back towards him, staring straight into his icy pupils. "Hi," I take a sip of my drink. "What's with the wardrobe change?" I ask.

He gives me a sheepish smile, running his fingers through his hair. "It is that obvious?"

"Just to me," I say with a smile.

He sighs, looking away from me. "I was trying to impress you," he says.

I tilt my head, giving him a once over. "Well, it's working," I say.

I lace my fingers with his fingers, jumping off my chair and following him to a pinball machine. His touch was like stardust fluttering from the sky, blown from the crests of rising waves and getting lost in my beating heart, getting lost in me.

We stood close to each other, my nose brushing against his neck as I inhaled the smoky smell of sandalwood and vanilla. Darius looks at me, taking my hand as he guides it towards the flipper button of the machine. I swallow hard, my heart hammering in my chest.

I look away, licking my lips as our shoulders brush together. The warmth of his touch sent pinpricks of needles vibrating through my skin cells. It was enough to take me over and swallow me whole.

I use my other hand to grip the machine as Darius slingshot the plastic ball into bumpers. "I'm surprised you're here," I say, my mouth dry.

"Me too," He says.

His hand never loosens its grip on mine. I stare at him and when the ball goes through the flippers and rolls into the exit point the machine sings. He glances at me, widening his smile.

"Why are you here?" I asked him.

"I came for you," He answers.

My heart twinges in my chest, flipping through my gut. My breath hitches and all I can do is blink in response. It was at that moment that I realized, I was falling for him.

"I'm glad you came," I whispered.

I leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. His skin is rough and calloused but I don't mind. I quickly pull away from him, pulling a strand of my hair behind my ear. His cheeks turn crimson.

Darius coughs, his gaze piercing through me. "So what other games are good to play around here?"

I smile, my cheeks hurting from the strain.