Life in the Shadows

18.

"You're a terrible driver." Jack snickers from the racing car beside mine.

"Don't listen to him; he's jealous that him and Nate are losing," Gilinsky says from beside me.

"Why is he so rude?" I murmur to myself, swerving in front of his car and break-checking.

"Hey!" Nate calls from next to Jack, "Quit doing that!"

"It's something that bad drivers do, so I guess it's my calling!" I yell back.

Sam passes both of our cars, but my objective is piss Jack off, so I smile and wave as he smirks.

"Maggie!" Jack yells.

"What?"

"Slam on the breaks one more time, I dare you." He warns.

"I just might have to do it then, only because you dared me." I answer back, zooming through the figure-8 shape of the track.

**************

"I call dibs on eating first," Jack declares as we end the go-carting.

"Bro, we're all eating at the same time," Gilinsky laughs at his ignorance.

"This is why my seniority is nice when it comes into place," he sighs as we step out of our cars. 

"You don't have seniority anymore, you dumb shit,"

"Yes, I do," he argues back.

"You can only have seniority when you're going to school and you're trying to trick the underclassmen,"

"Well, aren't you just a little know-it-all?"

"Stop," I scold him. "Dad planned this as a nice day, and it's gonna stay that way. Just don't be an asshole and things will roll swimmingly,"

"What does that mean?"

"Alright, kids, I bought passes for unlimited use of the mini-golf, batting cages, laser tag, and go-carts for the rest of the day. We're gonna meet back here for lunch at quarter to noon. Have fun," dad smiles kindly towards us.

"I bet I can hit more baseballs than you in the cages," Jack challenges.

"Bullshit, I've played softball for years. There's no way," I presumptuously smirk. "In fact, I know I can beat all of you,"

"Challenge accepted," Sam smirks. "This'll be easy,"

"For me, it will be. I won three home run derby competitions in a row," I brag.

"Well, aren't you cool?"

"Yup,"

As we reach the batting cages, I grab the bat that best resembles the one I've used for years- a red DeMarini, but I don't see any close to mine, so I grab a blue, medium-weight bat instead.

"Are y'all ready to lose?" I smirk, stretching my arms out.

"I could ask you the same thing, little one," Nate answers.

"I won't be so little when I kick all of your asses,"

"You're all talk but no do. Let's go,"

"So, we're all doing medium pitches with softballs," Jack announces. "Right,"

"Right. Whoever hits the most of their thirty pitches wins,"

"What's the prize?"

"An ice cream of their choice?" Sam suggests.

"Sure," 

"Three, two, one.... Go!"

**************