Three Words

Chapter 11 - Tris

I'm crouched in the corner of a dark, black lit room holding a laser gun with a very heavy, ill-fitting light up vest on. I'm so glad I wore dark jeans and a navy blue top or I would be sticking out more than I already am. My blonde hair is practically a beacon in this room. I have never played laser tag in my life, and when Four pulled up to the building I thought it was a joke. I smile at the conversation we had in the car.

"Are you serious?" Raising my eyebrows.

"Trust me. Yes there will be a ton of kids, but that's the point. We need to act like a kid every once in a while. Our jobs are serious. We need to have fun like kids do; be care free."

"Did you forget I have a kid?"

He laughs. "No I didn't, but you're a parent around her. We're going to act like one without having to worry about looking after her or adult supervision ourselves." He gestures toward the building.

I can't help but laugh, "Oh my God. You'll be the biggest kid in there."

Without missing a beat he adds, "And you'll be the shortest."

I shove his arm still laughing. "Hey, five three is a perfectly average height thank you very much."

"Sure it is...for a middle schooler." He says with a smirk.

I stop laughing. I narrow my eyes at him, not taking my eyes off his face. "Alright, if you aren't going to play fair, how about a competition?"

He raises an eyebrow, "What kind of competition?"

"Whoever wins the most games gets to pick what the other person has to do." Realizing I might regret that, I add, "No running around the streets naked, nothing sexual, or being forced to eat something that shouldn't be eaten."

Four touches his finger to his chin, looking away toward the building thinking. Then looks back at me with a crooked smile. "Wow Tris, I'm glad to see you getting into the spirit of the game. You really are going to try and go all out with the acting like a kid thing aren't you?" He pauses one more time, his face becoming serious again, considering the wager. "You're on!" He holds out his hand for me to shake, smiling. His smile is contagious, and I can't help smiling too. This should be a very interesting game.

Even though my hair is practically fluorescent at this point, my short height has actually proven to be an advantage. I found a spot that seems to be at a crossroads where tons of kids are running past. Since I'm crouched down, they don't see me at first, and I can usually hit their target before they can retaliate. I know I need to move soon though, those little ankle biters are going to gang up on me. I hate to admit it, but Four is right, this is fun.

I get up stretching my legs, and then start speed walking around one of the barriers since running isn't allowed, even though the kids seem to be getting away with it. I haven't seen Four this game yet, and wonder where he could be. I look to my left and right making sure no one is around and start heading down a corridor, but my mind wonders back to Four. The color of his eyes, the way electricity seems pulse through his hand when he touches me, and mostly how his lips felt last night.

In my distracted state, I run into a very solid something almost falling on my butt. A pair of strong arms catch me before I can hit the ground, though, pulling me toward them. I look up to see Four smiling at me. I know I'm confused right now, but in this moment, right now, in the dark, with kids running around and loud music playing, I want to kiss him so badly. When he kissed my forehead last night, it was like every nerve in my body was set on fire; from the top of my head to my toes. It took me totally by surprise, leaving me wandering how his lips would feel against mine.

He begins to let me go. Looking into my eyes, and I feel temporarily frozen. "You're going to hate me for this." His voice a deep rumble.

Before I have time to register what he means, he shoots my target making it vibrate and flash. He flashes me a huge grin, and takes off in the opposite direction. "Four!" I can hear his deep rumbling laugh come from somewhere to the left ahead of me. I take off after him, not caring what the rules stated about not running.