Whatever! Book One: Freshman Year

Episode 3: No Holds Barred!

(Ayame's POV)

I told Mr. Blaine that I would serve my detention on Friday.
"Well, did you know that for every day you miss a detention you have to add another detention? Or did Mr. Chinatsu fail to explain that part?" Mr. Blaine explained, questioning my friend.
"I guess he did." Nothing really happened for the rest of the day beside the usual of Mia Ruckers stealing my lunch milk. Damned slut.

(Craig's POV)

After school, we all met up at Atsu's trailer.
"So we need some paintball guns. How much money does everyone have?" I asked.
"I got six bucks," Atsuko said.
"Three," John said.
"Alright, and I got forty bucks," I said. "That's not nearly enough four paintball guns. Maybe enough for the air tanks though." No one else had any cash. Daichi didn't say anything... Once again... Because he was over on the couch tinkering with his gears and stuff.
"Then... What are we gonna do?" Maria asked.
"I'm not sure," I shrugged. I looked over at Daichi who had built four gun looking things. "Are those what I think they are?" I asked surprised.
"Probably... But it depends on what you were thinking. If you were thinking paintball guns, then you were right. Yes. I am capable of building four operating paintball guns in a matter of 45 minutes and 37 seconds," Daichi said emotionlessly. He tossed one that looked like a sawn off barrel shotgun to Atsuko.
"Slug action with spray. Red dot millimeter sights. Three round burst, with extended clip and reduced kick. 20 round magazine," he stopped and tossed a different gun to John. "Full auto SMG. Iron sights. 50 round magazine with reduced kick. Silenced barrel." He tossed one to me, "Assault rifle with red dot sights. 10 round magazine. Reduced kick and a fore grip." He held up his own, "I prefer to use a good old fashioned Glock 18 model. With laser sights of course. Reduced kick. Now we're all set. We should set up targets and practice maybe in Atsuko's back yard."
"Why does everything happen at my place?" Atsu asked.
"Because you are our leader!" John said like one of the alien things from Toy Story.
"Whatever."

(Atsuko's POV)

It was Thursday. Today was the day of the No Holds Barred tournament. After school we all met at Central Park. It was almost time to start. I was so pumped to shoot people with my new paintball gun. The whole crew was here. Maria and Ayame were just going to sit on the sidelines and cheer us on.
"Good luck," Maria said, then she kissed Craig on the cheek and sat down on a bench with Ayame.
We were facing two teams. The White Dragons, Ryu and his cronies, and The Hornets who were coming from Albany. The administrators were readying us at our designated checkpoints.
They had covered all of the tress with clear plastic tarp along with all of the public property. I had my gear on, as did everyone else.
"No Holds Barred will begin in five minutes! Any participants not in their designated starting areas, please proceed to do so. As you all know the winner prize is a brand new clubhouse with a fully operational kitchen and bathroom. Wi-Fi and electricity included and it's all for free!!!" The announcer said through a microphone that had been hooked up to amps on all four corners of the park. "Now! Hornets! Are you ready?"
"YEAH!!!" The team of sophomores shouted through a microphone that was also hooked up to the amps.
"White Dragons?"
"YEAH!!!" Ryu and his gang shouted though a different microphone from wherever they are.
"Whatevers, are you ready?"
"Whatever," we said into our microphone.
"BEGIN!!!"
Daichi, Craig, John, and I opened the doors to our starting bunker. We came out to a group of two girls cheering our names. We slowly walked into the open field.
"Be very careful. I here that the Hornets have never lost in a match of paintball," Craig informed us. We reached a tree with a tarp over it and I crouched down as I proceeded through the park.
"Ah!" I heard John yell. There was a blue and pink blot in the middle of his chest.
"Oh crap!" I looked around and finally found the member of the Hornets sitting in a bush. I put my gun up to my eye and aimed the red dot at his forehead. The mm sight found one other behind him. I pulled the trigger and I saw the Hornet fal backward.
"Oh! Headshot!" I heard the announcer say over the loud speaker.
I heard rustling behind me. I quickly turned around and saw Ryu Hibiki standing over me with his gun pointed at my head. "Oh yes! I'm gonna enjoy this."
And just as he was about to pull the trigger, he collapsed to the ground and behind him I looked into the blank eyes of my good friend Daichi.
"Kickass, bro!" I stood up and hugged my badass best friend.
"Your very much welcome," Daichi replied as he pushed his glasses back up. "Keep your head in the game Atsu."
Whoa. That was the first time he had called me Atsu.
"Come on get up," I heard an administrator dressed in bright orange said to Ryu. The administrators escort the people who get "killed," back to the little room they set up for those kinds of people.
"Wow! Those Whatever kids are really hittin' it with those head shots!" The announcer said.
"There's a member of the White Dragon at fifty yards, twelve degrees. And a member of the Hornets 20 yards, 90 degrees. I spun in the 90 degree direction and took out the Hornet. Daichi sniped the White Dragon and I made him fist bump me.
"Nice mathematics, man!" I said smiling. I heard Ayame and Maria cheering in the background.
"Two more head shots from Team Whatever!" The girls cheered louder. "Oh no! A Whatever is down! Three shots to the chest from a White Dragon!" The announcer said.
"Crap!" Daichi and I said simultaneously. We dashed into the middle of the park to find John lying on the ground.
I grabbed John and held him in my arms. "Daichi help! We're losing him!" I said dramatically.
John looked into my eyes, "AVENGE ME!!!" He made his eyes glaze over on purpose.
"NOOOOOOO!!!!!" I said still going along with it.
I walked further into enemy territory with Daichi. He shot out one more White Dragon. "White Dragon at 36 degrees, six yards distance."
"Thanks," I said. I found the guy just sitting there. He didn't see me coming up behind him. I switched on the full auto and tapped the guy on the shoulder.
"Wha-!" Too late. I had shot him about twenty times in the forehead.
"All in days work," I said. I dramatically blew on the barrel.
"Let's go get those Hornets," Daichi said when he was shot in the back of the head. "Atsuko... The trees are covered with rubber. The administrators picked up Daichi and walked away.
"There goes another Whatever. Oh! And another!" The announcer said. So that Hornet had gotten Craig too. "Let's go hunting." I walked in the direction that Daichi was shot from...
Eventually I found the Hornet.
"Ahh!" I screamed as paintballs flew past me. What was it that Daichi said before he "died"? Oh! The trees were covered in rubber!
"You can't run forever!" The Hornet yelled from behind me.
"You don't know that!" I yelled back. I ran behind a tree and a ball hit the rubber. It bounced back. "Thank god for Daichi's advice." Another bullet came at me except this time I pulled some rubber out in front of the ball. It bounced back and hit the Hornet square between the eyes. We had won.