Where We Stand: Special Chapters

CH 2: Bet

The streets fill with the sound of preteens chatting and running around. The clear sky and cheerful afternoon can be felt from blocks away. Everyone's in a rush to go home and play but me. I've been waiting on this bench for almost thirty minutes. I'm getting weird stares from people for waiting while everyone is flooding out to get home. I think it's the first time he's ever been late. After a couple seconds, a slightly chubby boy runs up to me.

"Sorry I'm late." The tan boy with deep dimples smiles as he catches his breath. "Had clean up duties and Ohm and Noh abandoned me. Sorry, Pete."

"It would have helped if you told us earlier, Earn. We could have helped you." I flick his forehead. "This is why you need to get higher grades. If we were in the same class, we'd all be able to leave together."

"Whatever." He rubs his head as he hits me with his bag. "Let's go, they're waiting aren't they?" He runs ahead of me as he dodges my kick at him.

"Idiot!" I chase after him as he heads down the street.

I catch up with him and walk for about ten minutes. The beating sun intensifies with no shade in sight. It doesn't help that I didn't bring my handkerchief today as I sweat like a sinner in church. That's what I get for sleeping late last night and being in a rush to get to school this morning.

"My God, Pete, it's like you've never been outside before." Earn says in a slightly annoyed tone as he wraps his arm around my shoulder. He uses his bag to cover me from the sun. "Cooler?"

"Yeah." I shoot him a smile. "Man, sucks that I didn't bring my handkerchief." I sigh as we turn a corner onto a long noisy road.

"Oh? Here." Earn offers me a small folded up cloth from his pocket. "It's so hot today and you look like a melting popsicle."

"Thanks." I take it and start patting my face. I look at him to see that he's sweating too. I hand it back to him. "How about you?"

"Dude that's gross." He pushes my hand away. "It already has your sweat on it."

"Well aren't you uncomfortable?" I ask as he's getting as sweaty as I was earlier.

"Nah. I'm used to it." He smiles as he uses his uniform to wipe his forehead. "Besides, your mom might kill me if I come back home with you tanner than me." He laughs as we arrive at a blue air conditioned building.

"At least there's air conditioning in here. Let's head it." I cheerfully wipe my face one last time before we enter.

The sound of keyboards and machinery is heard throughout the room. People cursing at each other as the clicking of their mice echoes while grunts and groans are heard as replies. We have entered the world of computer games. Mercy is for the weak and one wrong move can be detrimental to your team.

"Took you two long enough." A tan robust, buzz cut boy slaps the back of our heads before resting his arms over our shoulders. "We were gonna join another group if you guys didn't come in five minutes."

"Shut up, Por." Earn slaps him back before rubbing his head. "Last time I checked, you two needed us."

"We do, but the people we arranged the match with were getting impatient." A slender bad-looking boy vapidly says as he walks to us from a chair. A chocolate pretzel stick hangs from his mouth while talking.

"Well, we're here now. Did they agree to the changes, Card?" I ask with an eye brow raised as I see a group of seventh graders from a different school talking behind Card. 'So these older kids are our opponents?'

"Hey! What is snaggletooth talking about?" A tall bulky light skinned boy walks up to us with a harsh tone.

"Ugh. Why'd you have to ask?" Card sighs before he snaps the pretzel in his mouth and turns to the guy. "The plans have changed, Nanook."