The Secrets of the Aorta Ruins

Chapter Four

Derek had certainly picked the perfect game to play with Becca. She won most of the rounds with Derek being a close second. Zack's wins were extremely low by comparison and he kept trying to argue that it was because he was more concerned with getting his homework done. He had never really been too interested in video games though. Another round was nearing completion, Becca and Zack were the two with the controllers in hand that time. Becca knew she was near the target treasure and Zack was still wandering around clueless and lost. At last, she dug it up and the animated "Player One wins!" flashed across the screen.

"Yes!" Becca exclaimed as Zack passed his controller to Derek, already emerged back into his homework. He had already finished what he should have for the day, but he was trying to get it all done since both parents had agreed that Derek could stay for the weekend with the game system. He was going to have to sleep in Zackary's room but none of them really planned to sleep all that much anyway. Derek won the next round and it would be Zack's turn to take Becca's controller.

"Did you happen to bring any other games?" Zack asked curiously, now done with his homework. Derek passed him the backpack for him to look through. After a few moments, Zack selected another game. Neither of them knew any of the console games so Becca wasn't sure what logic he had used to choose the game until the system had loaded up. It was a typical first-person shooter.

As far as Becca could tell, shooter games weren't changing a whole lot. Companies were spitting out the same games with new titles and numbers added on. Very few even had objectives to them anymore. Run around, kill those who aren't on your team, and the team with the most kills wins. She watched as the guys played the first round and saw this was no exception.

"No capture the flag, or survival, or any other mode?" she asked while watching. Derek died distracted by the question and Zack smiled with satisfaction that he managed to get a kill in.

"Erm...well, no. Not on multiplayer for this one. Why?" he asked, respawning and jumping right back into the action, immediately looking for Zack and avenging his death.

"Just wondering. You two should have been on the same team," she said laughing as Derek killed Zackary yet again. "We still would have known who to pass the controller to based on the number of team kills." The match ended, and Zack passed his controller to Becca.

"Maybe we should start having the winner pass the controller, loser keeps it?" Derek suggested as the new match began.

"Nah its fine guys," Zack said looking slightly discouraged.

"It was just the first match and it is Derek's game after all," she said, allowing Derek to kill her, "See? I died too." She kept Derek on his toes but in the end allowed him to beat her by only a few kills so that it would be her to pass the controller back to Zack. The weekend was lost to the gaming system Derek had brought over, Becca's parents only checking everyone was going to bed at a decent hour on Sunday night since everyone needed to return to school the following day; plus making sure Derek wasn't in Becca's room. Becca and Zack denied it when asked but the three had fallen asleep the night before in her room, sneaking the boys back into Zack's room in the morning through the connecting bathroom.

"Good night, sweetheart. Have a great day back at school tomorrow!" Becca's mom said cheerfully from the doorway.

"I highly doubt that. It's school," she said in the same cheerful and yet mocking voice. "Night mom, I love you. Shut the door please."

"Of course, honey," she said, shutting the door behind her, likely on her way to go give the boys a similar pep talk. She waited for a few moments to see if the guys would come knock on the connecting door or if they were really heading to sleep but nothing. Derek wasn't nearly as concerned with his grades as Zack was, but it didn't surprise her that he wasn't going to stay up too late on a school night either. She picked her book back up from her desk and continued reading it but didn't make it much further before falling asleep again.