Crazier

Sick Little Games (10)

"I'm wasting my days
I throw them away
Losing them all on these sick little games"

- All Time Low, Sick Little Games

They needed six people, they said. They needed six people to participate in this year's challenges. So, of course, Tessa decided to shove her way to the front and nominate us to go inside the school building. We were accepted, and so we did.

We were sat on the floor of what Tessa called the lobby. We called it the foyer back home, but when I told them that they just laughed at me. "So, what do we do?" I asked, looking around. The walls were painted black, all of the windows painted over. It was almost pitch black, sans a single lightbulb hanging, uncovered, over our heads.

"I don't know," Tessa said.

"What do you mean you don't know?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. "Is this not a game everyone goes into?"

She shook her head, smiling. "Only six people a year are accepted, and it changes every single year. Even if they do spill about what happened, it ain't the same so it ain't helpful. Do you get it?"

"So we just sit here?"

She thought for a moment. "I guess so."

"This seems incredibly stupid."

"Hey!" she protested, nudging me. "We're having a good time here."

Basically meaning, 'you were doing good so shut up and stop being so negative'.

I nodded as an answer and she smiled, satisfied, throwing her legs over Lev's lap and leaning onto Carter's arm. I watched them all practically cuddling, and when I felt my arm being nudged, turned to see Zeke quirking his eyebrows suggestively at me. I pushed him off. "No," I said instantly, making them all laugh.

Then the lights went out, plunging the room into darkness.

There was a long, drawn out, incredibly realistic scream and all three girls yelped, grabbing at each other. A hand wrapped around my arm and I realized it was Sadie, blue eyes wide and scared, just visible in the darkness. I considered pushing her off, but decided against it and looked around as a loud rattling sound came through the room.

"Richard?" Zeke called, obviously nervous but trying to joke. "This isn't the time to arrest someone. Turn the lights on."

"Shut up, Zeke." All three girls said in unison, Sadie cowering into my arm. I sighed a bit before wrapping it around her, letting her hide her face in my chest as she gripped at my shirt.

I didn't like being relied on. I didn't like being held onto like I was the one protecting them. I would always let them down, and they'd be left more hurt than ever. But this was a game, so I'd make an exception. It was a game, and it was Sadie, so it didn't matter.

The lights came back on a few moments later, but when I looked around, every door except one was padlocked shut, except for one glass one. There was a squeal that I knew all too well and Sadie cowered into me, screaming slightly. I relaxed, putting my hand on the back of her neck. "Calm down," I shouted over it, and over the girls' (and Zeke's) screaming. "It's a microphone."

"Thank you, Rockstar." Tessa said dryly when it stopped. I flashed her a thumbs up before looking down at Sadie. "You alright?"

She didn't look up, and I noticed tears leaking out of her eyes as a hysterical, demented scream came flooding out of invisible speakers.

"It's showtiiiime!" It sang, and Sadie held on tightly, her body trembling. "Choose a partner!"

Carter and Tessa were holding tight to each other, and Lev and Zeke were sitting close together. That left me with the crying girl.