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"RULES ARE SIMPLE," the game director started,"you have five minutes to hide wherever you want on this deck, the last duo to be found wins. Everyone find a partner, and we will start the game in five minutes!"
Ever since Rudy and Erin's moment on the sports deck, things have been awkward between them, which was their biggest fear. But, at the end of the day, they were still two best friends who were on a cruise boat together, they were going to have to come to terms with what happened at some point. When it was announced that they would have to group up in pairs of two, both Erin and Rudy instantly turned to their younger brothers.
"Yo, you want to be my partner, Ollie?" Erin asked her younger brother, obviously trying to avoid being with Rudy.
"Dylan, bro, let's be partners?" Rudy pitched to his younger brother.
"Sorry, sis, but I already told Charli I would be her partner," Ollie responded, running over to catch up with his partner Charli.
"Yeah, me too. Sorry man, I promised Lilah." Dylan quickly stated, jogging over to his friend group.
Erin sighed and realizing her fate turning towards Rudy, "I guess we're supposed to be partners then,"
"Yeah, I guess so," Rudy sighed, trying to ignore the awkward tension between the two of them.
"Does everyone have a partner?" The game director shouted over the speakers. "Okay, then I guess we are ready to begin, ready, set, hide!"
Rudy and Erin started following the crowd toward the right side of the ship, having no idea where to go on the boat.
"Wait, dude, let's go this way," Erin stated, grabbing Rudy's hand and running toward the right side of the ship. The two wandered down the halls for a while before getting to the auditorium.
"Are you sure we're allowed to hide in here?" Rudy asked, following Erin into the abandoned movie theater.
"Of course we are," Erin replied confidently, sitting down on the ground.
"Uh, I don't know. I mean I feel like this is an obvious hiding spot." Rudy shot back.
"Ugh, just trust me, and hide. Nobody will find us here." Erin said back, annoyed at Rudy's lack of faith in her hiding spots. It reminded her of when they were kids, and they would play hide in seek and her grandparent's house. Rudy would get so frustrated because Erin would always find the best hiding places making it impossible for him to find her. Oh, how she missed those days of innocence.
Being pulled out of her own thoughts and into reality, Rudy said, "If we are going to hide in here, then we should hide in the back behind the chairs." Erin followed Rudy up the stairs, and they crouched behind two folding chairs in the back of the abandoned theater.
The two sat silently, twirling their thumbs for a while before Rudy chimed in, "So are we going to talk about what happened yesterday at some point, or are we just going to ignore it?"
Erin breathed out, "Rudy, we don't have to,"
"No, we don't, but I feel so bad, Erin. I feel like pressured you into doing something you didn't want," Rudy stated, "And I just feel like I just made everything awkward between us, which I never meant to do in a million years. You're my best friend in this whole world, and I don't want to do anything that will change that. So can we just put that whole thing behind us and pretend it didn't happen?" Rudy pleaded.
"Rudy, it's really okay," Erin replied, placing her hand on his knee, "we were just caught up in the moment. It wasn't that deep."
"Yeah, it wasn't that deep," Rudy repeated. To Rudy, it was. He truly did love Erin, and he really did want to kiss her, but that doesn't matter anymore. They are will always be best friends, nothing more nothing less.
"Plus, I guess this is payback for walking in on you naked earlier this week," Erin laughed, lightening the mood.
"Haha, you bet it is." Rudy laughed back. "Okay, just to be sure we will forget that whole thing even happening on the sports deck, right?"
"Yup, I'll pretend it didn't even happen," Erin responded.
"And does this mean we can be friends again?" Rudy asked.
"Of course! I could never not be best friends with you, you know too much about me." Erin joked sarcastically.
"And you've seen me naked so God-forbid we become not best friends, and somehow that information gets leaked." Rudy laughed.
The two laughed and joked around together as they pick up right where they left off as if nothing ever changed.
About twenty minutes passed when Rudy chimed in, "Do you think they forgot about us?"
"No, I just think this is an excellent hiding spot that you totally doubted." Erin sassed back, sticking her tongue out like an eight-year-old.
"Fine, fine, you were right. This is a great hiding spot. You happy?" Rudy defended.
Erin stuck her nose in the air and tried to act pretentious, "Well yes, thank you. I do feel better."
"But seriously, we've been jammed behind these seats for so long I can't feel my legs. And I don't think they have any idea where we are. Should we go find them?" Rudy asked.
"Yeah, yeah, I guess so." Erin sighed, giving in.
Rudy stood up and helped Erin to her feet as they walked out of the empty auditorium as best friends again.
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SIDE-NOTE!
hi! I really hope everyone is enjoying reading this story as much as I am enjoying writing it. also! thank you so much for all your comments and votes, they really do make my day :') please let me know what you think of the story so far and your thoughts on Erin and Rudy's "realtionship." I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy!
