A Silver Summer

Chapter 36

Chapter thirty six

"Die! Die! Die!" Ivy shouted with a frantic line creasing her brow as she stared with unblinking eyes at the game screen in front of her. She pulled the trigger on the bright orange plastic gun as she aimed at the little green aliens on one of the arcade games. 

After lunch and another four hours of playing go fish and running to the restrooms in between storm showers, the group found themselves at the arcade. 

"Please don't break the game Ivy, I already called dibs on it next. I actually plan to play and beat your score." Skinner sympathetically stroked the side of the game.  

"We didn't wrestle for nothing Skin, I'm up next." Keira shoved him out of the way and started to cheer Ivy on. 

"Kill it! Kill them all!" 

"I'm glad I'm not on her bad side anymore." Ryleigh chuckled quietly as he passed by Anika with his pool stick in hand. She laughed and shook her head in amusement. After seeing her swear at the inanimate game you wouldn't think she had been shaking after a rumble of thunder a few hours prior. 

Anika's eyes followed Ryleigh's every move as he moved into a better position to hit the white pool ball. As he bent over, his grey Silver lake shirt lifted a little so a strip of tanned flesh peeked out above his shorts. The material covering his arms stretched around his shoulders and defined every slender curve of his visible muscles. Ryleigh's dirty blond hair fell over his forehead as he brought his chin level with the wooden pool stick sliding through his hand. His perfect bow lips were slightly pouted in concentration as he eyed the ball with his calculating deep sea blue eyes. 

Ever since he's been acquainted with the group, Anika had noticed he only ever spoke to her through soft murmurs by her ear or in whispers. 

The sound of two pool balls clinking together pulled Anika out of her thoughts and admiring. She watched as the last ball he needed to win sunk into the corner basket. 

"I win." 

"Congrats." Anika gave him a pat on the back as she passed by him to hang up her stick on the wall. 

"Care to join us in a table tennis match?" Skinner offered Anika two paddles as Ivy grabbed her own and Skinner's. Anika looked up to Ryleigh who gave a casual shrug. 

"Sure." Anika accepted the paddles and handed Ryleigh one. 

"First round us against you. Then later we can to do guys verses girls." Ivy smiled excitedly as she hoped back and forth on her feet at the other side of the ping pong table. 

Anika nodded and stood with her paddle poised in the air as she waited for Skinner to serve the small orange plastic ball. 

The ball bounced off his red rubber paddle and flew over the green threaded net where it bounced on Anika's side. She returned the volley and the match continued for a few minutes before the ball ricochet off of Ivy's paddle and bounced on the floor. 

"Woo!" Anika high five'd Ryleigh and did a little happy dance. Ryleigh smiled down at her as she wiggled her hips. 

"One point for team Rylika!" Keira held up a finger. 

"That's one point. Don't get too excited. Team Skivy is about to whoop yo' behinds." Ivy made a motion of swinging her paddle at waist height. 

"Skivy? Isn't that some sort of disease?" Anika raised a brow at Ryleigh. 

"No, you're thinking of scurvy." he corrected her. 

"Oh. Doesn't matter though 'cause we're about to... um, make you eat plastic. That's a good one." Anika proudly smirked for her comeback.