We all break into different directions. Kaylah sticks to me like glue and we dart behind a huge tree. Courtney and Bry hurry off to the left, also taking the ‘two is better than one’ approach while Jesse and Tora take off in a different direction. Brooke though, her determination is something that doesn’t come around often. She darts forward, going with a surprise attack and shocking us all.
With everyone now exactly where they want to be, this ultimate game of chicken can finally get started.
Kaylah and I get comfortable, peeking our heads out around our tree, patiently waiting for our target, only we don’t have to wait long as he darts across the field, roaring his battle cry. Kaylah and I burst into laughter as we realize that Nate most likely sent him out as bait. But who are we to let Nate’s grand plan down?
We take the bait. After all, it was offered up to us on a silver platter.
Kaylah and I take off after Jackson, guns out and ready as everyone else jumps into action. Paintballs fly and Jackson howls with laughter, knowing we’ll never be able to catch him, not with all his football training.
Jackson gets close to the arena’s edge and loops around, but in doing so nearly runs headfirst into Brylee. She screams out as he tries to dodge her, but when they both step the same way, they collide with an almighty crash. Jackson throws his arms out to protect her as they fall and I grin at how he never once raised his gun at her.
“Oh, fuck,” Jackson breathes, realizing he’s in a bad situation.
Brylee scrambles to her feet before trying to get hold of her gun, but Kaylah comes shooting in, determined not to allow Brylee to take her prize.
Jackson fights to get to his feet but Kaylah surprises me with her motivation and throws herself at her brother, slamming a foot against his chest and forcing him back to the ground. He doesn’t have the same reservations for his sister as he did with Bry and goes for his gun. But Kaylah gets in there first, shooting three perfectly round orange paintballs at his chest.
Jackson groans with the impact while Kaylah cheers in victory, throwing her hands in the air while keeping her foot firmly against Jackson’s chest. “Fuck, yeah,” she hollers. “Who’s the fucking baddest bitch around?”
“You are, babe,” comes yelled from the other side of the arena, sounding a bit like Jesse, though somewhat muffled making me wonder what kind of situation he’s in with Tora.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone’s chest as puffed out as what Kaylah is now as she throws her gun over her shoulder and struts back into the game like a fucking warrior queen.
I laugh at her confidence the look back down at Jackson to see his eyes already on mine and realize that Brylee is long gone. Where the fuck did she go? One minute she was here, the next…vanished.
“That’s really not how I thought all this was going to go down,” Jackson tells me with shame masking his features.
“Oh, really?” I ask, striding towards him as a plan begins forming which has a devilish smirk creeping over my face. “I’m curious. Did you really think you stood a chance against us?”
“Kaylah? No,” he says, shaking his head as he gets to his feet. “But you? Definitely.”
I suck in an outraged gasp. “I resent that.”
“Oh, really?” he says, mimicking my earlier comments. “And did you think you stood a chance against me?”
I grin moments before shooting three purple paintballs into his unsuspecting stomach.
Jackson’s mouth drops as his eyes bug out of his head. I’m screaming and taking off like a bat out of hell before he even gets a chance to really register what the hell I just did. “You better run, babe,” he roars, bounding after me.
Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit. I did not think this through.
Howling laughter pulls from within me as my feet pound against the dirt. What was I thinking? Of course, I don’t stand a chance against Jackson. He’ll probably shoot me in the ass, but then, he might get distracted staring at it.
He’s a freaking quarterback and can practically run at the speed of light, so considering he hasn’t caught me and thrown me down to the ground yet just tells me he’s playing with me. Cat and freaking mouse.
I’m screwed.
I race around the arena, hating on myself for not keeping up with my training. It’s only been a few months since I’ve been off the team, but it’s more than enough to have my fitness levels sliding. The fact that it’s impossible to stop laughing really isn’t helping either.
I look back over my shoulder and blanch. He’s gaining on me and quick.
I spot a small shack up ahead and hope to whoever lives above that I can make it in time before this machine comes barreling down on me. “Try all you’d like, babe. I’m still going to get you.”