The last game went a lot better than everyone had hoped for.
Playing as a single team, morale was high as they marched into the arena.
"You guys ready?" Todd's voice was now heard over their earpieces than the loudspeakers.
He said they all had to wear a communications device so he could check in on them every now and then.
The devices, however, wouldn't work if they tried listening in on one another's conversations.
"All good on our end," Seth replied once he'd checked that the girls were ready.
"Okay, the rules are simple," Todd explained. "Same as with the previous games, there are power ups hidden around the arena,"
Everyone looked at Mia for guidance. After all, she'd been the only person to find a power up in the last two games.
"We can't use them, but you can," Todd spoke again, reiterating the rules he had very briefly told them about at the very beginning. "Use that to your advantage,"
Ava nodded as her eyes met Emma's. They had a silent conversation between themselves, letting their eyes do the talking.
When you've been friends for so long, that was only normal.
Once Todd went over all the do's and don'ts again, everyone was ready.
"One hour on the clock. Sudden death, if you're shot and you don't have an extra life power up, you're out. Ready, go!"
Everyone split up, each going in pairs. Emma and Olivia were together, of course. So were Mia and Ally, Valerie and Rebecca, and lastly, Seth and Ava.
Here was their tactic: they didn't have one.
It was a sudden death round and they were all pretty tired, anyway. Everyone really just wanted to enjoy the final game as a team than as opponents.
They'd been paired not only as couples because their dynamics simply worked best when they understood their partners, but also because half of the girls were cheerleaders...and that flexibility was very much advantageous.
Apart from Seth and Ava's pair, Emma, Rebecca and Mia were on the cheer squad and could very easily squeeze into small spaces - and climb quickly if they needed to.
Although Ava wasn't on the cheer squad like her friends, her experience in gymnastics, combined with what she'd learnt since they'd got here, could get her through the last round too.
"We have to find some power ups, babe," Emma looked at Olivia fondly.
Olivia nodded in agreement. "Especially those with the extra lives,"
"What do you think they look like?" Emma looked around, trying to spot anything out of the ordinary.
Olivia was about to respond when she saw a hint of a shimmer from the opposite corner.
"Liv?" Emma asked, oblivious to the situation.
The raven-haired girl held a finger up to her lips and made a patting motion mid-air, signalling for Emma to be quiet and duck.
"I don't know, I asked Mia about it..." she finally responded, pretending that she hadn't seen their opponent in an attempt to throw them off.
She tilted her head and Emma's eyes finally landed on the very person she was looking at.
It was a blonde girl, the same one they'd seen at the counter earlier today. She was really friendly, but she looked deadly under the glow-in-the-dark lights.
"...she said it looks like a box? Maybe a small silver box, like the ones you see in the movies,"
Both Olivia and Emma pointed their guns towards the boulder the girl was hiding behind. Olivia had hers pointed slightly towards the side, in case their opponent decided to emerge from there. Emma had hers directed slightly above the top of the boulder, because they never knew if she was going to stand up and attack them, right?
Just as they had predicted, their opponent wasn't aware that the girls knew her position. As she stood up to shoot Olivia, Emma pulled the trigger.
As Todd had mentioned over and over again, the lights on the girl's vest went out almost immediately, signalling that she'd been shot dead and was out of the game.
"No power up?" Olivia asked the girl.
Their opponent shook her head sadly. "There's one behind you. I can't use 'em, remember?"
Olivia blushed when she realised her mistake. "Right, I forgot about that,"
"We are obliged to tell you where one power up is every time you take us out, so..." she pointed to a silver box behind Olivia.
"Sweet," Emma jogged over and picked up the box. "Thanks...Sylvia,"
Sylvia beamed. "No problem. And nice shot,"
Emma smiled back. "Thanks,"
After that simple interaction, Sylvia left the arena while Emma and Olivia looked at the box before them.
"Let's hope it's an extra life and not a power up for our guns," Emma crossed her fingers as Olivia spoke.
"I guess a power up for our guns wouldn't be too bad either, but yeah, an extra life would be great,"
Fortunately for them both, they got lucky. As Olivia lifted the lid, the girls giggled as they saw a ball with a label sitting idly inside.
"Extra life," Olivia beamed, showing her girlfriend what was written on the label. "You take it,"
"Why? You're a much better shot than I am," Emma replied, pushing Olivia's hand back towards her.
"Did you see how you shot Sylvia just now? Square in the vest?" the raven-haired girl argued. "You should take it,"
"Are you sure?"
Olivia nodded. "Of course. I'd always want you to be taken care of anyway,"
Emma's heart fluttered at her girlfriend's words. She was the absolute sweetest. Emma was so happy she found someone like Olivia.
"I love you," she blurted out, giggling then covering her mouth to stifle her laughter.
"I love you too," Olivia giggled, looking around them to make sure no one was nearby.
She pulled Emma in for a kiss. "I wish we could stay like this for a little while longer,"
"We probably could," Emma started to say, but scrunched her nose after. "But...knowing us, we'd probably fall asleep or something,"
She wasn't wrong.
"Let's get going, shall we?" Olivia suggested, standing up then stretching her hand out for Emma to take.
•••
The game didn't last very long after that. Without the advantage of being able to use the power ups, Todd and his team didn't stand a chance against the others.
"Good game," Todd said, taking a sip of water. "No team has been able to beat us,"
"You guys are the first," Sylvia nodded in agreement. "Good job,"
"Wait, are you serious?" Ally asked in amazement. "Even with the power ups, others have lost to you guys?"
"Yes and no," Todd tilted his head slightly. "There have been a couple of groups who've managed to find power ups for their guns,"
"Just never the ones with the extra lives," Sylvia said. "Not that you needed it, anyway," she smiled at Emma.
She was right; although Emma and Olivia had found one extra life, they'd ended up not even using it. Emma had no trouble taking her opponents out in the heat of the moment.
"Told you I didn't need it," Emma nudged her girlfriend, who rolled her eyes playfully.
"I was being nice!" Olivia whined, smacking Emma's shoulder lightly.
Emma giggled and kissed her girlfriend tenderly.
"Well, considering that was our third game, I'd say we did pretty well," Valerie interlocked her dinners with Rebecca's. "Don't you think so, babe?"
Rebecca nodded eagerly. "I had a lot of fun, thanks for having me,"
"Girl, no problem! Val's a great catch, don't let her go," Mia said seriously, but winking with a smile after.
Rebecca and Valerie laughed, leaning against each other.
"Thanks for agreeing to play with us," Todd said. "Again, it's been a while since we had the chance to have this much fun at work,"
"Of course," Seth replied with a nod. "If I worked here, I'd be so grateful if customers gave my co-workers and I the chance to play too,"
"Yeah, you guys work so hard. Seeing as how this place is really popular, I bet you guys get groups coming in all day," Ava agreed.
"It's the least we could do," Ally smiled.
"It's been great," Sylvia thanked them again. "Maybe we'll see you around?"
"Definitely. Don't know when, but definitely," Mia nodded enthusiastically. She had to admit, Sylvia was cute.
"Take our cards," Todd handed his card to Ally, who happened to be closest to him. Well, that was his excuse, anyway.
Ally took it graciously.
Sylvia took out a business card too, giving it to Mia. "Give any of us a call before you drop by,"
"We will," Mia replied, eyes meeting Ally's for a moment. Who knows, Todd and Sylvia might be hearing from them soon.
•••
After some chitchat and a few drinks on the house, courtesy of Todd and Sylvia, the group was ready to leave.
"Thanks for the experience!" Ava called out to the arena's crew as they walked out the main doors.
"So, what do we do now?"
"Unfortuantely, I still have some work to do," Ally pouted.
"Actually, same. I've just been putting it off," Mia replied, then laughing when Rebecca nodded too.
"Am I the only one with nothing to do right now?" Valerie asked is disbelief. "Yikes,"
"Ain't our fault you're the only one not in school,"
Valerie shrugged. They were right, she was the only one who wasn't in school, seeing as how she'd gotten her diploma when she was studying overseas.
"Besides, school's starting the day after tomorrow," Seth noted. "What kind of students would we be if we didn't leave some work to do at the last minute?"
Everyone laughed at his statement. After a little more friendly banter, the group decided it was best they spent the next few days finishing up all their work. They could always see one another back in school, anyway. And dinners with Valerie weren't hard to plan at all.
There were a lot of hugs and giggles as everyone said their goodbyes, heading home in their cars separately.