Laser tag was in its own section of the Gameland extravaganza and, apparently, the only place that did not have an insanely large crowd of people swarming around. The entire building is set up like typical Malls are, but in the middle, there are standalone games that are more arcade-style and help you earn more tickets for prizes. On the outer parts, there are sectioned-off places that either need more room or are for utilities/needs.

All of the food vendors are along the side, bathrooms, seating areas for parents, nursing stations for moms, and they have some other designated games like a small bowling alley and an indoor jungle gym set-up, and of course, the prize booth where you cash in your tickets. Needless to say, this place is full of children running around screaming, parents trying to keep up, parents stressed and on their last will to live (same), and mini-groups of teens who probably use this place as a weekend hangout. It's loud.

I notice Junior looking down at me from the corner of my eye. "Anything you want to do, Squirt?"

"Go to bed?" I whine, a sigh coming out with it.

He chuckles but doesn't grant me my wish, "I see kids swiping cards to play; we should probably get one of those."

As we make our way through the crowd, not being touched by strangers takes a great deal of effort. I try to walk behind the giant bulldozer people can't miss and pray it keeps an open path for me. Trying to stay in his shadow also means I have to look at his feet while we walk. Overall, my senses are on overload, and I feel dizzy enough as it is, which is the only reason why I hook my finger into his belt loop so I can have an easier time following him.

You'd have thought I shot him the way he jolts and then freezes, making me hit my head against his back. "Hey Squirt, whatcha doin' back there?"

"There are too many people, and you are hard to miss," I try to rub the pain on my nose away.

He has the nerve to laugh, "Guess this is a good idea; I might lose you in the sea of kids your height," Should I pinch him while I'm back here?

The same place where you get your prizes is where you also get your game cards. You have to return the game cards with your tickets at the end. Thankfully, we don't have to use any cash; I was able to put a small amount on the game card with my debit card. I figure with this, paying for laser tag and probably getting some food before we leave still seems to follow the plan and help the illusion of this being a type of road trip.

Knowing I won't choose a game for us to play, Junior makes a b-line for the mini-basketball game. The balls aren't as big as typical basketballs but are painted to look like them. The goal is to get as many into the hoop as possible in a certain amount of time. Junior turns out to be a good shot; at least he fits the stereotype of being tall.

"Are you good at sports?" I ask.

"I wouldn't say I'm good at all sports, but I did play basketball with the kids in my neighborhood a lot growing up," He says, his primary focus still on the hoop.

"Did you play basketball in high school?" There's literally nothing else for me to do, so I figure talking to him will at least distract me from all the noise and chaos.

"I played in middle school for a couple years, but high school was around the time my life took a turn for the worse. I spent a lot of high school working to try to afford all our basic necessities while Dad was selling and then getting high," His tone takes on a more somber note. I get the feeling that his home life wasn't always this bad. That's something I can relate to. "What about you? You mentioned online school, but have you ever attended a normal school?"

Hmm. How much do I tell him? I don't really like thinking about it. "I wasn't always in online school." Not a lie, just not a lot of info. He looks at me expectantly; I guess he won't be satisfied with the abridged version. Sigh. "Fine. I did go to a regular school until I was sixteen. When I moved into that apartment, I decided to go online."

"Your parents really let you move out at sixteen?" He asks as the game shoots out his earned tickets. He got more tickets for this game than he did for being the overall champ in laser tag.

"As you already know, Mr. Peeping Tom, the apartment is attached to one of their dealerships, and the man that runs that one is a family friend. I also go home whenever they aren't on a work trip, or they ask to see me. It was my request to move and do online school; I'm actually second in my grade overall and will likely graduate that way." I don't know why I added that; it's not really a big deal.

He smiles warmly in that weird way he does, "You really are the brains, Squirt!" I try to hide my blush, turning away from him. When was the last time someone complimented me on something? I'm sure my parents did at some point, but his compliment feels different for some reason.

I point to a set of pinball machines, trying to change the subject, "Let's try these."

I don't know if I've ever played pinball, but the concept is easy enough that it doesn't take me long to get the hang of it and keep up with the points Junior is earning. I'm not usually competitive, but I would like to wipe the smirk off his face at least once. At the last second, I managed to kick my ball up and into the 15,000-point tunnel and snag the victory!

"Holy crap, I won!" I turn to look at Junior, but despite my win, he's still smiling. He does offer me a high five and a congratulations. We fold our tickets and add them to the growing collection.

Junior points to a shooting game, to which I do another internal eye roll. What is with this man and shooting everything but me? And he makes me join him!

The game offers a fake rifle for each player with a cord that keeps it attached to the machine at all times. The game is called 'Zombie Hunt,' the goal is to take out all the zombies on three separate raids. Each raid is more challenging than the last, and if you die, you aren't revived until the beginning of the next round. Despite having two players, each player still earns their own kill points, so it is still a competition.

I try to mimic Juniors' stance and line up the little notch with the sight so I can at least try to aim. Thankfully, the alignment isn't too far off, and I manage to get some headshots, which offers the most points. Junior is faster than I am, so he manages to steal many of the kills I'm shooting for. The first round ends with him having significantly more points, but by the second round, I've nearly caught up with him. Starting the final round of equal footing is nurturing some competitive spirit inside me. I'm amazed I'm even keeping up, but if I win, that would be a whole other story.

As the last few zombies run towards us at full speed, I attempt to focus on their heads to get as many points as possible with what little time is left. With only two zombies left on the screen, I aim to shoot the one on the left when Junior hip-checks me and steals the last two kills, getting both with headshots and quite literally stealing the victory.

"You are a giant man-child!" I can't believe he knocked me out of the way just to win!

That lazy smirk is contrasted by the excitable, competitive look in his eyes, "And you are a squirt. Tis' our lot in life, no?" He says the last part with a fake charming accent, using the tip of his finger to lightly bump the end of my nose. My face immediately crinkles, and I look at him like he's lost his mind, which, of course, just makes him laugh. You know I might have had this wrong from the start. I might just kill him Instead.

Eh. Nevermind. The effort it would take is exhausting to even think about. Plus, how would I move him? He's got it easier than I do! He throws me around like it's nothing!

Just because he's annoying, I give him a shove before gathering up our tickets. He points out a motorcycle game where you ride on a fake stationary motorcycle. Thankfully, the man-child can't push his way to victory with this game. Though, that doesn't mean I win any of the three races. To be fair, I've never actually driven anything, whether in real life or in a game.

Other games have seriously long lines, and our game card is running low on money. We opt to use the empty air hockey table and once again try to compete for victory. I am not the most handi-coordinated person, so this game is not going in my favor. He is also quick, and when he hits the puck, it seems to move at the speed of sound. I barely have the speed of a sloth. Needless to say, I don't win this game either.

As we try to decide on our last game, Junior notices a photo booth in the corner that allows you to use your game card.

"I don't do pictures," I reply, shaking my head no.

"Come on! What if your friend asks to see pictures from your trip?" He looks away but adds, "Or you know, wants to see what this boyfriend of yours looks like. It at least adds to the story, don't you think?"

I'm not too fond of the fact that there is logic in what he is saying. However, it is also risky to have evidence of us being together in a way that doesn't fit the narrative of kidnappers and ransom. No matter how you look at it, it's a double-edged sword. We should have evidence for our story, but we also shouldn't have evidence for our story. What to do. My gut wants to say no, mainly because I dread having my picture taken. On the other hand, if I send Maeve a picture, she really won't question me any further and will likely dedicate herself to helping be my alibi. Sigh.

"Fine, but we are only doing one," I grumpily stalk my way to the photo booth. The booth is pretty small, and we just barely fit together. The camera gives you the option to stand or sit, but since this is made for kids in mind, the seat is small. If we try to sit together in that seat, we will be on top of each other. I would like to avoid that.

"Alright," he says, preparing the selections, "It's gonna take four photos."

He stands up, and we shuffle around until we can both be seen while the machine starts its countdown. I try to give a light smile, but I doubt it looks genuine. Junior's smile comes out nice, at least. The next countdown begins, and I sense a movement behind me; this child throws up bunny ears behind my head. The following picture shows his bunny ears and me glaring up at him.

"Alright, how about back-to-back like real pros do?" He says, turning and holding up fake finger guns.

I roll my eyes but indulge him anyway. I'm about to ask what our last pose should be when he turns around and tickles my sides, causing laughter to burst out and my balance thrown offset. He manages to catch me as the camera takes the last picture; it looks like I fell, and we are laughing about him catching me.

I swat his arm, "what the hell!"

He pulls out the picture strips, one for each of us, and points to the bottom picture, "Now you know what you look like when you laugh for real." When did I ask for that?!

I stomp out of the photo booth and start to make my way to the counter, "Let's cash in the tickets and leave." I am so ready for bed.

"Sure thing," He steps in front of me again so I can walk behind him while we make our way to the counter.

The clerk takes in our tickets and points out what section of prizes we qualify for. After scanning the entire display case, Junior excitedly turns to me and points out his find. I look in and see he found a pair of friendship rings that say 'Partner in' on one ring and 'crime' on the other.

"Come on, it couldn't be more perfect!" He says with a laugh. He asks the clerk to give him the prize and turns to me. "Hand, please." I roll my eyes but give him my hand so he can slip the ring on. Apparently, I get 'crime,' though I think he should be the one that gets it.

He slips his own ring on and thanks the clerk for his help. We grab some cheap pizza from one of the booths since it is easier to eat here and then go back to the hotel we booked online. We chose a hotel about an hour away so we can still make some more distance today.

Settling into the car feels like heaven; the absence of stimulation is welcoming. I am so exhausted; I can't remember the last time I was this tired. Today was enough activity that I would be happy doing nothing again for another three years. I can't stop the yawn that overtakes me.

"'Hey, if you want, just close your eyes until we get back to the hotel," Junior says, fiddling with the radio.

I don't even have the energy to play nice and stay awake; my eyelids just won't stay open. I let my head rest against the seat and try to relax. A few moments later, I feel something cover me and notice the familiar scent, and just like our first night sleeping in the car, I let the smell and the warmth lull me to sleep.

Hello! I was going to post last night but didn't get a chance to finish the corrections. I have limited feeling in my hands (besides aches and pain), so I tend to have a lot of typos! You'll probably see my typos in your comments 😅😭

I also took a break last night because I am officiating a friend's wedding this summer, and I needed to send her the script for the ceremony! They wanted to have a loved one perform their wedding, and I was asked to do the honors!
If you have a moment, let me know what you think of this chapter and/or the story thus far! Your feedback helps so much!

I want to give a shoutout to @bookwormbianchi for the follow! Check out her story Underground Rising- It has an awesome futuristic dystopian feel to it, and it's a love story!
And @jmloveinlaodicea and her story 'The Book of Leah' - a contemporary love story with life after loss.

I also want to give a shout to the persons who have kept up with my story and given so much love and support. You guys have given me such a sense of community; I don't have the right words to tell you how deeply grateful I am to you! It has meant the absolute world to me!
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