Revenge Games
Chapter 4

"I'm home!" I shout, wiping the sweat from my face. What a boiling, exhausting day.

I close the door, not letting the heat escape into the house and lock it.  My sister was watching 'Spongebob' and the theme music was all that I could hear.

I walk into my room and place my bag next to my desk. I take out my history books and slam it onto my desk. I try to concentrate but the theme music was like drumsticks pounding on my head over and over again. Enduring enough, I stand up and open my bedroom door.

"Turn it down!" I yell irritatedly, over the loud blaring music.

"Nope." she answered not even looking back at me. "Zoe, turn it down NOW! Before I turn the TV off."

"I like it this loud, It's my choice anyway!" she yells back, her voice getting lost in the music. "I can't even hear myself think!" I yell, but she just ignores me.  I walk over to her and stand in front of the TV.

"Turn it down now, I mean it! Stop being a selfish little brat!" she looked up and gave me a glare, I returned the glare more furiously, not feeling any type of intimidation. I grab the remote from the couch.

"70?! Do you want to go deaf?!" I turn it down to a 25.  I walk back to my room with the remote, knowing that she'd turn the volume up if I gave it back to her.

"You're the worst sister ever. I wish I had a better sister than you." she said quietly. I shut my bedroom door and blocked her words out of my head.

I fall onto my bed, exhausted. Homework can wait a little while. Right now you need details right? You're itching to find out what happened, on the edge of your seats.

Sorry to disappoint, but it didn't end in an exciting manner.

Literally 30 minutes ago

"I said, what game are you playing? What are you up to Tristan Parker?" 

I stood there motionless, looking straight at him. I just hope the nervousness and fear that I felt within, didn't explode on my face.

"What do you mean?" he said puzzled.

"Why did you do that?" I say aloud, trying to stop my voice from wavering.

"You've never talked to her, looked at her, smiled at her, hell I bet you didn't even know her name... But now, all of a sudden you ask her out on a date in the middle of the entire cafeteria? What game are playing? Why are you doing this?" I ask boldly.

He stared at me, surprised, eyes slightly widened. Something seemed to have been ticking through his mind and I remember thinking that maybe it was some type of bet he had made and he was wondering what exuses can he make... But before he could answer Principal Dunklin came out.

"You kids cannot be in the school hallways at this time. If you're waiting for someone to pick you up, go to the office. I'll call up your parents if there is some type of trouble going on..." he said looking suspiciously at Tristan. 

He always came in at the wrong moment... When I was being pounded on the head a while ago, he seemed to be fine staying in his tiny, cheese reeking office, but when something important like this was happening, he came out of nowhere with his big, giant nose, poking into our business.

"It's okay Mr Dunklin, I was going out anyway." answered Tristan and just like that he left the building. Oh, no he wasn't going to escape now, not when I was so close. I paced out of the building too. I was walking out and I saw his brunette head.

"Tristan, you haven't answered me!" I yell and he turns around and looks at me.

"It's not what you're thinking. I do like Grace." he said, but he seemed to be restless as he kept looking around for someone, tensed.

"Reasons, I need reasons. Did you not hear my speech back there?" 

"I need to go now... I'll explain everything later, I promise..." I wanted my answers now, because people like him didn't keep their promises and people like him weren't sincere when they were surrounded by their friends.

But before I could demand them right then and there, a black car came by and parked right in front of him. He opened the card door and blocked the view of the person inside. He turned his head around and gave me this look of warning.

"Another detention? Father isn't going to be happy..." I froze, fear splashes onto me like water. It was the same cackling voice I heard in my nightmares. Avery Parker.

I turned around and walked away as fast as I could, not ever looking back until I reached home. Now I lay on my bed, tired, confused and contemplating every shitty thing that has happened to me today.

I lay there thinking for a while until I noticed the time.

Not again,  not again, not again!!

I get up and rummage through my closet, searching for my McDonalds uniform. Yes, it's a part-time job and well, I'm definitely not loving it.

In fact, I'm hating it! Ba da ba ba ba!

But I needed the money, my family needed the money.

Money has been a bit tight ever since my dad was gone. My mum works from 6:00 pm to sometimes even 2 am at a shoemaking factory and it certainly hasn't been paying her well...

As much as people say money can't buy happiness, it's not true in every aspect. Money is the means of survival and nothing comes cheap in this materialistic world. You either pay or you live on the streets and I'd do anything, to not let my family fall into that state.

I put the uniform on and a coat over it to hide the uniform.

"I'm heading out Zoe, Mrs Jane will check up on you after mum leaves. If something happens, call me okay? Be careful..."  I tell her concerned, my mind making up these negative scenarios.

"Yeah, sure..." she said in a monotone voice.

Sighing, I place the TV remote next to her and I see a small smile creeping up on her face. I shook my head and smiled as I grabbed my McDonald's cap, stuffed it in my bag and walked out the door.

Grabbing my bike, I wear my helmet and get on top. The Mcdonalds I work in is located in this giant shopping mall with a few stories and the food court just had to be located in the very top...

I guess people thought 'hey, the crazy shopaholics will work their way to the top and would eventually become hungry after all the shopping' and voila, the food court on the highest level was born!

The mall was located around 2.5 km away and took me around 10-15 minutes due to the traffic and I was going to be late! This was my weakness, time management, I just didn't know how to change it, how to get rid of this bad habit and I hated myself for it.

Because of my laziness or unawareness of the time, I was going to be late and probably get scolded by my 'boss' Edna. The lady looked so scarily similar to the matchmaker from Mulan and was just as temperamental.

***

Arriving at the mall, I race to the elevator and press the buttons to the top level. The door opens and I step in,but before it closes my eyes sight the person I was dreading to meet. It was Tristan.

Ho-ly SHIT! Why was my luck so pathetically bad?!

I vigorously press the button so the door can close quickly, but it was too late he saw me and he walked right in before the door closed. I was virtually smacking my head on a wall over and over again.

WHY?? WHY ME?!!!

"Woah, woah, woah, are you trying to lock me out? Am I really that scary?"  he said, clearly amused by my flustered, red face.

"N-no, I j-just didn't see you there..." I couldn't even convince myself.

"Last time I checked Freckles, those glasses were meant to make you see... Or are they just there to make your eyes look horribly big?" he said as he leaned against the wall smirking.

"Well, these glasses are specially designed to not see assholes like you."

I usually kept quiet whenever people called me names. Sure it hurt, but I'd bare it until I couldn't feel the hurt anymore. 

But I was aggravated, angry, irritated. It was a boiling hot day and I was tired, late for work and stupid Edna was probably going to put me into 'scraping bubble gum from under the table' duty.

"Hey! You wouldn't have those glasses back without me. You're welcome by the way."

That's when I lost it. This spontaneous laughter erupted from my mouth.

"BAHAHAHA!! You want me to THANK YOU?! Listen here Prince Charming, you think saving my glasses this one time, is something I should bow down and kiss your feet for? Well here's news for you, your 'friends' are going to come back tomorrow and then the next, then the next until they're sick of playing with me and throw me in the trash." calming down my hysterical laughter,  I look up at him.

"You haven't done anything for me... You're just like everyone else, you stick around for the fun, enjoying the show, until it's over, then you leave, without even a single glance back." I say my eyes softening.

A look of guilt passes through his face, he turns his face to the left, avoiding any sort of eye contact. Then he presses the button to the 3rd last floor.

"Hey what are you doing?!" I said, pressing the top floor button again.

"The Rebels sports shop is there, I need new runners..." he said awkwardly, clearly still quite shook from what I had said before.

"Your runners can wait, my job can't." *Click*

"No, they're limited edition and is selling out quick."  *Click*

"Well, I'm sure your shoes won't 'sell out' in the nick of 5 minutes!"  *Click*

"It could, plus my floor is on the way to yours!"  *Click*

"NOOO, I'm already late!"  *Click*

"It's on the way to yours, LITERALLY!"  *Click*

"I.don't.care! Have you heard of the term ladies first?"  *Click*

"Where's the lady?"  *Click*

"Ugh, screw you!"  *Click*

"Mine first!"  *Click*

"No, mine!!"  *Click*

"Hell no!"  *Click*

*Click*  *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click*

"TRISTAN, I'M ALREADY LATE! Your STUPID shoes can wait!"  *Click*

The lights inside of the elevator glitches. We stop moving and the door doesn't open. We both look at each other, eyes widened, skin pale like we saw a ghost.

Holy shit.