His eyes landed on the gaming section and turned mischievous. “Gift ring toss?”
“Janice’s idea, my best friend. She wanted some guy to win a gift for her.” I told, remembering how she fake cried to make me add gift ring toss in the games list. She had even demanded Dylan to win something for her and the poor guy had been practicing it since two days.
“What about you?” He asked curiously.
I furrowed my eyebrows, “What about me?”
“You don’t want any guy to win something for you?”
I shrugged my shoulders indifferently. “Doesn’t really matter, I have to be busy making sure everything is right instead of asking someone to win for me.”
He tilted his head, looking at me. I shifted on my feet, suddenly uncomfortable with the attention. He blinked, “Come on.” He took my hand and pulled me towards the gaming zone.
I twisted my hand, trying to pull it free. “Sean I have to check the food counters also.”
“Later.” He simply said, not loosening the grip on my wrist.
I tried pulling my hand away once again but his grip only tightened. I sighed in defeat. I couldn’t free myself so might as well enjoy it while it lasts.
I looked at the students and saw the biggest line for the tattoo Booth. We had successfully convinced, Mr. Frederick (teacher in charge of fests in school) to allow a tattoo booth and call a professional tattoo maker. It turned out to be the best idea ever. There were plenty of guys and even a few girls in the line. As we passed the Booth, I heard a faint scream from inside and shuddered thinking about the oozing blood. Thank God I didn’t want tattoos. My mind drifted to Ace, he had two tattoos clearly but I knew he had more on his chest and back. Why did he do them if it pains so much? Did he want to cause pain to himself? If yes, why? Did something bad happen to him? Why does he hate girls so much?
So many questions and no answers. I wondered if I would know the answers ever. We weren’t even considered to be friends yet.
“Joanna?” I blinked at the waving hand in front me, my earlier thoughts discarded.
“You on planet Earth?”
I nodded in response to Sean’s question.
He grinned at me and I felt my lips rise up. Is he ever not smiling? He was so much better than Ace and yet I didn’t feel all the things I felt when I was with Ace. I took a deep breath deciding to not let Bryan invade my thoughts anymore. I was with Sean and was going to enjoy every second with him.
“Let’s do this!” He exclaimed enthusiastically, standing in the line.
I rolled my eyes and pulled him ahead, I didn’t need to stand in any line. The perks of being a class president and event organizer.
“Hey Alex, one ticket.” I said, reaching the counter.
I heard groans and shouts from behind me but they all stopped when Alex declared ‘she is the organizer’.
Sean took the three rings and scanned the gifts. There were three cheap perfume bottles, two small Teddy bears one was baby pink and the other white, both held a read heart with ‘I love you’ written on it. There was a fluffy cream cat, two Donald Ducks, three boxes of chocolates, a bunch of key chains all with various messages engraved on them, two small photo frames and three heart pendants that opened and could hold two small photographs. There were twenty two at the start so I figured five items were already won. I didn’t understand why all girly items were chosen but now looking at the line I saw majority girls and a few guys who had clearly come to win something for their girlfriend.
“What do you want?” Sean asked.
I looked over the items once again, debating between the box of chocolates and the cat, the teddy bears and necklace was definitely out of the question. “Cat or chocolates.” I finally answered, failing to reach a conclusion.
He nodded and his eyes drifted from the cat to chocolates. The box of chocolates were nearer so he concentrated on it. In the first attempt just missed the box, the second wasn’t even close. His eyes strained on the box of chocolates, looking like he was telling the box to surrender. I bit my laugh from laughing at his seriousness.
It was the first time a guy was actually getting me a gift in the ring toss by his own will. Not going to deny, it made me feel extremely special and happy. I was so busy studying the emotions playing on his face that I didn’t even realize his ring landed on top the box, making him fist pump in glee.
“Your box Milady.” He offered me the box, faking a British accent.
“Thank you my Lord.” I said, grabbing the box with delight, my eyes twinkling with bliss.
He chuckled and bowed, moving to the next counter, I followed him happily, the box of chocolates neatly held in my hands as I tried to open it.
There were 10 chocolates in total, two galaxy, two Twix, two snickers, two mars and two Toblerones.
I grabbed a snickers and offered the box to Sean. I mentally prayed he wouldn’t take the left snickers, I love snickers. After debating a little he finally took snickers.
Lovely. I thought deadpanned, scowling at his head. As if reading my thoughts he turned and glanced at the snickers in my hand and then the one in his. He grinned, shaking his head at me and taking the Twix, keeping the snickers back in the box. I bit my lip guiltily.
“You can have it.” I said, offering him the snickers. He shook his head. “You love it more. Come on let’s see the next game.”
I blinked at him and smiled a genuine smile, taking his hand in mine. He gave a squeeze, a faint blush creeping on his cheeks as he pulled me towards the next stall. I felt my heart go into an overdrive.
They next game was crazy birds, it was pretty much like the angry birds. The colorful blocks were stuck to each other lightly with 8 stuffed birds on it. The participants would get 4 chances to throw balls and knockdown all the blocks so that the birds are lying on the table and not on the blocks. Unless at least 3 birds are left on the blocks, no prize would be given. I heard a guy screaming in frustration as the fourth bird fell on the block instead of the table.
“What next?” Sean asked, waiting for my decision.
I shrugged, my eyes wandering to the food court. I was hungry. Very very hungry even after eating my snickers not that it is stomach filling especially since my stomach could fit in a whole pizza place. My stomach growled agreeing with my mind. I blushed, looking at Sean.
“Pizza?” He asked with amusement.
“Please.”
He grinned and grabbed my hand again, walking with me to the stall. His hand was soft and his hold firm. I liked the feeling. It felt safe and so-
“Muf-Joanna?!”
I turned to face a completely furious Ace, standing beside an equally serious Max and an amused Dylan.
Sean’s hold on my hand tightened and I felt Bryan’s eyes follow our joint palms and his eyes narrow at the action. “Bryan.” Sean said a monotonous voice, giving a single nod in his direction.
“Sean.” Ace spat the word with disgust, making Sean stiffen besides me.
They knew each other, how? Why are they speaking with such venom? Is there something I am missing?
“How are you?” Dylan asked Sean. He was trying to be polite but I could see the animosity for Sean in his eyes.
“Great.” Sean said in a clipped tone. “We were just going to have pizza, so bye.” He said putting his arm over my shoulder and turning us. I saw Bryan’s eyes narrow at the gesture.
“We will join you.” Ace said, clearly giving no space for a no.
I squirmed in discomfort. The awkwardness between me and Ace still hadn’t completely left and now he was joining me and Sean. I could already feel the tension rising through the air, surrounding us with thickness. Sean and Ace stared at each other, more like glared, for a few minutes before Sean shrugged and walked to the stall, his arm still around my shoulder, tightening as we walked.
Slice the air filled with tension and you’ll still find ninety more layers of hostility.
Neither Dylan nor Max tried to break the tension. It was suffocating me. I cleared my throat. “So um- how do you two know each other?” I finally asked, my voice sounding weird through the tensed air.
No one answered for a few seconds which stretched into minutes. The apprehension tripled and I gulped uncomfortably. What the hell was up with these people? My hold on the box of chocolates tightened, the chocolates seemed to be the only sensible thing right now.
Finally Ace answered. “He is my step brother.”
And just like that the axis of my world titled.