We could be jerks like them and cheer and smack our chests into each other, but Kylen and I high-five each other and compliment each other on a good game.
“Now for the tie breaker,” Kylen says.
Richie narrows his eyes at us. “Oh, it’s on.”
Okay, Kylen and I just stated five minutes ago that we shouldn’t care about beating the jerks because it should be about having fun. But it seems our competitive sides are fighting to break through.
With a determined nod to one another, we whip our heads to the screen as the race begins. Of course I want to have fun, but my competitive side really wants to win. As does Kylen’s. We pound hard on the controller buttons as we do whatever we can to reach the finish line first, ignoring the cheers from the kids, and the smack talking from our opponents.
“No!” Kylen cries as he jumps onto a disappearing platform. His monkey is about to plunge to the ground, but my monkey, who is on a platform behind him, leaps into the air just in time to bump her head into Scrawny Monkey’s butt. Scrawny gets such a boost that he lands on the next platform.
“Nice one, Raven!” Kylen says. “You totally saved me.”
“I saved us,” I correct as the two of us pass the finish line literally two seconds before Richie and Derek.
“Oh my gosh!” I throw my arms around him, burying my face into his chest and inhaling his scent. “We did it.”
He pumps his fist into the air as his free hand wraps around me, pulling me closer to his chest. “You were awesome. We won because of you!”
“You were awesome, too!” I lift my head and beam at him. “We made the perfect team.”
“I agree.”
When we look at Richie, we find him scowling like someone murdered his pet.
“It’s just a game, man.” Kylen holds out his hand. “How about we shake on it?”
It looks like Richie is about to storm out of the room, but he shakes his hand and says, “We didn’t make it easy for you.”
“No, you didn’t. And I think you owe Raven an apology.”
His brows shoot up as he glances at me. “I do?”
“Stop belittling girls,” I say. “They are just as good as boys at video games, and they have every right to play just as you do. A lesson in humility might do you loads of good.”
He stares between Kylen and me before rolling his eyes at Derek. “Do they think they’re my parents or something? Let’s get out of here.”
He and Derek leave the room, taking their crew with them.
Kylen lifts his shoulders. “Well, we tried.”
“I don’t think a guy like him will ever change.”
“Maybe, but there’s always a possibility he will. Maybe if he met a girl and wanted to change for her.”
“That doesn’t happen in real life, though,” I point out. “Just in books and movies.”
He’s thoughtful. “Maybe. But I believe the people around you can definitely make you change. Hopefully for the good.”
Now that we once again have the rec room to ourselves, we load the farming game so we can redo what we lost before the game with Richie and Derek. Thankfully, Kylen doesn’t forget to close the pen this time and there are no runaway cows.
As I’m tilling a new plot of land to plant rare seeds I found in a cave, I say, “Fiona’s throwing a party tomorrow night. Are you going?”
“Fiona…is she one of the rich kids?”
“Yeah. Her family owns like three mansions. One is located about half an hour away from school. She’s known to throw some good parties.”
“Hmm, are you going?”
