Play The Game

by Casey Crisp

  “He said they weren’t dating.”

  “Well, it’s complicated.” Alex chuckled. “They’ve been attached at the hip since we were children.”

  “What do you mean complicated?” I demanded. However, if I had been more careful to control my temper, I might have noticed the triumphant gleam in Alex’s eyes.

  “They’ve been dating sporadically for years,” Alex explained, all too pleased with himself. “Isabella is very much enamored with Chrystian.”

  “Why should I care?” I asked. “I’m with Jonathan.”

  Alex sighed in exasperation. “Forgive me, Miss Starr, for assuming that your relationship with him could last this long.”

  “Alex,” I snapped. “What are you trying to do?”

  “I’m sorry,” he said, immediately softening his tone. “We were talking about Chrystian’s relationship with Isabella. I shouldn’t change topics so abruptly.”

  “He said they weren’t dating,” I insisted again, but Alex was having none of my arguments.

  “Chrystian was the one who ended things with her last time. However, between you and me, I think it’s because of the distance thing which shouldn’t be a problem much longer.”

  “What does that mean?”

  Alex smirked knowingly. “I chose this song for you, what do you think?”

  I paused, listening carefully to the slow rhythm relaxing the steps of the dancers. “What is it?”

  “A very old song,” Alex said. “But I like it.”

  “Yeah, I guess you would,” I muttered, sighing when I felt Alex’s hand dip lower around my waist.

  He suddenly leaned in closer, hair brushing my forehead as his eyes met mine. “Do you have any idea how special you are?”

  I froze at his words. “What are you doing?”

  “The most I can,” he said, releasing his hold from around my waist only to capture my face between his hands, fingertips cold against my flushed skin. “Don’t think about him anymore,” Alex said, but I never got the chance to question what he meant before he was kissing me, lips smooth and coaxing against my own. There was every chance to pull away from Alex, especially when I felt his shoulders relax, but there was something holding me in place that went beyond all rational explanation. A simple moment in time in which I was only focused on Alex Vonderheide and the inconsequential way he always managed to get under my skin.

  Unfortunately, moments like that were never meant to last, and we were soon interrupted by a heavy grip around my middle after I was unceremoniously jerked away from Alex’s tempting lips. I swayed preciously in my heels, realizing a moment later that it was Jonathan who had interfered. My boyfriend who was positively fuming as he confronted Alex. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Jonathan growled, tucking me against his side as he stood in front of Alex.

  “I’m pretty sure that I was kissing your girlfriend,” Alex said with an arrogant smile.

  I could feel Jonathan's tension, watching as he balled his fists together despite Alex’s nonchalance. Alex stood with his hands dug into the pockets of his trousers, watching Jonathan with a look that clearly invited provocation. But I held tightly to my boyfriend, encouraging him to ignore Alex as I managed to successfully drag him further away to the porch outside where we could talk without the influence of the other guests.

  “That’s bullshit!” Jonathan erupted, hands making a mess of his hair as he paced back and forth in front of me.

  “Jonathan, I’m sorry,” I tried, but his eyes were still heavy with anger. I desperately grabbed his arm, trying to pull him closer to me. I wanted him to recognize the genuineness in my expression since I wasn't bothering to hide it from him.

  “It’ll take more than that to make it up to me,” he declared, twisting his arm free from my grasp before charging across the lawn. I turned around quickly in my heels, ignoring the shooting pain that was burning through my ankle because of the jarring movement, and I haphazardly limped after him.

  One Week Later

  Nicole

  There’s an old expression that went something like “all in good time,” meaning at the right opportunity, but I was too impatient to remember the circumstances. Regardless, I was on the verge of an imminent breakthrough, and that meant my window of opportunity was wide open. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have a very good excuse for approaching Beckett Arlington in the middle of the dining hall, especially when everyone was watching me like I was the bravest person in the room.

  I tried to ignore Alex and Chrystian as I paused next to their table. “Beckett,” I greeted him casually.

  “Nicole?” Beckett seemed genuinely surprised when he saw me. “What’s going on?”

  “Can I talk to you for a moment?” I asked, jerking my head towards the exit. “Alone?”

  “Why?” Beckett replied somewhat dismissively, returning back to his food as if it were more interesting.

  I rolled my eyes. “If I wanted to talk to you about something privately, then why would I say anything around your friends?”

  “We’re not the type to gossip,” Alex said before glancing up at me. “Where’s Brynn?”

  “I’d imagine that she’s with her boyfriend. He’s been helping her between classes because of her bruised ankle,” I replied shortly, hating to derail my purpose any further, even at the expense of Alex’s darkening mood. Instead, I pleaded with Beckett once more, trying to convey, with a brief display of uncoordinated gestures, the importance of what I needed to tell him. I even tried my best frown, the one Rose that had once swore could sway the heart of even the coldest person.

  “Fine,” Beckett muttered, sliding out of the booth to follow me, leaving Alex and Chrystian behind to whisper together in low tones.

  But there was no time to consider the subject of their secrecy, and once Beckett and I were secluded in the relative privacy of the school’s lobby, I started to relay my plan. A special operation devised late at night with every intention of upgrading my eldest sister’s relationship status. “I need as much help as I can get,” I finished, waiting for him to respond.

  However, I was taken aback by his laughter because it was certainly an unexpected response. “I knew that it wasn’t important.” Beckett sighed while kicking at the floor. “It usually never is with you.”

  I frowned. “Come on, Beckett, please!”

  “What will you do for me?” Beckett asked, taking a step back to cross his arms over his chest.

  “For you?” I repeated, but it really wasn’t out of the ordinary for Beckett to be anything other than difficult.

  “I don’t do favors for free, Starr,” he explained. “What will I get out of this?”

  “I don’t know,” I said, caught off-guard by his demanding question.

  “Then I guess you’ll be finding someone else, won’t you?” he asked, tossing me a wink.

  I frowned at his behavior. “Fine, you get anything that you want.”

  “Anything?” Beckett repeated, and I shivered at the greediness in his tone.

  “I-I guess so,” I stuttered because I was certainly making a costly mistake, but I felt nothing less than desperate for his help.

  “For anything I want...” Beckett laid out his terms. “I’ll help you, Nicole.”

  I felt a surge of triumph over his agreeance. However, at the same time, I couldn’t help but wonder if I had made a fatal error by giving him whatever he wanted in return. After all, it would be impossible to determine his intentions, and there was no doubt in my mind that what he desired would hold far greater significance than what I planned to ask of him. Yet, I refused to dwell on the inevitable. My plan was set in motion and our upcoming trip to the coast would provide the perfect setting.

  ***

  After school ended, I briefly met with Beckett and Skyla outside the Student Council lounge, discussing my plan in more detail:

  “This weekend, we’re going to Coastal High!” I reminded them, glancing between both pairs of attentive eyes. “Can you guess why
that’s the perfect time?”

  Beckett shrugged somewhat nonchalantly. “I don’t know? Because you can get them alone outside of school?”

  “No! You idiot,” I scoffed, turning to Skyla in a silent plea for help. However, my close friend seemed just as clueless, looking back over at Beckett as if surprised that he hadn’t come up with the correct answer. I rolled my eyes at their obvious ignorance. “Heidi isn’t coming on this trip because she hurt her wrist in practice the other day. Coach doesn’t want to risk making it worse by forcing her to play in a tournament that means nothing.”

  “Wait!” Skyla exclaimed. “We won’t have Heidi and Brynn! Who’s going to take the point guard spot?”

  I reached over to grab her shoulders, shaking her a little in exasperation because neither of their injury-related dismissals involved Rose or Ryder. “Is that really important right now?”

  “Sorry,” she grumbled, ducking her head in shame.

  “It’s a good thing that Heidi won’t be there,” I said slowly, waiting for them to put the pieces together. “Consider it an opportunity for my big sister and Ryder to spend some quality time together.”

  Beckett chuckled. “How do we even get them in the same room?”

  “That’s where you come in,” I said. “You’re good friends with Ryder, right? Tell him that you want to go out or something. Take him to a restaurant or to the beach. Skyla and I can convince Rose to come with us to the same spot.”

  “And then what?” Beckett asked, arching one brow. “Are we supposed to leave them alone in this undisclosed location? They won’t appreciate being tricked like that.”

  “I can’t believe you still doubt me,” I said, suddenly feeling more than confident. “We can hang around with them until they’re comfortable together. Trust me, if we play this right, then Ryder and Rose will do the rest.”

  “Do you think Ryder will be okay when he finds out that we’ll be there?” Skyla asked. “He probably doesn’t want to hang around with us.”

  “Don’t worry,” I said, landing a hand on Beckett’s shoulder. “Beckett will be there to ease the tension.”

  “That’s what I’m known for!” Beckett quipped in return.

  “Look, I’ve got everything under control. As long as we all do our part, then nothing will go wrong.”

  I finished my speech with high expectations, waiting for a resounding chorus of agreement. Instead, I was met with a hesitant Skyla Riles and an inconvenienced Beckett Arlington. But it was better than total opposition, and I was exceedingly optimistic. “You’ll do this right?” I asked Beckett. “Because I’m serious.”

  “I know,” Beckett said, giving me one of his trademarked smirks. “You’re crafty aren’t you, Nicole?”

  “I knew Ryder wasn’t interested in Heidi,” I insisted haughtily.

  “As long as you’re willing to hold up your end of our agreement.”

  I swallowed hard. “Have you already thought of something?”

  Beckett nodded. “It’s rather inconsiderate of me to ask you to do this, Nicole, but you did say anything.”

  “I’m not going to do something ridiculous!” I blurted out suddenly.

  Beckett laughed, a genuine smile matching the amusement evident in his gaze. “I need you to come with me somewhere. Preferably dressed nicely in whatever you can manage.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “What’s this about?”

  “I can’t tell you now, but I’ll send you the details later. So try and be a good girl, Nicole,” he said and I frowned at his condescending tone, but with another roguish smirk, Beckett disappeared into the Student Council lounge and I was left wondering what I had just gotten myself into.

  Rose

  Our second tournament involved a competitive game with a team from the east coast where the familiar smell of salt and sand reminded me of childhood trips to the beach with my family. However, unlike my teammates, I decided to stay behind in our hotel because an old injury was flaring in my right heel courtesy of an unfavorable attempt at flipping on a trampoline when I was much younger. For the most part, I was left to my own devices, mindlessly scrolling through my phone until I received an unexpected call from my youngest sister.

  “Rose,” came Nicole’s chipper voice from the other end. “I have a question for you.”

  “What is it?” I asked, sighing because I had been on the verge of a well-deserved nap.

  “Skyla and I are bored!” Nicole pouted, and I rolled my eyes at her theatrics.

  “And?”

  “Come out with us tonight,” Nicole insisted. “There’s this really cool arcade in town.”

  “So? You can go with Skyla,” I replied. “I don’t know why I have to leave my room.”

  “Well,” Nicole added quickly, and the edge to her desperate tone ensured that my suspicions were on high alert. “You’ve probably been inside all day. You should come out and explore while you can.”

  “It depends on how I feel tonight,” I said, stretching out my legs along the hotel’s flimsy excuse for a mattress.

  “Before 8?” She persisted, and I knew that she was up to something.

  “What’s your deal, Nicole?” I asked, despite my attempts to hide my annoyance. But I was no stranger to my sister’s elaborate ruses, and I certainly didn’t like being included in them.

  “It’s nothing.” She sighed. “I just wanted to have fun with you tonight. We always went to arcades together when we were younger. Don’t you remember?”

  “I was terrible,” I reminded her. “Can’t you just go without me? My heel is bothering me again and I’m tired from the trip down here.”

  “Rose!” Nicole whined, and her shrill tone forced me to pull the phone away from my ear. “Please! I just want to spend time with you.”

  “Since when did that become such a big deal?” I sighed, decidedly finished with the conversation. “Fine, I’ll come with you, but I’m not staying out all night. I already told you that I was hurt!”

  “Thank you, Rose!” My sister squealed from the other end. Unfortunately, Nicole’s obvious excitement suggested that she had gotten her way, but I didn’t feel like uncovering the details of her newest scheme. Instead, I hung up the phone and rubbed slow circles around my temples to prevent the threat of an oncoming headache.

  ***

  I knew tonight’s dalliances would be a waste of my time, especially as I followed Skyla and Nicole who whispered together in conspiratorial giggles. “You guys have obviously plotted against me,” I remarked before studying the clustered interior of the arcade. It was already too loud and overcrowded.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Nicole asked, and she turned around to look at me before pulling out her phone. “This is supposed to be fun.”

  I watched as she typed something across the screen, a permanent grin splitting her features. “Is this part of the fun?”

  “Are you already excited?” Nicole cheered as she reached back for my wrist, dragging me through the heavy presence of adolescent teenagers crowding the tall gaming machines. Fortunately, the bright, neon lights and caricature characters were exchanged for the much quieter dining room spotted with tables and secluded booths. I tried to ignore the pungent odor of alcohol while Skyla, a reliable conspirator, cleared her throat and jerked her head in the direction of a larger sectional. I resisted the urge to protest as Nicole pulled on my arm again, dragging me along with her friend like an unwilling accomplice.

  In the meantime, I quietly took the time to observe my surroundings, noting the low quality of light that would undoubtedly give me a headache later on when we finally returned to the sanctity of our hotel. Honestly speaking, I would never understand why restaurants felt the need to complicate its patrons' abilities when it came to viewing the menu in front of them. However, when my attention resumed in the direction of where we were going, I nearly froze when I spotted Beckett and Ryder sitting together at one of the tables.

  “Beckett,” Skyla said, drawing the attention o
f both men. “What are the odds of running into you here?”

  I frowned as the corner of Beckett’s lips twitched as if resisting the urge to smile. “It is a small town.”

  “Ryder,” Nicole said, and I felt my heart flutter in my chest when his brown eyes swept over the three of us. “How are you?”

  “Uh...good, I guess,” Ryder replied, looking back at Beckett as if seeking some kind of confirmation before returning to Nicole. “Do you guys want to sit with us?”

  “That would be great,” Nicole agreed happily, claiming the empty space next to Beckett and dragging Skyla on her other side.

  Reluctantly, I sat down next to Ryder, aware of his looming presence in the kind smile he sent my way and the distinct smell of his cologne. “What are you guys up to?”

  “We were just talking about the tournament,” Beckett replied smoothly.

  “You guys should do great,” Nicole said, and I rolled my eyes at her flirtations.

  “The playoffs have been entertaining to watch,” Skyla agreed before sighing dramatically. “It’s too bad that we’re missing Brynn because we won’t have our point guard.”

  I narrowed my eyes, perfectly aware that she had intentionally failed to mention Heidi Delacruz, our temporary point guard replacement. “That’s right,” Nicole said. “But at least we have Rose! I don’t think we’d manage without our team captain.”

  I jerked my head to the side in disbelief. Because if it wasn't obvious enough, then the dramatization of my sister’s terrible acting skills forced me to realize that this was an elaborate setup orchestrated to my detriment. “You still have Sydney, don’t you?”

  Nicole’s smile disappeared, and my comment was validated knowing that I had struck a nerve. “Sydney hasn’t exactly been a reliable leader, especially to us.”

  “But she’s a good player,” I said. “She’ll probably be the one to take Brynn’s spot, and she’ll do a good job.”

  “I’m sure,” Nicole replied, and I entertained the idea of dissuading her ridiculous plan before she became more invested.