One time I saw someone getting mugged outside of a kid’s arcade.
Busters Games and More.
I used to go there all the time after school. And here I'm standing before it today, picking it apart piece by piece. Torn up leather seats, rusted glass cases that used to hold cheaply made overpriced prizes. Shooting and pinball games that were knockoffs from overseas and definitely rigged. And the food? Godawful. The owner? Buster was a cranky hard ass that yelled and cursed at everyone equally.
But I loved every second of it.
“You look like you're lost in thought.” Guy mentioned, standing by my side while we worked.
“Just old memories. Seems like that's all I've got these days, echoes of better times.” Wyatt's face popped up in my mind as my hands traced a cracked piece of oak table with faded writing on the back.
SP+WH 4Eva.
I groaned and tossed the bitter reminder to a pile far away from me.
“What was that?”
“Something I've been trying to forget.”
“Mm. I see.” His tone was soft but he couldn’t hide the tiny tick of disappointment on his jaw.
This is depressing. I need to be better or at least fake it till I make it.
“So. This is an old arcade I used to go to when I was young. I spent way too much time and money here.” And I often left with nothing to show for it.
“What’s an arcade?” He wrinkled his nose as he picked up a comically large plastic hammer. How on earth did that thing last so long?
“It's a place people used to visit to have fun. You’d play games and win prizes. Well, first you’d win tickets and then you’d trade those tickets in for prizes. I think one year I actually won enough for a pair of horns.”
Guy glanced at me, brow raised expectantly.
“Look, fake horns aren’t the same as the horns you’re born with, alright? Besides, these were big red devil horns—completely different from the black ones on my head.” I crossed my arms, justifying what ten year-old me thought made perfect sense.
“Right, whatever you say.” He smirked, turning away from me. His shoulders shook—that bastard was laughing at me?
“Fuck you!” I tossed a small rock at his head and he burst into a fit of belly-holding laughter.
Rolling my eyes, I made sure the debris around me was all at a reasonable hip height. “Vacuum.” Air pulled into me as I pursed my lips and ignored Guy as much as I could.
Seeing the small area nice and clear gave me a small blip of happiness. Nobody cleans like me. Although I bet ten year old me would probably think I’m weird or lame. I couldn’t help but wonder…would it be easier for me to just level the block and put the buildings back one by one as I see fit?
That feels like the right answer…plus it might help me work out some feelings.
“Guy.” He’d stopped laughing and turned back to me, a sheepish grin on his face.
“Yes ma’am.”
“We’re gonna do something different.” A devilish grin showing all my pointy teeth grew like a weed on my face. Guy leaned in, eyes widening excitedly.
“What’d you have in mind?”
“How much do you like smashing stuff?”
His grin told me all I needed to know. “We flattenin’ the whole block?”
“Hell yeah!” I love it when somebody matches my energy. “Try to keep up!”
“I could say the same to you!” That was all the permission he needed. Guy took off at the speed of light, decimating a 5 story building within seconds. I wouldn’t let him get the better of me though.
“Let’s see if I still know how to do this.” I murmured, leaping high into the air with a rusted old car on my back. Once I got up high enough, I did a 360 spin mid air and flung the car through three skyscrapers at top speed. The satisfaction I got watching them all go down was priceless.
I landed on top of the rubble, cheesin’ like a dope, covered in dust and dirt.
“Show off!” Guy called out. Though his smirk told me it was just more fuel for his fire.
Between the two of us, we’d destroyed more than I’d ever built within minutes. I was almost sad that it was over already.
Guy floated down next to me, also covered in dirt and mushroom goop too. His eyes danced with amusement and he reached out, holding my hand. I wasn’t a fool, I took his hand and squeezed it like I’d never let go.
“Thank you.” I whispered.
“For what?”
“For just…being you. I swear it feels like I’ve been suffocating for weeks and you?” I smiled at him, rubbing my thumb across his dusty knuckles.
“Guy, you’re like a breath of fresh air.” It felt right, letting my feelings out. I might still be getting over Wyatt but I'll never deny how Guy makes me feel—even if I don’t believe in soulmate bullshit.
“I’d kiss you but uh, we’re both absolutely filthy. Besides, I know what you put in your mouth.” He grunts when I punch him in the gut but a smile soon follows.
“Don’t be jealous.” Slowly I walked around the block letting Vacuum pick up all of it. My head hurt as my system started talking.
[Careful sis. When you use vacuum, you’re taking in the materials and their blueprints at the same time. Too many at once can give you a real bitchin’ headache.]
“Got it. Important question though, if I use my last 3 refurbish for the day, will I get my wings back?”
Her hesitation wasn’t a good sign but I wouldn’t give up just yet.
[Yeah. You’ll get 'em back in the morning as long as you use all your refurbishes today.]
“Yes!” My fist pumped into the air. Guy lifted me up and spun me around, holding me tight.
“Whoa! Easy big guy, what happened to us being dirty?”
“Maybe I like my women dirty~” His wiggling eyebrows sent me into a fit of giggles. The decision for what to do next came easy. One arcade, one skyscraper and one grocery store, all brought back in pristine condition. Now we just really need some electricity.
But as Guy and I finished everything and he caught my woozy body in his arms—our gazes locked. Heat passed between us but something about it felt…wrong. And it must have shown on my face.
“What is it? What’s on your mind?”
“You.” I sighed, reaching out to touch his face. The face that wasn’t his. There might be some attraction but I didn’t know Noa. I ached for Guy, for his big smiling square head and sun-kissed beige skin.
His jaw tightened as I pulled our hands apart gently.
“I want it to be your hands on me Guy, not Noa’s.”
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