I turned back to Michael and sidestepped past him, putting my backpack over my shoulder. “Yeah, sure. You just wait right here until I come back with that sandwich.”
“Make it a BLT with extra B,” he called after me.
He was still laughing at his own joke as I left the stadium. My blood was thick with frustration and anger as I stiffly marched back to my car at the other side of the school grounds.
If there was one thing I had to thank Michael for, it was for reminding me why I was doing this thing in the first place. Justice was sweet and I was about to serve up a majorly big slice to the Corrigan brothers.
Chapter Six
“He said what?”
Lexi sat up straight on my bed, half of her fire-engine red fingernails still fresh with paint. She gaped at me, then at Charlotte sitting next to her, and then back at me.
“He told me to go make him a sandwich,” I said in a dry voice. “Yeah, that’s Michael’s go-to insult around me. I’m surprised you haven’t already heard it.”
Her cheeks turned red as her lips twisted into a furious snarl. “No, but I’d tell him just where he could shove that sandwich. He’s awful to you, Beth. Just plain awful. I didn’t realize things were that bad.”
I shrugged and turned back to my computer screen. My friends heard the bulk of my complaints about the Corrigan brothers, but they didn’t get to witness much of it thanks to their utter cluelessness about gaming in general. The club wasn’t exactly a hot spot for them and that was where most of my run-ins with Michael occurred. Honestly, I was kind of thankful for that. They were both so soft-hearted. I didn’t want them having to deal with standing up to a nasty bully like that. This was my battle. One that I would win.
“The tournament opening is about to begin,” I said, checking the time. “Any minute now...”
Sure enough, two seconds later the video on my screen flickered and then up popped the face of Carl, the Rock Valley Club’s director. He had a friendly smile, with a graying and scraggly beard and kind wrinkles around his eyes. All of the kids at that club loved Carl. He wasn’t exactly a gamer geek like many of us, but he understood our passion.
“I hope this thing is working...” Clearing his throat, he gazed hesitantly into the camera. “Guess I should just plow ahead and see what happens.”
I chuckled to myself. He did this every year. No matter how many times we tried to show Carl how to use the live video feed, he always did something to mess it up. At least it was working, for now. Silently, I urged him to get on with the opening.
“So, as you know, this is the tenth annual Holiday Gamers Tournament at the Rock Valley Club,” he said with a wide smile. “This year is extra special because we’ve got a sponsor—a local hero in the tech world. Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to Winifred Brown.”
My jaw fell to my chest as Carl scooted over to make room for a woman with long, dark hair pulled into a wavy ponytail over her shoulder. She had a long face, round black glasses, bright red lipstick, and a smile that pulled me closer to the screen. With a thankful nod at Carl, she smiled at the screen and waved.
“Please, everyone calls me Fred,” she said. “And I’m so grateful to be back in my hometown of Rock Valley. I actually graduated high school from here fifteen years ago. My parents still live here, but I went off to Cal Tech and eventually landed a gig with a start-up company that just grew and grew. And now, I live in Silicone Valley and I’m working on a start-up of my own.”
“No way!” I yelled, throwing my hands up.
“What?” Charlotte ran to my side to stare at the screen. She waved her freshly painted pink nails. “What’s going on?”
With an eager grin, I tapped the screen, where Fred was still talking about her new start-up. “The sponsor of this year’s tournament is none other than a girl. Michael Corrigan is going to pee his pants when he finds out.”
Charlotte’s eyes widened slightly, before she hid her mouth with her hand and giggled. “That’s too perfect. She’s practically laying the groundwork for your ultimate revenge.”
“Yeah, it’s practically a sign,” Lexi added from the bed. “You were definitely meant to win this.”
I nodded, feeling satisfaction pump through my veins. They were right. This was a sign. This was preparing me for the Corrigan’s defeat. A girl was sponsoring the club’s gaming tournament. Girls could most definitely game. This was going to happen.
The sore feeling from my earlier meeting with Gabriel still hadn’t gone away. He was so not what I expected. I’d almost been duped into feeling sorry for him—which was totally a mistake because Michael had put everything back into perspective. Gabriel was just as guilty as his brother. He’d been there during almost every fight, a supportive background figure to his brother’s reign of terror. I couldn’t forget that he was complicit. And now, I was more fired up than ever to win this thing.
“Listen, I know you didn’t all login tonight to hear me talk about my next big project,” Fred said with a laugh, adjusting her glasses. “When I was your age, we didn’t have things like gaming clubs. That’s why I was so excited to jump on board this year. As you’re aware, the grand prize winner gets $5,000.”
“And because of that, we’ve got more entries than ever,” Carl added loudly.
Fred chuckled. “Yes, I think we upped the ante. The sign-up sheet is closed. First two rounds are partner rounds, then it’s every man and woman for themselves. Round number one is Thursday evening. Please check the boards at the club to find out who you’re battling and the rest of the details. I can’t wait to see what my hometown can do.”
“And I can’t wait to see the lucky kid who wins this jackpot.” Carl rubbed his hands together excitedly. “This is going to be your best Christmas yet. Stay tuned, folks. We’ll let you know after Thursday who will be moving on. Till then!”
I blinked at the screen as the live feed ended. This was really happening. The first round was in two days.
I had so much I had left to do.
“Now, can we go to the diner for sustenance?” Lexi whined. “I’m starving.”
“Yeah, let’s go.” Charlotte hopped off my bed and stashed the nail polish in her bag. They had to bring their own supplies over whenever they wanted to do something girly. The last thing anyone would find in my drawers was a bottle of pink nail polish. “I could use some girl time. Hunter’s been so busy helping with things at Sweet Oak Ranch. They’ve got some new rescue horses in and they’re wild, skinny things.”
Lexi snatched her purse and pulled the strap over her shoulder. “Beth, you coming?”
I waved noncommittally over my shoulder. Already, I’d logged into the Battlegrounds App and was assessing my stockpile of weapon blueprints and inventory. I couldn’t help but wonder what Gabriel had hidden in his back pocket. Was he totally honest with me or did he keep some of it secret? A high-class weapon could mean the difference between a win and a brutal defeat. I’d have to be prepared for every situation.
“Come on, Bethy.” Charlotte perched herself on the edge of the desk and peered down at the screen. “You said you wanted to eat and we need someone to drive, or we’re going to have to spend the next forty-five minutes on the bus.”
“I always smell like fish after getting off of the bus,” Lexi said with a shiver. “Happens every time. I have no idea why.”
Drawing my lower lip between my teeth, I shook my head. Food wasn’t anywhere on my radar anymore. Seeing Fred on that live feed had set a fire inside of me and I wasn’t going anywhere away from my computer if I could help it.
After a long pause, Lexi cleared her throat. “Guess it’s the bus for us. See you tomorrow morning at school.”
There was a slight scuffle of coats and purses behind me and then silence. Honestly, I barely noticed them leaving. A few minutes later, a new message landed in my inbox from a certain gaming and anatomy partner.
Battlescar13: You pumped for this??
CurrerBFighting: Yo
u have no idea!
Pumped didn’t even begin to cover it. It didn’t matter that I was still mad at Gabriel for his reaction this afternoon. My personal life and my gaming life were two separate things. And nothing was going to dampen my excitement for this tournament.
I couldn’t wait to go check out the tournament boards at the club. In fact, I was pretty sure I couldn’t wait another minute. Grabbing my keys from my nightstand, I raced out the door to hop in my car. A slight bit of guilt hit me as I inhaled the fresh vanilla scent from my car freshener. Charlotte and Lexi were already gone, probably aboard the fishy city bus. I could’ve given them a ride to the diner on my way over to the club, but it was too late. And I was on my own.
That didn’t matter. I was used to being on my own. I’d been a loner for practically most of my high school existence. It hadn’t been by choice, but I’d learned to deal with it. And here I was again, fighting my own battle again.
But this time, the reward would be so much sweeter.
Chapter Seven
Had they spotted my erratic behavior, anyone would’ve thought I was a spy on the mission as I entered the Rock Valley after-school club. There were two certain guys I was most definitely avoiding.
Logically, I knew that the Corrigan boys were probably at home. They wouldn’t be around to see me check the tournament schedule and get the time for my first big battle. But still, one awful interaction per day was enough for me. So, I jerked my head around every corner, scanning the room with alert eyes, before making my way into the club lobby.
The tantalizing smell coming from the bag of fast food I gripped tightly in my hands was making my stomach moan and groan like Joe did after he lost another battle to me on the Sega Dreamcast. It had been my first stop before coming to the club. Thinking about Charlotte and Lexi at the diner had made my hunger return at full strength. Fast food was the solution. And besides that, salty and fatty foods were kind of a first aid kit for patching up my ego after the events of today. I slipped my hand inside the bag and pulled out an extra crispy fry to munch on as I approached the bulletin board.
The club wasn’t very busy at this time of day. Most kids were having dinner around the table with their families. Thanks to my mom’s surgery schedule this week and Dad’s research, I was running solo for meals most nights. It didn’t bother me. My parents usually tacked some money on the mirror in the front hall and made it up to me later. Besides, it gave me more time to perfect my gaming skills.
Or stalk the club’s tournament schedule when no one else was looking.
There it was, printed on starkly white poster board and tacked to the bottom of the bulletin board. All the handles from the players who’d entered were listed. My own, CurrerBFighting, was printed right underneath Battlescar13. I traced the letters gently with the tip of my finger, excitement simmering beneath my skin. How much I wished I could’ve claimed that name aloud and proudly announced my participation, but the time would come soon enough. We still had two battles to get through. Until then, I just had to pretend that Michael had gotten to me and scared me away from the tournament.
That was going to be the hardest part of this whole thing.
“I thought I’d find you here.”
I jumped at the sound of the familiar low voice behind me. Turning around, I blinked rapidly at a pair of steel blue eyes. One second was all it took to find the white scar cascading down his jaw.
Gabriel.
Sweeping my eyes over the room, I did a quick check. Where was his brother? I hardly ever saw one Corrigan twin without the other far behind. Frankly, I just didn’t have the energy for another verbal sparring match. My mind was on other things tonight.
“He’s not here,” Gabriel said, as if reading my mind. He tilted his head to one side and stared grimly at me. “You don’t have to worry about him.”
I harrumphed loudly as if he didn’t have a clue what he was talking about. Maybe a little too loudly to be convincing. “I’m not worried. Michael doesn’t scare me.”
His lips twitched in the hint of a smile. “I know.”
If I didn’t know better, I’d say he almost sounded impressed.
Stepping around me, Gabriel leaned down to check out the poster board. He’d changed since practice into a pair of jeans and a threadbare gray t-shirt. The shirt stretched across his broad shoulders, accentuating the thick muscles he’d probably gained from years of hockey. I watched his eyes scan over the list of profile names and then up to the schedule.
We were scheduled for our first battle on Thursday at five p.m. He stared long and hard at the bracket, working his jaw. I wished I could read his thoughts as his brow wrinkled in thought. Was he worried? I wished I could tell him that we had this. Our first competitors might have been a pair of senior guys, but I was familiar with them. Their stats weren’t nearly as high as ours. With the right weaponry, we might just be able to cinch our first victory in this tournament.
But instead of telling Gabriel that, I allowed myself to stand back and simply observe him as he studied the brackets for the first round. This was my partner. The boy I’d hated for so long. He smelled clean and fresh, like he’d just gotten out of the shower and rolled in a pile of freshly laundered sheets. Bad guys weren’t supposed to smell that good. It was confusing. And the way he kept mindlessly plowing his long fingers through his wet hair, mussing it up, was strangely kind of attractive.
For a bad guy.
“I’m sorry,” he said suddenly, turning his head slightly to look at me.
My cheeks flushed as I quickly averted my eyes. I’d totally been caught staring.
“For what?” I asked, diving my hand back into my bag of fast food. Salty food was needed and quick.
“For my brother.”
For a second, I forgot the salty food. I looked up in shock at Gabriel. Had he really just said that? I’d never expected either one of the Corrigan brothers to ever apologize to me. Not unless they were joking.
He winced at my shocked expression and laughed nervously, once again plowing his fingers through his hair in a way that was fast becoming mesmerizing. I couldn’t look away. My craving for fast food came roaring back, so I grabbed a handful of fries and shoved them all in my mouth at once.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” I said quickly, my mouth full. If my mom were here, she would’ve given me the eye for my lack of table manners.
“Yes, you do.” His lips quirked. “He’s kind of a jerk, sometimes.”
I arched my eyebrows and swallowed. “Kind of?”
I couldn’t help it. I could think of a lot of colorful ways to describe Michael and none of them were as tame as the way Gabriel labeled him. My nemesis had rightly earned that description, after that last couple years.
Gabriel seemed to understand my frustration. His cheeks turned red as he shoved his hands in his back pockets and shrugged. “Yeah, you’re right. Not kind of. He is a jerk.”
Now we were getting somewhere.
“Bingo,” I said, pointing a fry at him. “A grade A jerk. Plus a few other choice words that would probably get me kicked out of the club if Carl caught me.”
He laughed and leaned his shoulder against the bulletin board. “You don’t pull punches, do you?”
I lifted my chin, feeling proud. “Never. My mom taught me to stand up against jerks like him.”
And you, was what I said inside my head. But this interaction was confusing all of those thoughts. What kind of jerk apologized for his brother?
“Good.” He nodded approvingly, humor dancing in his eyes. “Someone needs to bring Michael down a peg or two.”
It was turning out to be one of those days that seemed like I’d see a pig sprout wings and fly. What was this? A Corrigan brother, praising me for standing up to his brother? I almost smiled goofily at him in response.
It was tempting to fall into the pools of those dark blue eyes and morph into one of those girls I so often saw following the twins around at school. The kind that giggled
at the boys’ every word and tossed their hair artfully and never dared to bare their legs without a major waxing and buffing session.
But that wasn’t me.
And what was more—there was something nagging at me, in the back of my mind. A thought that just wouldn’t let up. I couldn’t keep it inside.
“If someone needs to bring Michael down a peg, why don’t you do it?” I asked, shifting my feet. There, it was out there. I couldn’t take it back, no matter how accusing it sounded. “Isn’t that what twin brothers are for? I mean, you’re always around when he’s acting like a jerk. Why don’t you do something about it?”
I narrowed my eyes slightly, studying his expression as it soured. It didn’t seem like he liked my helpful suggestion. He kicked off the wall and shook his head, crossing his arms tightly over his chest.
“You wouldn’t understand,” he grumbled.
He was avoiding my eye contact now. Whatever connection had started between us had been snapped by my confronting question. I had no regrets about that. It was a legitimate point. If he really thought his brother was a jerk, why didn’t he step in? He was always there, as a backdrop figure to every awful experience I’d had with his brother. Apologizing to me for it wasn’t going to make his lack of action any less painful.
He and his brother had terrorized me for years.
As Gabriel began to walk away, I got another flare of frustration. “You’re right, I don’t understand. I’ve never understood why you guys hate me.”
He froze, his back stiffening. Turning his head just enough to look at me, he shot me a look that was one part annoyance, one part indignation. “I don’t hate you, Beth.”
Dare You to Catfish the Hockey Player (Rock Valley High Book 6) Page 5