It wasn't a confidence builder, let me assure you.
We got out of Liam's car and started toward the arcade. Once inside, the lights were darkened, except for the two rows of florescent light through the center of the arcade. Liam stopped at the change machine, and slipped a ten dollar bill inside. He waited for his quarters, and grabbed Julie's purse when it started coming out, despite her protest.
“He always does this. Ten bucks, that's it, and all in my purse,” she said to me, but I was stunned by how close she was. She was leaning into me, her mouth close to my ear as if we were sharing a classified secret. I could feel her breath against my ear, her fingers brushing my arm.
I stared at her, and I forgot whatever it was she said. All I could see was her. I knew if I was to ever kiss her, even if it were only once, she would take over my senses completely. Everything would be enveloped in her, her taste, her touch, everything wrapped into the fire that made her.
She was smiling at me with her all-knowing smile, and I grinned as I looked away. I knew she knew what I was thinking, and maybe that was okay. As long as she was okay with it, I was okay with staring at her.
“Let's go blow some change,” Liam announced, holding up Julie's purse. The sight of the manly Liam holding Julie's floral purse was a sight to be seen, and not easily forgotten.
Julie took her purse, and high fived Liam. “Time to break some high scores,” she replied, and we walked into the arcade farther.
There were kids there, mostly our age as I had suspected. They were crowded around different games, but Liam headed straight for the Ms. Pac Man game, and after taking a handful of quarters from Julie's bag, fed the machine it's money.
“Liam is a pro at this game. He forgets anyone is even here when he starts playing,” she told me.
The next thing I knew, she was holding to my hand and pulling me in another direction. I didn't mind. Not at all. I would have allowed Julie to take me anywhere as long as she was with me.
“You have to go against me on the dance game just once,” she told me, and I stopped walking. There wasn't much use in her trying to pull me, but she did anyway.
“I don't dance,” I informed her.
Julie grabbed onto my hand with both of hers. “You do now. Come on, Falon, just once,” she asked, pouting her bottom lip out. It was done after that.
“That's a cheap trick,” I reminded her as I continued walking with her. I felt her laughing beside me, and suddenly it didn't matter if I made a complete fool of myself.
I would be with her.
Julie came up to the game, entering her coins and then jumping onto the mat. I stood away from it, and watched her getting her feet ready. She realized I wasn't there and looked in my direction.
She tilted her head, and I saw her smiling. “Are you going to stand there and stare at me all day?” she asked.
I shrugged noncommittally. “It sounds like a good plan to me,” I replied.
Julie laughed and gestured for me to get up with her. “Come here and let me whoop your butt at this game,” she bartered.
“I've got to see this. You didn't know, but I'm actually a pro at this,” I lied to her.
Julie started laughing, knowing I was lying through my teeth, and we waited to start dancing. When the music came on, it was some EDM song that I didn't know. The colors started coming at us one by one, and I started to fail miserably.
I looked over to see Julie keeping up with the signs, and looked back to my screen.
I knew I looked like a fool. The burnt kid up on a pedestal, barely keeping up with the game, while he got beat by a girl. I also knew it didn't matter, because I was near her, and she wanted to be near me.
“You have to at least try,” she called out to me, not breaking her eyes from the screen.
Laughing, I said, “I am trying. I told you I don't dance.”
She was laughing at me, and that didn't bother me. I was laughing at myself. If you couldn't laugh at yourself, I knew there were plenty of other people who would gladly do it for you.
The game started going really fast, and I really started missing my steps. I smiled as Julie did too, but she looked at the missed steps as if they were the end of the world.
She was invested in the game, and I was invested in her.
“Shoot!” Julie complained as the game went off. It announced that she had won, which we both already knew, but I saw she was angry at the score because it hadn't came anywhere near the high score.
The high scorer was called: LIA.
“I am never going to beat his score,” she told me, stepping from the pedestal.
“His?”
“Liam's. He didn't want to use his initials, so he started spelling out his name. Couldn't get that pesty 'M' in,” she replied.
I started laughing, but she seriously looked upset by the score. She glared at me, crossing her arms.
“It's not funny. Liam has the high score on most of these games, and I can't beat any of them, and he thinks it's hilarious,” she told me, but I couldn't stop laughing. “It's not funny!” she yelled, punching my arm.
I was trying to control my laugh as I grabbed my arm.
