Chapter 4: Attempt no. 3

Tch! I couldn't move a single muscle due to Trisha's aura behind me.

She hadn't said anything yet and here I was, wondering, why?! Why hadn't she started yet? Trisha would always start talking by the time she saw me, yet, why!? 

I started to tremble after overthinking the situation I'm in. “Should I turn around and ask?” I only had one option, and I couldn't think of a good excuse to avoid her.

*HAA…*

“She… sighed?”

I wasn't guaranteed whether that was a sigh or an exhale. But either way, it scared me for a second.

“James.” her hand touched my right shoulder. 

“YES!” I instantly stood straight.

“You good?”

“Huh?”

“I've been calling you six times now,” she said. “Is something wrong?”

I shook my head calmly, regaining my composure. 

“Then, can we switch?” she implied and I was confused. “My legs are tired.”

“But, you guys have only been thirty minutes since you…” I saw their several bags on the ground and Trisha arched a brow at me. “Actually, never mind.”

I'm lucky that I'm not a girl.

“Hey, do you have more?” She was asking about my Zoogo, and I gave her a short nod. “Can I have it? I'm thirsty.”

“Oh, sure.” I handed my drink to her and she took a sip.

“Ahh~ So good.”

At least she wasn't glaring at me anymore… Or was I imagining things?

***

Meanwhile, the six of us were on our way to the arcade, while darting our eyes around at other people, restaurants, and even gadgets that we couldn't afford. Yet, we proceeded to the next place we agreed on.

Eventually, we finally reached our destination.

“Where should we start?” Lylia asked.

“Have you guys ever tried shooting games?” Frank asked the girls and they shook their heads. “Oh, then, where should we start???”

Some of the popular games were cramped due to the crowded people and we couldn't think of anything. Therefore, we left, rather than waiting to play popular games.

“What now?” Danica asked.

“How about the food court?” I suggested.

“Nah.”

I didn't expect their response would be the same.

“All we need right now is something fun!” Lylia exclaimed.

“Something… Fun…” Trisha mumbled then gasped out of nowhere. “Hide and Seek!”

“We're not kids you know.” I retorted. 

“But it's fun doing inside the mall, right?”

“Now that you mention it…” I looked around. “It might be fun. But, how much time do we have left?”

“Let's see…” Danica checked her watch. “One hour.”

“Let's do it then!” Frank was pumped up. “Okay, what are the rules?”

“Let's divide ourselves into two groups first. Boys vs Girls. Then, whoever's group wins at the coin toss-” Trisha took out a coin in her wallet. “Gets to hide by the first ten minutes. However, the hiding group can't run or hide together in the same area. Or else, it's over. And as for the other group, they only have thirty minutes to find those who are hiding."

“Are they allowed to be together?” Frank asked.

“Yes. Since they're IT.”

“Sounds good to me,” Ken said and we agreed. “Okay, we pick heads.”

Hence, she tossed the coin in the air and landed on her palm. The result was head. And my bros and I started a timer on our phone as we walked away, separately.

*DING!*

There was a message on my phone, and it was none other than Trisha.

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“You're mine once I found you~”

I texted back on her message, “Try me.” And I put an emoji smirk at the end. “Sorry, Trisha. But, I don't wanna lose our Bet either.”

One of the reasons why I didn't want to lose. Regret.

“I'm really sorry, Trisha. But… But, please, find someone better than me someday after this bet is over.”

***

Twenty minutes passed, and I was hiding inside the changing room along with the random clothes I brought with me, so I wouldn't look suspicious. Thus, I set a timer on my phone again, but this time, it was thirty minutes till Trisha could find me.

“I hope no one comes here yet.”

Fifteen minutes passed, and there wasn't a single person knocking on this changing room yet… Wow.

“Gotta wait another fifteen minutes th-”

Suddenly the door developed a soft thud and asked, “Hello, is someone inside?”

“Speak of the devil, someone's already here… Great.”

The stranger was a female, due to her voice. It wasn't Trisha nor her friends, to begin with.

“Hello?” she called again.

“Just a sec, Mam. I'm almost done.”

I removed my pants, then wore them again, making a fake sound to avoid being a creep inside this small room.

I grabbed the clothes I fetched and opened the door in front of me. When I did, I saw the girl we discovered in the restroom earlier. And I finally got a glimpse of her face…

“Who is she?”

Shortly, I walked past her-

“Wait."

She grabbed my shirt out of the blue.

I shivered with fear and sweats began to pile up on my face. “Y-yes…?”

“Hmm… Never mind. I thought you're someone I know.”

“Oh-”

“Gotcha! Huh? He's not here.”

“It's Trisha?! And she's near!”

I began to panic and crouched down. Regardless of the situation, I bid farewell to the girl afterward. Since she talked to me, but, I didn't hear her properly.

“I gotta escape!”

Trisha was on the other side of the changing room, I think? I shook my head and continued. 

“God, I hope the CCTV isn't watching.”

***

Soon, I was on the other aisle, still carrying the clothes in my arms though.

I checked the time on my phone, and only five minutes were left. “Good, I still have tim-”

“JAMES!”

All of a sudden, someone called my name, and I hastily turned around.

“But, I want that!” the little boy whined, pointing at the water gun.

“No means no, James!” the lady scolded her son. “Come, we're going home.”

“But I want that toy!”

The boy started to whine like a baby, and I left the aisle. My ear twitched from the boy's crying, reminding me of my little brother.

At any rate, I sped up my pace, to bring these clothes back. I have two minutes left to wi-

“Found you~”

The moment where I was about to win, someone I know, grabbed my wrist.

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