CHAPTER 40

"Wanna play again?" Oliver asked.

"Sure!" She replied still happy with her little achievement. Both select the same characters they had selected before and begun another match.

Sonya is the first to make a move, striking with a powerful kick. Scorpio dodges the blow, but he is forced to retreat. Sonya presses her advantage, raining down a flurry of punches and kicks.

Scorpio blocks many of the attacks, but he is beginning to tire. Sonya sees her opening and goes for a knockout blow, but Scorpio is faster than she expected. He counters with a vicious uppercut that catches her off guard.

Sonya stumbles, but she remains on her feet. She spits out a mouthful of blood and glares at Scorpio. The battle rages on, and the combatants are evenly matched. They trade blows, each one pushing the other to the limit.

But it is clear that Sonya is tiring, and Scorpio is gaining the upper hand. As the battle reaches its climax, Scorpio goes for the kill. He unleashes a devastating combination of strikes that send Sonya reeling.

She is dazed and struggling to keep her footing. Scorpio advances, sensing his chance to end the fight. Sonya takes a deep breath and prepares for one last effort. She lashes out with a final blow, but Scorpio blocks it and counters with a crushing uppercut.

Sonya is lifted off her feet and sent crashing to the ground.

"Haha!" Oliver laughed.

"Yeah yeah, you won. Let's play again and I'll beat you this time."

"Ohhhh. Where's this confidence coming from?" Oliver asked amused by her resolve.

Oliver and Alice played three more games with the same character and Oliver had only won once and Alice won twice. She was very happy and kept on teasing Oliver. She didn't know when she held his hand her herself and pulled him out of that gaming center exited to play other games.

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"Why don't we try bowling first?" Mark suggested after they had successfully got in after waiting on the long queue.

"Not bad." Rachel replied.

Unlike Oliver and Alice, they didn't explore the arcade first cause they had been there so many times. The two walking together but not so close to each other. Rachel was a kinda left behind, but that was because she wasn't walking as fast as Mark.

Mark wasn't so happy with it though so he stretched his hand towards her and said;

"Take my hand, will you? I won't want you getting lost while in my care."

"I am not a child. I can clearly take care of my self." Rachel retorted not liking the fact that Mark indirectly referred to her as a child.

"Oh! I see, that's why you are behind me instead of being next to me." He taunted her.

"Well that's because you are walking too fast!" She complained.

"I'll slow down if you take my hand."

"Why do you need to hold my hand when you'll slow down?"

"Cause I wanna hold your hand, simple. Is that too much too ask?" Rachel blushed.

"You could have just said that before." She murmured placing her hand in his.

"Then I wouldn't get the chance to tease you." Mark didn't even bother hiding his intentions. He wanted her to be aware of how much he liked her.

Rachel didn't say anything again and continued to walk with him.

"Got nothing more to say?" Mark laughed.

"Nothing. Just found out you are a very annoying person." She replied.

"Oh really." He smirked.

She didn't reply him again and Mark decided to keep quiet too and just enjoy the feeling of her soft tiny hands in his.

On getting to the bowling area, Mark loosened her hand from his and went to speak to the person in charge.

'Why does I feel so incomplete now?'

Rachel had enjoyed the feeling of his hand holding hers and now that he wasn't holding her anymore, she didn't feel so safe.

'Urgh! What is wrong with me.'

She sighed and stared at him as he was at the counter paying for the ticket.

Mark felt a bit uncomfortable because he felt like someone was barking through him. He decided to look back and figured that it was Rachel, she hadn't realized that he was now looking at her.

After about 30 seconds, Rachel realized that she had been caught staring and Mark noticed her flustered look too. But Mark didn't end it there, he winked at her which made her flush, she blushed real hard this time making Mark smile.

He decided to finish up with the payment as quickly as possible so he could go back to her. He finished up the payment and took her hand again and they both headed to the alley.

Mark is an experienced bowler, and he's feeling confident about his chances of winning. Rachel, on the other hand, is a bowling novice, but she was determined to give it her best shot. As they walked into the bowling alley, the sights and sounds of the game filled the air.

The lanes are filled with players of all ages, and the scoreboards are lit up with bright neon lights. Mark heads over to the ball rack to select the perfect ball, while Rachel watched with anticipation.

It was finally Rachel's turn to step up to the lane. She tried to remember Mark's tips on how to aim for the pocket, but her nerves were getting the best of her. She took a deep breath, positioned herself, and rolled the ball down the lane.

To her surprise, she managed to knock down half of the pins on her first try! Mark gave her a high five, and Rachel couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. But she still had to roll again to complete the frame.

She approaches the lane with newfound confidence and takes aim Rachel's second roll is even better than the first! She manages to knock down all but one of the remaining pins, and the crowd cheers.

Mark is impressed by her performance, but he's still determined to win. He felt he could impress if he won, so he was definitely not going to let her win.

He stepped up to the lane, ready to take on the challenge. He threw his first ball with practiced precision, and it slammed into the pins with a resounding crash.

All of the pins go flying, and Mark has his first strike of the game. Alice looks on in awe, knowing that she has her work cut out for her if she wants to beat him. As the game continues, the tension between Mark and Alice builds.

Each time one of them scores a strike or a spare, the other had felt the pressure to match it. Mark is in the lead, but Rachel is steadily gaining ground. With only a few frames left, the outcome is still up in the air.

Rachel took a deep breath and focused all of her attention on the lane in front of her. She released the ball with perfect form, and it hit the pocket with a satisfying thud. The pins fly in all directions, and Rachel lets out a triumphant cheer, she had tied the game!

Now it's down to the wire. The final frame will determine who will be the ultimate winner. Mark takes his position at the lane, his heart racing as he prepares for the final shot. He lets the ball go with all of his strength, and it soars down the lane with lightning speed.

It hit the pins with an incredible force, and for a moment, it looked like a strike. But then, one lone pin stands defiantly in the center of the lane. Mark groans in frustration, and Rachel leaps to her feet, overcome with joy. She won the game by a single pin!

Rachel can barely contain her excitement as she embraces Mark in a victory hug. Mark is immediately surprised but he reminds himself that she was just too happy. Mark is a good sport, and he congratulates her on a game well played. They decide to celebrate with a round of french fries and sodas, and they had gone to sit at the snack bar to relive the best moments of the game.

"You did well." Mark praised her.

"I know, right?" She replied still overjoyed by her victory.

"You were supposed to say thank you." He reprimanded her.

"For what?" She glared.

Mark ignored it and continue;

"You were praised, so you are supposed to say thank you."

"No. You simply stated a fact, Mark." She argued.

Mark was cut off guard, the way she had called his name, had made his heart skip quite a few beats.

"You know what?" He asked.

"What?"

"I think my name only sounds good when it rolls out of your pretty lips..."