Chapter 67: Unsettled Scores
Flashlight tag.
That was the first game the boys had started with.
It was also a game they had made a tradition of whenever they had a sleepover.
The rules of it were simple too.
When the lights were switched off, everyone moved around, trying to hide away from or avoid the single assailant in the room from hitting them in the dark.
However, when the lights were suddenly switched on, everyone had to freeze until the lights were switched off again.
That said, before the assailant could be selected, the gang often rolled the die until the first two people got a six.
These two would then have to deliberate amongst themselves as to whom would control the lights, and whom would be the assailant.
It was also why a sense of excitement mixed with playful tension lingered in the air as all six huddled around the singular table in the room.
"Alright, here goes," Theo threw the die down.
All eyes in the room turned laser-sharp as the little cube spun and rolled for the next couple seconds... eventually settling on a six.
No sooner had it happened, Theo let out a restrained ’yes’ and immediately called out;
"I pick light controller!"
For as much as he had now been indoctrinated into the whims of the gang and their frankly amusing shenanigans, he really didn’t want to have his ass whooped, and neither did he want to be the whooper.
Controlling the lights though... now that he could easily get behind.
As for the rest of the gang, they couldn’t help but twitch their lips in shared amusement as they eyed one another.
Once again, it was down to them. The best part, they were perfectly fine with it.
They all had scores to settle with one another independent of an innocent Theo, so there couldn’t have been a better outcome.
Rubbing his palms together, Larry threw down the die as he remarked;
"Come on, come on, come on!"
Unfortunately for him, it was a dismal three.
"Fuck!" he exclaimed, much to his chagrin and the relief of everyone else, as Benjamin remarked whilst patting his shoulder;
"Let me show you how it’s done."
Picking up the die and rolling it around his palms, the chubby teen actually started performing a caricature of Tai Chi gestures with it... one he seemed to have learnt from that one dumpling-loving panda.
Immediately, the gang burst into laughter as Benjamin declared;
"It worked last time, it’ll definitely work this time! Y’all won’t be laughing then!"
Immediately after, he threw the die down, the little thing spinning until it landed on a single pip.
Benjamin theatrically fell to his knees, a faux hollow expression on his features as he spoke;
"I am not worthy of my title as Dragon Warrior..."
The laughter that followed this time was even louder, as the gang pointed at him in sportive mockery, beads of tears forming on their eyes.
Clyde followed a moment after, the youth throwing the die down without much flourish.
Watching it roll to a four, the bespectacled youth simply shrugged;
"Welp. Hopefully it comes back around."
As for Casper, who was already grinning ear to ear, Larry and Benjamin literally began praying in the corner of the room.
"Father, forgive me, but I shall not be my brother’s keeper today!" Larry clasped his palms together and continuously rubbed them, his eyes squeezed shut.
"The man must not roll a six, God!" Benjamin, who was still on his knees, gestured with spread arms, his expression pleading.
Even Aiden and Clyde were just as wary as they watched their blonde-haired friend toss the die from one hand to the other with a cheeky grin that reflected his sadism.
Theo, on the other hand, was chuckling in amusement, starting to piece things together based off of everyone’s reactions.
Throughout all their years of playing flashlight tag together, Casper had always happened to be the one with the most luck.
Considering he had also been the most athletic amongst them, it was only natural that he often put belt to ass on the quartet, turning their simple game into a playful horror flick.
It was also why he had the audacity to remark as so;
"Pray as you may, folks, it won’t change a thing!"
"Why, you ask?" He theatrically raised a finger into the air as he proceeded to throw down the die.
"Because, throughout the heavens and earth... I alone, am the honored one!"
The die hit the table, spinning rapidly as all six stared at it intently in dead silence.
When it did, in fact, settle on a six, all four groaned in shared annoyance, the blonde-haired youth gloating shamelessly as he declared with spread arms and a moustache-twirling cackle;
"Well guys, prepare to have your asses whooped again!"
The gang, too, had already accepted their fate as they watched Aiden pick up the die and toss it down without much fanfare... only for it to roll a six.
Casper’s laughter vanished in an instant, a genuinely stunned look on his features. Clyde and Theo were much the same.
But even theirs paled in comparison to Aiden’s.
Instantly, the mood in the room shifted as Larry and Benjamin immediately exclaimed in shared jubilation;
"Yes! One more roll!"
By now, a light grin had slipped onto Aiden’s face.
Casually, he flicked the die over to the other end of the table with a finger, the little object rolling to a stop before the blonde-haired youth as he said with a gestured palm;
"Alright, honored one. Show us what you’ve got."
"You’re getting cocky there, Aiden," Casper warned him with a pointed finger, his sky-blue irises glinting in amusement as he added;
"And trust me, that won’t be a good look for you when I eventually win."
"Just toss the die, man." Aiden dismissed his villainous speech with a wave of his hands.
"Alright. You were warned." Casper replied and then threw the die down.
This time, it landed on a five.
Casually, he flicked it over to Aiden, who proceeded to toss it.
As the rest of the gang watched on in tense anticipation, they’d more or less expected that the exchange between the two would take a brief while before a winner came up top.
Neither would any of them have expected that Aiden would immediately roll another six!
No sooner had it happened, Benjamin and Larry exclaimed once more, their joy knowing no bounds as they began to troll their buddy.
At the same time, Clyde and Theo were simply shaking their heads in amusement, as was Casper himself, who couldn’t help but laugh at their shenanigans as he said;
"Fine, fine. I lost... but y’all won’t be so lucky next time."
As for Aiden,
-
[Ding!]
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-
Aiden had been looking forward to this moment for a long, long time.
Considering he had never once managed to win a roll of the die in all their previous games thus far, it was only natural that he had.
However, even he couldn’t have expected this.
Not only was he going to resolve years of unsettled scores with his buddies... but he was literally on track to be rewarded for it.
It was also why a low, sadistic chuckle escaped his lips not long after. More so when he had literally just upgraded his stats earlier in the day.
Wasn’t this the most perfect outcome? Wasn’t this worth all LPs he had invested into his stats?!
Before long, his chuckle progressively got louder.
For a moment though, the gang didn’t notice it.
But when Casper caught the glint in his eye and Clyde, who was closest to him, heard it, they could’ve sworn they almost felt a shiver run through their spines.
Naturally, it didn’t take long before the rest of the gang caught it.
Before long... all five came to a staggering realization.
They just may have unleashed a monster far worse than Casper.
A few minutes later, they had all taken their starting positions in the living room, all of them waiting for Theo to signal the start of the game by turning off the lights.
When he in fact did, all five scrambled to ’safety’, hoping they wouldn’t be the first to get whooped.
Yet, instead of the usual slaps they should’ve heard, Aiden spoke amidst the darkness instead, his tone low and purposely carrying a hint of twisted delight;
"In all my years of Flashlight Tag... I’ve never really had as much fun as you guys. But I’ll tell you now... what I’m about to do to you four... I’m gonna enjoy it, so, so, very much."
No sooner had Aiden said that, Theo switched on the light again.
This time, all four watched in horror as the youth held two slip-ons in his palms like an Asian mother, a wide grin stretched across his features in pure, unadulterated sadism.
Then, when Theo flipped off the light switch again, Aiden moved!