After our break at the food court, we were back at the game zone. We talked for like half an hour, even after we had finished eating. David refilled his and Duke's game zone card they had of the place, and now we were spending our friend's money on overpriced game machines. The prizes you can win from filling your card with the tickets from the game aren't even worth the price you pay for every game you play. Well, that's how arcades are in malls.

("Somebody save your soul 'cause you've been sinning in the city, I know. Too many troubles, all these lovers got you losing control...")

They were playing upbeat songs here, the whole place bursting with energy.

"Hey, I want to try that VR racing thing. Ezra, Liam, who wants to join me? Marc, do you wanna? Huh? Kai, you?" Felix was asking anybody he saw with the same excitement. Finally, Ezra joined him. Felix ran towards his destination, dragging Ezra with him.

David, Duke, Marvin and Lance were having their own air hockey tournament and they had asked Ryan to play the umpire in case they have some dispute... which they knew would definitely happen. Liam decided to help Ryan when he saw they were having a dispute, and Ryan looked like he would appreciate some help. Also, Liam loves the drama.

I asked Kairn to play a two player shooting game, Alpha force or something. We picked up the two rifles and high fived. "Let's do this." I did a fist pump in air with all the determination I had in me.

("'Cause you don't even know. I can make your hands clap. Said I can make your hands clap...") I love this song's drop. Got my adrenaline pumping.

Kairn laughed at me, "You're so dramatic. Well, let's do this." He tried with some determination.

We cleared the first two levels with some difficulties because we were clumsy as hell. It was hard to aim at first. We were in some building for the first few levels. Now we're were in a moving train.

"Hey, I'm shooting at him, you shoot the other guy, he's killing us. Look out, there's one behind that seat." I screamed at Kairn 'cause he kept shooting at the same guy I was shooting at. "Kairn, aim for his head. There are so many holes on that seat and you got only one bullet on his arm." I couldn't stop laughing, there were like hundred bullet holes in that seat but he still couldn't kill that guy.

"I'm listening to you. I'm trying to kill the guys hiding behind the seats." He was so not listening to me. He wasn't even trying to aim.

We finally cleared that level and now we were on a helicopter trying to kill the guys on the ground but our frame was moving a lot. We lost that level. It was fun anyway, and we had a good time. We took some pictures holding our guns.

"At least we got two hundred tickets for clearing those levels. Let's go add it to the card." Kairn nodded at me and we added to the points in the card. It was already at 2560. The other guys must've added their tickets too.

"Hey, I wanna try that claw crane. Look at that small teddy bear."

"They're so stupid. You never get those anyway. It's a waste."

"But I still wanna. Maybe we'll get it. Let's just try twice. Please." I dragged Kairn with me.

"Okay teddy, come to me. I know you're calling out to me", I focused on getting the teddy. Kairn just snickered at me but he didn't disturb me afterwards. I felt like he was taking some pictures while I was focused on the game. I hope he doesn't make memes of me, because we totally do that to each other.

Yeah, Kairn was totally right. I missed it just by a little both the times. I really wanted that small plush toy even if I could've bought it somewhere else at a cheaper price than what we spent on playing this game.

"You look like you're gonna cry. Fine, I'll try once. Last time, okay." I smiled and nodded at him.

He was all focused while controlling the joystick. And he got one. But it wasn't that teddy one, it was a smaller puppy one that was behind it. The claw almost dropped it while moving it to the other side.

"This is so cute. I love dogs. Thank you so much, Kairn." I said, inspecting the toy. I took a photo of us together with our conquest. Well, Kairn mostly. I cheered for him. That counts.

He just waved it off. "It's fine. You're welcome." I was grinning so much. Felix and Ezra joined us now.

The air hockey tournament finally ended and David was the winner. It took them so long because they had a lot of disputes. Felix and I tried a racing game. I then played a zombie shooting game with Ezra. The gun actually shot water at the screen. The zombies looked so funny. It was for kids ten years of age, but it was hella fun.

We then tried the hammer one and Duke had the highest points. David lost by a few points. I didn't even wanna try; I knew I would be the worst. But luckily Ezra missed half of the target because Felix distracted him. Ezra looked so funny with his determined face and that weird stance. But it was all in vain. Liam got a score somewhere in the middle. Felix was just a bit better than me. David, Duke, Kairn and Ryan are just in a different league. Marvin and Lance were playing some target game or this would just go on.

I am currently trying to concentrate on that tower stacks game. This one has 500 tickets if you stack all the 50 floors. It's transparent square prism shaped so there can be four simultaneous players. I have already stacked 25 floors, but now it's getting harder because it's getting more transparent and darker. There are also a lot of distractions like birds and stuff.

("And I ask myself, when my time will come... Will I run away? WILL I RUN AWAY?... I'm the original... LOSER...") I seriously love both of the singers, but this song is loud and distracting right now.

"Come on. It's just 25 more." David cheered.

"Shhhhhh." Duke was right to do that.

"Go Marc."

"You can do it."

The others whisper cheered.

I lost at 42 stacks.

We still got 420 tickets for it. Marvin and Lance joined us too.

It was already dinner time, so we decided to add these tickets and go to the prize section. You can choose prizes from the points in the card. We had stored all the points in David's card. It was 5000 something points in total. Because he already had some points but hadn't redeemed it.

("Congratulations... I'm the original... LOSER. Some days I wish...")

"So everybody gets 500 points to get something." David told us, standing like a parent instructing their children how many candies they can buy in a candy shop.

Felix spoke up soon, "Ah David, it's fine. You get yourself something. It's your birthday." We all agreed.

"No come on it's no fun, we all earned these points together. I wanna share. It'll be like a memento of this day. Let's go."

We all started looking through the prize section, deciding what we could get for 500 points. I wanted to thank Kairn for the toy, so I decided I should get something for him. There it is. A key ring with a metal flying bird. An Eagle or a hawk, I don't know. But it reminded me of the time when I first listened to the guys' discussion, Kairn liked predator birds, hawks to be precise. It was perfect. I got two of those, each one was 250 points.

While everybody was busy getting something, I walked towards Kairn. He was looking through the stuff on display, trying to decide what to get. I tapped on his shoulder, "Hey Kairn."

"Hey Marc, which one of these plush toys should I get? I wanna get it for Kaylee."

"I guess the unicorn? She's like ten right. She must like unicorns." I shrugged. I don't have a younger sister, it's just me.

"Yeah no, her favourite animal is a vampire bat." Kairn laughed.

"Pfft- oh. Your sister's cool." Yeah, not every ten year old likes unicorns, I guess. I do, but okay... I totally don't own a unicorn key ring. 

"Yeah. Cool and so annoying. I guess I'll get that lion one, I'll just tell her 'it's a free one, so you don't get to choose'. What'd you get?"

"Okay. Nice. Well... this is for you. Thanks for the puppy plush toy you got me." I said dangling the key chain in front of him.

"No come on, you can't waste your points on me. Get yourself something. And it's fine, you already thanked me." Kairn shook his head and crossed his arms.

"I did get myself something. I got another one of these." I said showing him another similar key ring.

"Keep it. We'll be key ring buddies. I love it too, it's an Eagle, right?"

Kairn nodded and finally took his key ring from my hand. "Okay, key ring buddy. Thanks." His smile was so genuine. He caught me staring at him. "What?"

"Nothing. Just, you don't smile so often. Your smile's nice." Beautiful.

"Thanks." He mumbled and looked away. He tried to busy himself with the plush toys. Is he embarrassed? I didn't get a chance to ask.

“Let's get dinner now. Oh wait, the picture. Let's take the picture here.” David said, fishing his phone out of his pocket.

We took some selfies and finally stood together for the last picture. David asked a staff member to take our picture. And now the blank frame won't be empty anymore.

Songs used :

- Hand clap by Fitz and the tantrums

- Original Me by Yungblud and Dan Reynolds