Free Player by Laura DeLuca

potential. Josh was handed two tickets in exchange for an exorbitant amount of money, but only after they both showed their driver’s licenses to the attendant who insisted on verifying they were old enough to get into the R-rated movie.
    “We still have a few minutes before the movie starts,” Rosa told him. “Let’s run over to the arcade. I want to play pinball.”
    Before Josh could even respond, Rosa surprised him by taking hold of his hand and leading him toward the game room. Again she avoided his eyes, but he knew she was just feeling shy. Her cheeks turned scarlet as their fingers intertwined. Her small hand felt warm and pleasant in his. The simple touch sent shivers up his spine. They stayed hand in hand until Rosa found the game she was looking for. Then she let go and gleefully dropped a few quarters into the slot. Josh watched as first one, then two, and then multiple silver balls bounced around the encasement. Things were dinging, lights were flashing, and Rosa’s score kept rising until a loud pop announced that she had just won a free game, making her squeal with glee.
    Josh was trying to be enthusiastic, despite the fact that his stomach and his head were killing him. In fact, he was so busy offering Rosa his congratulations on her expert pinball skills that he didn’t see that an angry girl with wild strawberry curls had just stormed into the arcade. Her hazel eyes were flashing underneath layers of thick black eye makeup. Josh didn’t notice her long, leather-clad legs carrying her across the crowded game room. He didn’t even notice when she was standing directly behind him with her pierced lips set in a tight frown. Josh didn’t realize she was there at all, until she roughly tapped him on the shoulder. When he finally turned around, he found himself face to face with a furious gothic beauty.
    “Jazz!” Josh exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
    With a cry of pure animal rage, Jasmine lifted a hand covered in silver rings and slapped Josh hard across the face. Black fingernails as sharp as talons scraped his skin, leaving behind a small trail of blood. He wasn’t ready for the surprise attack, and his neck snapped back painfully, sending fresh waves of agony through his already pounding head.
    “Pig!” Jasmine screamed so loudly that several arcade patrons glanced over their shoulders to see what was happening. “Surprised to see me? Not as I surprised as I was when I ran into my old friend Elena a few days ago. We hadn’t seen each other for a few months, and we got to talking about school, and life, and boyfriends. You can’t imagine how surprised I was to find out that we both had the very same boyfriend!”
    “Jazz, I. . . .” Josh was so surprised that he could barely stutter a reply. At the same time, his aching stomach was making it difficult for him to care. More than anything, he really just wished she would go away, taking the gawking spectators with her.
    “But I still had an even bigger surprise in store for me!” Jasmine went on, crossing her arms over her black tank top. “Last night, Elena called and told me that we weren’t your only two victims. You had two more, four girls in all! Is this one of them?” she asked, gesturing to Rosa whose mouth was hanging open. “Or is she a fifth?”
    “Jazz, listen to me,” Josh started to protest. “I never. . . .”
    “Don’t tell me you never said we were exclusive, like you tried to pull with Elena!” Jasmine interrupted. “That’s a load of crap and you know it. Don’t think I’m going to let you dump me either. This time I’m the dumper and you’re the dumpee. It’s over between us, Josh. And if I have my way, you won’t be getting laid again until your college years. When I’m through with you, no girl in this county will come within a hundred yards of you.” She turned to Rosa, her face still flushed with fury. “Let me give you a little free advice, hon. Ditch this jerk before he ditches you.