Rachel Is Undeniable

Then he cleared his throat, "I remember both of your names."

"Cool," Rachel went on, either not noticing or ignoring the fact that he was still locking eyes with me, "You're by the LARP booth, are you going to sign up?"

For a moment Eddie didn't even seem to hear her. He didn't seem to hear or notice anything but me and his eyes stayed almost unblinking on me, completely inscruitable and entirely unreadable and I didn't know whether I should start tensing in anticipation of a blow or turning tail to run.

And then, so suddenly, he broke his gaze to turn and glance at the booth Rachel and I had been heading towards.

"Not really," he shrugged, "Was just wandering."

Eddie pushed the tip of his shoe into the ground beneath him and ground it in, tearing his gaze away from the booth to the dirt below him. His body language turned away from us as well, obviously looking for the opportunity to leave and god I wanted to give it to him. Not addressing the situation between us wouldn't exactly resolve anything, but it would at least serve as a helpful delay on matters.

"Well you should wander over with us to that booth then and sign up," Rachel went on, undeterred, "It'll be fun."

"LARPing?" he sneered, turning up to look at her and deliver some biting witticism that he had planned only to have it wither on his lips the moment he looked at her, "You LARP?"

"Not a bit!" she laughed, "But it sounds fucking awesome! Getting to be a sexy elf and stab people or throw lightning bolts and stuff, I mean what else is that but fucking awesome?"

"You know it's like bean bags and foam swords and stuff, right?" Eddie raised an eyebrow, "It's fake."

"Shit, it is?" Rachel said, crestfallen, "I mean I just assumed they had some kind of portal to another world where all of that was possible and we'd actually get to cast magic spells and be warriors and shit. Damn, way to burst my bubble."

For a second I think Eddie really gave a thought towards whether she was being serious. Before he had enough time to formulate a response though Rachel was quick wittedly back putting him in his place.

"No shit it's not real," she laughed, "But there is all sorts of crap that isn't real but is still fun. I mean really whats the difference between keeping count of the spells you cast and keeping track of the touchdowns you score? At least this way we get to use our imaginations, right?"

"Oh," Eddie said, a little stunned before mumbling, "I guess I'd never really considered that before."

"And besides," Rachel, clearly on a roll, went on, "The sexy part is still a thing, right? I mean sure I may not be a real elf, but I'd still be sexy. I can still be sexy. Can't I?"

She smiled and batted her eyes at him and I swear to god Rachel fucking Patrick actually flirted with Eddie Young. And pigs didn't fly. And hell didn't get a whole lot colder. And the apocalypse didn't come.

She flirted with him and he just stood there, his eyes nervously darting back and forth as he clearly searched for some kind of hidden cameras.

"Come on," she said, "We're signing up and you're signing up too."

Rachel reached for him but Eddie backed away, shaking his head and yanking his arm before she could get a grip on it like she had on mine.

"What makes you think I want to?" he asked, "Do I look that much like the kind of guy who is into that kind of nerdy shit because I'm not, I've never done anything like that before."

Rachel paused, her hand hovering before she slowly drew it back and cocked her head to one side. I watched the wheels turn in her head and I watched her plan her approach and though I didn't know what it was she was planning here or why it was that she was trying it, I knew one thing for certain.

Rachel was playing to win.

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