Page 24 of Falling Like This

Spy is a game we play across the neighborhood, like we would hide and seek or capture the flag. We put six pieces of paper in a hat. Five are marked ‘p’ for player. One is marked ‘s’ for spy. The goal is for the spy to capture everyone or for the spy to be captured. To capture someone, you have to tag them with a Post-it. Usually. But tonight, we’re using squirt guns. We also each have a walkie-talkie, which can be used to talk to each other and to figure out who the spy is. If the spy captures you, you have to surrender your walkie and return to home base—which is Joel’s basement. The play area is the block we all live on, but we can only walk on the sidewalks or cut through our own yards.

Spy is Rae’s favorite game. She’s objectively the best at it, though Joel is a close second. When one of them is the spy, it gets heated. We’re allowed to team up with people if we want to, but alliances can quickly break, especially if the person you team up with is the spy.

Joel explains the plan to use squirt guns instead of the Post-its. We all draw our papers and the game starts. Rae and I head out Joel’s front door, walking down Front Street. Rae pauses and looks to see if anyone else is around, then comes over to me.

“Hey, I wanna have fun tonight, so be honest with me. Are you the spy?”

I take her in. She’s got that look in her eye. I’m almost positive she’s the spy, but if she wants to have fun, I’ll go along with it. I pull the paper from my pocket, showing her the letter “p.”

“Good, then we can be a team,” she says.

I tilt my head at her. “If you say so.” I take a few steps past her, and then feel a burst of cold water on my back.Called it.I turn around and squint at her. “Areyouthe spy?”

She saunters over to me, stepping so close that we’re practically touching. She pulls out her paper, which also has a “p” on it. My brow furrows. I’m not sure I buy it, but I guess I’ll have to stick with it for now.

Then she surprises me by wrapping her arms around my neck and whispering, “Nope. I just wanted to squirt you.”

Shit. That was sexy.

Slowly, she moves closer, about ready to press her lips against mine.

And I want to.Dear God, I want to.But I’m not sure if we should. It’s dangerous territory. And while she seems better, I know it’s not that simple.

So, I decide to kill two birds with one stone. Give us some space and get her back.

Without her noticing, I lift my hand up and position my squirt gun above her neck, then spray the cool water down her back.

“Ha ha,” I say in her ear, before pulling back with an evil smile on my face.

Okay, that was still pretty flirty, but not as intense as a kiss would have been.

She shoves my shoulder. “Very funny.” Then she narrows her eyes and points the squirt gun at me. I push her hand down, so she jumps onto my back, trying to squirt me as I try to wrangle her off. Then there’s a noise behind us.

She drops to the ground and we both spin around quickly, holding our squirt guns out in front of us.

Miles is staring at us, hands out in front of him. “Easy, it’s just me.”

“How do we know you aren’t the spy?” she asks.

“I’ll show you my paper,” he says, reaching toward his back.

We look at each other, smirk, then both start squirting him.

But it turns out he wasn’t the spy. So, we all decide to join forces. We’ve never done this before.

It’s down to Mackie, Sarah, or Joel. If it’s Joel, he’ll give the most challenge.

Miles gets on his walkie, but Rae and I purposely stay silent on ours.

“Mackie, baby, where you at?”

“A special spot,” she replies.

They have their own code. I do the same thing with Rae sometimes.

“What’s that mean?” I ask.

“Mm. We have a special spot in my backyard. She could be luring me in. Or avoiding telling us where she really is in case I’m the spy.”

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