Zenon's Game Chapter 93

Zenon took me to the games area after lunch. The charity basketball match was going to start in an hour, so we had time. I was still in awe that Bryce could throw a party like this in his backyard.

There was a carousel and a fun house, along with food trucks and carnival game stands. We were by the Ring Toss stand, when I turned to talk to Zenon but bumped into someone else instead.

The girl I bumped into spilled her cup of shaved ice all over her shirt and screamed.

"I'm so sorry," I gasped. 

She screamed in frustration and tried wiping the orange ice pieces off her white shirt. "Watch where you're going!  My shirt is ruined!  How could you?" 

Zenon intervened, "Hey Kelly, it was an accident. I'll get you another shirt from Bryce."

Zenon luckily knew the girl.  She calmed down the moment she saw him and nodded, thanking him. He smiled comfortingly back at me and left to get the shirt. 

That's when she finally faced me... and I realized that Zenon wasn't the only one who knew her.

"Kelly," I said.

Kelly Mathers.

Also known as the girl my ex-boyfriend cheated on me with. 

Zenon, where are you? How long does it take to get a shirt?!

It's only been 10 seconds.

10 seconds of conversation with the girl who slept with my boyfriend.  Feels like 10 years.

The circus continued around us.  Magicians and acrobats, popcorn and cotton candy.  Chadwick's charity event was in full swing.

"Haven't seen you around.  You've been hiding from us," Kelly said to me, and only then did I notice the mascara stains on her cheek.

"Did someone else spill shaved ice over your face?" I asked.

OK, I could've been less blunt, but she did sleep with my boyfriend so...

"No," she snapped, and tried to wipe the mascara marks off her face, "You'll be happy to hear that he's cheated on me too now. I should've known, since we did it to you."

I felt a pang; not because of the insult, but more for the pain she was going through. I remember how I felt when it happened and I wouldn't wish that kind of thing on anybody. Except...

JK. No one. Really.

"What makes you think that?" I asked, while my eyes scanned the party for Zenon.

Come on Zenon, come baaaack.

"I'm not clueless like you, Candace. Call it a woman's intuition."

"I'm trying to help, so if you want to insult me, we can end this accidental reunion and plan to see each other never again."

She latched onto my wrist with manicured nails that were shaped like claws. "No! I'm sorry, I just saw him, that's why I'm like this. He was making out with her in the fun house. I didn't see who she was though. She was behind the mirrors and I tried chasing her but got lost in there."

Wow, that sounded like a Jordan Peele movie. Tears swelled up in her eyes again.

"No," I tried to tell the tears, "Please don't cry right now."

I saw Zenon walking towards me with Bryce beside him. Relief washed over me. Bryce was holding a striped navy-blue shirt, and was chatting with Zenon.

"FYI," she added, "I think he was seeing her while he was with you too."

Mic drop.

"Someone need a shirt?" Bryce joked, swinging the striped shirt on his arm, "Didn't know we were hosting wet t-shirt competitions here."

He could work on his timing.

Kelly thanked him with a wide grin, acting like the conversation we had never happened. 

"You ok?" Zenon asked me, resting his hand on my back gently, "You look shocked."

"I- I- uh- for- can't- only- for- yes," I paused and tried to reprocess the information. "I am shocked."

"Let's take a walk," he offered, "You can tell me what happened."

I nodded again, and let Zenon handle the situation. He said a few words to Bryce and Kelly before we made our exit. The circus theme was still well under way in Bryce's garden, with excited guests either very tipsy now or on a sugar high. 

I was scarred by my conversation with Kelly I-smile-at-everything Mathers. Except that, this time, she hadn't been smiling.

We passed by the fun house and I unintentionally slowed down. My cheating ex-boyfriend cheated on his current girlfriend in here.... with a girl who he has been seeing since he was with me... oh my head hurts with this drama.

"The fun house?" Zenon questioned, slowing down when he saw me stop beside it, "Should we have some adult fun in there?"

Christopher Hayes was sitting on a bench beside the fun house with some of his friends.  He saw Zenon and me and then he scowled.  I waved back. 

The trumpets sounded over the entire party again. 

"Doesn't this remind you of the daily wake-up call this summer?" Zenon said, playfully pressing his hands over my ears to shield me from the sound.

"You mean the bugle call at camp?" I yelled out. Now that my ears were blocked, I had no idea how loud I was.

Zenon was standing behind me. He smiled and kissed the top of my head.

An announcement was made. "The Chadwick Circus invites all guests to make your way to the basketball court for the ultimate showdown!"

A band blasted procession music as the curtains to the tent were ceremoniously flung open for the second time today. Now, instead of a dining room, a basketball 'court' had been created; it was almost circular and the grass had been covered with polystyrene tiles. 

"Good luck playing on that," I gave Zenon a pat on his back.

He was so used to playing on a proper court that the other players may actually have an edge on him. 

"You're gonna need that luck," Christopher Hayes said as he pushed past us, "Let's see you jump!"

Hayes was the tallest guy I have ever seen.

Zenon kissed me on the cheek and went in the opposite direction to Layton. They were on opposite teams... as usual.

It was smart of Nicole's dad to get Christopher Hayes on his team. The one guy in town who could give Zenon a run for his money.