Chapter 90: Chapter 90

" C'mon..let's go Ethan. What are you doing ?",

I turn around at Grace's voice.

" Oh you gave her the Rose ?", I ask.

" Didn't you see ? What were you looking at ?", She frowns.

" Ahm..yeah..what did you tell her about giving the Rose ?", I ask.

" Just said it's a dare from you guys.", She replies before walking towards our car.

" Next where ??", I ask as I hop into the car.

" There's a Trampoline park fifteen minutes away from here.", Grace says.

" Okay then let's go there. Maybe we can shoot the hug video from there itself.", I say turning the key in the ignition and starting the car. " Between see if there's a traffic police man on road. "

" Yeah..", Michael nods looking out of the window.

"After that we need to find a folding cell phone, then car wash video. Then the tasks are over.", Grace says excitedly

" But it's difficult to find a f..folding cell phone.", Michael says.

" We can find one Nate. And you know, I gave them task to find a tape Cassette. It's difficult than this.", She says.

" What other difficult tasks you gave them ?", I ask

" Not many difficult ones. But funny ones. One of the boys has to cross dress and take pic. I really want it to be Gavin.", She laughs. Both of us also burst out into laughter along with her.

" And then they have to take a funny pic, holding a fish by it's tail at the fish Market.", she says in between fits of laughter and Michael starts laughing hard.

" Oh..yeah..then there's one time consuming one. They have to drop their purse on road and shoot the video of people's reaction...Oh ! look..there's a traffic police man ! ", she gasps pointing her finger forward.

" Oh..yeah ! ", I squeal and stop the car to a side of the road. I thought I shall do this as I didn't really do a task yet. But before I can unbuckle my seat belt, Grace already opens the back seat door and hops out, sprinting towards the traffic police man with her phone.

The two of us sit and wait as she courageously goes near the middle aged traffic police man and clicks a few selfies, without the man actually noticing it. One minute later, she sprints back smiling. She then shows the pics she clicked to an excitedly laughing Michael while I pulls the car off of the sides and drives in direction of the Trampoline park.

I accelerate the engine more and more and within another five minutes we are at the trampoline park. It's a small park. And we gets the tickets within five minutes.

As soon as I sprits to them with the tickets, they both rush towards the trampoline. A lot of people, especially kids and teenagers are excitedly jumping on the black and yellow trampoline, squealing and laughing out loud. A group of kids are having a competition about who can jump higher and do more flips.

But sadly we don't have time to watch the people around jumping and bouncing down excitedly. We just quickly climb onto the Trampoline, already bouncing and tripping down because of the force of the kids jumping nearby.

" How will we shoot the video of all of us jumping ?", Grace shouts over the sounds of the excited children. Michael is already Jumping up high on the trampoline causing her to lose balance and almost fall down.

" Let's ask them.", Michael points his finger and We avert our gaze to see a young couple taking the video of their kids jumping on the trampoline. The woman is recording the video while her husband is just standing there smiling looking at the kids.

Grace nods and without wasting time runs towards the couple with my phone. I start jumping with Michael whilst watching Grace converse with the young man. She is successful in her attempt to bribe the man to shoot our video. And she runs back smiling, all ready to start jumping.

Then the three of us starts jumping together while the stranger records our video with a wide grin on his lips. Michael and Grace laughs hysterically as I does a few flips and hand springs, jumping high. We jump and bounce for about five minutes, enjoying the short time.

Grace then goes and gets her phone back from the man and thanks his before she comes back again and join us. The three of us jumps, holding each other's hands in a circle. We jump with so much force that within two minutes we feel the wind knocked out of us.

" Enough ! ", Grace finally yells.

" Yeah..enough. Let's go.", I pant out. Michael hasn't got enough of it. He is still jumping. I finally grab his wrist and stops him from jumping. Then I forcefully drags him along with us, while he still tries to jump holding my hands. I never actually thought Michael could be this energetic and bubbly. He is surprising me everyday

"Wait ! ", Grace suddenly squeals stopping on track, just after we climb off of the Trampoline and walks a few steps.

" What ?", I ask turning to her

" The hug video ! Michael, you are doing this. " she says.

"What !", Michael yelps wide eyed. "You want me to d..do this, Grace ? Seriously?", Grace nods to him. " No..I can't. I'm a..awkward hugging strangers.", he shakes his head.

" Okay, I'll do this one, Grace.", I offer.

" No Ethan. Nate will do this and you shoot the video.", she says sternly. I wonder why she so much wants Michael to hug people now ?

"Why ? Just let Ethan do this. Grace, we don't have much t..time. Me doing it will consume so much time. So I'll better sh..shoot the video. ", Michael says.

Grace shakes her head, chuckling. " It's barely gonna consume five minutes. And I assure, you aren't gonna feel awkward or uncomfortable. So wait here and get ready to get hugged.", she says. " And Ethan, get your camera ready." With that she turns and sprints back to the Trampoline.

" What ? Wh..why is she running back ?", Michael asks me clueless and anxious.

" No idea.", I say thinking what her plan possibly is.

Soon Grace climbs back on the Trampoline and I watch amusedly as she sprints to a group of kids, bouncing and jumping on the trampoline. Now I get an idea of what her plan is. Michael too figured it out, cause he is now smiling.

" I think I'm gonna hug those kids.", He laughs slightly.

" I think so.", I nod and look back at Grace, who has almost reached the kids. There are more than ten kids in the gang. They are of different ages, ranging from at least five to a maximum of nine or ten.

" Hey guys...", Grace shouts clapping her hands, catching a few of the kids attention. Then she is smiling and talking to them. We can't hear what she is saying, but soon the kids too is smiling to her. Then a little girl among the gang turns and looks at us. She is just my sister's height. Grace points Michael to her.

Michael waves at the girl, flashing his dimpled smile and the next moment the little kid has made her run towards us. Behind her comes all the other kids, jumping and squealing. I frantically fish out my phone from my pocket and moves away from Michael whilst tapping the camera option and already starting to capture the video. Michael's mouth hangs open and he almost back away seeing the hive of kids barging towards him.

He however bends down as the little girl reach near him. She gives him a warm embrace and he smiles widely, a sweet genuine smile coming from his heart reaching to his eyes and making his dimples visible. Grace laughs and giggles walking towards us, as the little kids pull Michael into their embrace one after another. He accept all of their hugs whilst smiling widely. I can't help but smile at him fondly, as I shoot the video.

Grace is such a brilliant girl. She came up with the best idea which we never even thought of.

Three minutes later, Grace and Michael stands beside the cotton candy stall inside the park, eating pink and blue cotton candies each respectively while I buy all the twelve kids, cotton candies according to the colour they yells out loudly.

I leave a relieved sigh and orders a blue cotton candy, once the buzzing hive of overly enthusiastic kids, runs back squealing to the trampoline with differently coloured cotton candies in their hands.

Grace's idea was good, but I didn't actually think she'd bribe the kids with Cotton candy.

Once I get my cotton candy and settle the bill, I rush behind Michael and Grace who have already sprinted towards the exit of the park, having the last bits of their candies.

" I wanna have this. One of you drive ! ", I say panting as we reach near my car.

" I'll dive.", Michael says and I tosses my key to him which he successfully manage to catch and goes to the driver's seat.

" There's a car work shop ten minutes away from here. Nate, drive to there.", Grace says hurriedly climbing into the back seat while I hop into the passenger seat, munching on my candy. Michael nods to her, buckling his seat belt.

" You have car ?", I ask swallowing my cotton candy as Michael pulls my car off of the sides.

" No. My earlier school was only a f..few blocks away from my house. But I sometimes d..drive Dad's car to go shopping for groceries and stuff.", he says.

" Only your Dad has car ?", I ask, again taking a bite of my candy.

" Yeah..only he needs car. Alex had. But it got completely destroyed in that accident. It was a t..truck that hit him."

Shit !

A suffocating silence spread inside the car for a few moments. But I'm glad Grace quickly breaks it.

" After the car wash, we only have one more task. The folding phone ! We can surely find it at some mobile shop. I think we are gonna win.", She says. Michael nods to her.

Within ten minutes, we pull into the auto detailing shop and I hop out of the car, going to a worker while Grace climb into the passenger seat through the control centre and get ready to model for the video along with Michael.

There were two other customers waiting for detailing their cars but I somehow make the middle aged worker agree to wash our car first, telling him he just needs to pour a very little soap and then spray water for just two or three minutes. I had actually washed my car yesterday before heading from home. So there's no need for a wash first of all.

Soon Michael and Grace are laughing and waving at me, sitting inside the car while I walk round the car, capturing the video of it getting sprayed with water.

And to our luck as I go to pay for the car wash, I find a cell phone, a folding one sitting near the cashier.

" Woah ! Whose phone is this ?", I almost squeal looking at the lady worker who comes to get me the bill.

" It's mine. Why ?", She asks looking at me confusedly.

" Oh..please...can I take a pic holding your cell phone.", I ask her. She furrows her eyebrows demanding me an explanation. So I quickly explain her about our scavenger hunt and at last she itself clicks me a pic of me holding her phone. After paying the bill and thanking her, I hurry back to our car where Grace and Michael are impatiently waiting for me. Grace is still sitting in the passenger seat.

" What took you so long ? ", Grace asks me, as I opens the back seat door.

" Oh ! Or I'll drive. We need to reach back at Milan's as fast as possible.", I say and hurriedly opens the driver's seat door, dragging Michael out by his wrist and climbing in whilst squealing at him to hop into the back, hastily buckling my seat belt.

" Oh..b..but..we need to find a folding cell phone.", he says hoping into the back seat, confused at my sudden hurry.

" I already got it ! ", I squeal whilst turning the key in the ignition and pulling the car out of the workshop, just as Michael closes the back seat door.

" Oh ! You got !? When ??",  Grace almost screams in surprise.

" Just now.", I laugh. " That worker lady's phone was a folding one. "

" Woah ! So we completed all ten tasks??", She squeals. Michael also laughs happily in the back seat.

" Yeah ! ", I smile looking at Michael through the mirror. " Then I fish out my phone from my pocket and unlocks it before giving it to Grace. "Grace, you combine all the photos together in one phone."

" Oh..yeah..", She nods and takes my phone. Michael leans forward to look at the pictures. Taking the chance, I quickly turn my face and kisses his cheeks, making him shocked and drop his phone on Grace's lap.

" What happened?", Grace looks up at a shocked looking Michael. She was actually looking through the photos in my gallery and didn't catch me kissing him.

" N..nothing..I'll send you the pics on my ph..phone.", Michael says picking his phone and quickly glances at me before scooting back into the back seat with a cute pink blush dusted on his cheeks. I look through the mirror and he is smiling, looking out of the window causing me to smile involuntarily.

" Why are you now simply smiling ?", Grace then asks.

" Ahm..cause I'm happy we finished all the tasks quickly.", I reply looking at my watch. It's only 6:10 Pm. " They surely won't have finished all the tasks, right ? ", I ask, accelerating the car a bit more.

" Probably not.", She reply. And right then her phone rings. " Oh my God ! It's Gavin ! Did they already reach back ?"

" No way ! ", Michael squeals in the back seat, anxiously.

" Anyway answer the call.", I say. Grace nods and picks the call, placing it near her ears. A moment later, she starts laughing.

" No..it's not okay, Gavin. You can't take photo with a toy bunny. You need to find a living rabbit itself.", she says controlling her laughter.

" No..I'm not saying. It's the rule of the game. You guys just concentrate on your own tasks instead of bothering how many we completed.", she then says. But her eyebrows suddenly scrunches up the next moment and she presses her lips together as if in concentration.

" Okay. Bye then.", she says and end the call, quickly turning to me.

" Ethan, I think Gavin is just tricking us with the toy bunny thing. Seems like they have actually completed all the tasks and are driving home. Cause I heard Milan saying  to take the short cut to his home from near the city supermarket.", She says.

" Oh..shit ! We still need at least fifteen minutes to reach back. City supermarket is near Milan's house ? ", I ask.

" I heard him saying they can save almost five minutes travel if they take the shortcut. So it will sure take more than ten minutes.", She says." Drive fast Ethan ! We need to win ! "

I nod to her, stepping hard on the accelerator, causing Michael to flinch and almost fall forward from the sudden insane speed. " Yeah...like that ! go fast ! ", Grace cheers and I step on the gas harder and harder without bothering about the speed limit or anything. I can feel Michael almost panicking in the back seat, clutching tightly on my seat.  But he doesn't say anything. I look at the mirror and see his face scrunched in nervousness.

As his expression starts to become more and more tensed, I lower the speed. Grace instantly tilts her head to me. " He might be scared.", I mutter to her.

Michael heard it, cause he says " It's okay. I'm not s..scared."

But I don't raise the speed too much. And Grace also doesn't tell me again to go faster. She was wise enough to understand Michael would be scared cause his brother died in a car accident.

The rest of the ride is silent with the three of us anxious in our seats thinking we would lose this game. When we are almost near Milan's house, I step hard on the accelerator, can't able to control my desire to win. Both Grace and Michael gasps out loud at the sudden crazy speed.

Soon we could see Milan's gate. And in the next moment I successfully pull the car inside through the wide open gates. But to our disappointment, Milan's car is already there inside the porch and the front door is wide open.

" Shit ! ", Grace curses. " How did they...! ", she palms her face in disappointment. I look at the mirror and Michael's face too is dull.

" It's okay guys. It was just a game. And we enjoyed a lot today, right ?", I ask in an attempt to cheer them. But actually I also feel disappointed. I really thought we would win. How they did all the tasks this fast ?

" Hmm..that's right. We enjoyed a lot. It's okay.", Grace says as I park the car behind Milan's car, outside the porch.

" You both aren't gonna act sad in front of them, Okay ? We were enjoying the game and so we didn't really care about winning. Got it ?", She asks as she unbuckles her seat belt.

" Yeah..", I nod to her. Michael also replies with a small nod. But the sad look on his face hasn't gone.

Anyway we all hop out of the car and walk inside. Grace and me talking and laughing loudly to each other, just to pretend we aren't a bit disappointed.

But then none of them are in the living room and we look at each other confused. Then we could hear some sounds coming from the kitchen.

" What are they doing in the kitchen ?", I ask.

" No idea. ",Grace shakes her head. " Gavin ! ", she then calls out loudly, walking to the kitchen. We also follow her

" Oh shit ! They are here guys ! ", Gavin shouts in an almost panicked voice.

" What are you guys doing there ?", Grace yells entering the kitchen. But they aren't there.

She goes and open the door on the other side of the kitchen and there appears a small passage that leads to a another door. We can hear loud shuffling and sound of things falling and hitting the floor from inside that door.

"Ahhh...It doesn't seem like we can find it. Probably my Mom threw it away. ", we then hear Milan say.

" Are you guys still trying to finish some task ? C'mon..stop ! We are already here ! ", Grace yells quickly going to the door and pushing it open.

It's actually a store room. And the three of them are inside. Milan and Dulce turns around and freezes on seeing us. But Gavin is still pushing away things and hurriedly searching for something, even after he realizes we are at the doors.

"Stop Gavin ! The game ended ! ", Grace says sternly and he finally turn around leaving a sigh. The trio has a disappointed look on their face, the same disappointment we felt moments ago.

" You guys did all the tasks ?", Milan then asks.

" Yeah..", Grace nods.

" All ten ??", Gavin asks surprised.

"Yeah..", we all nod proudly. Grace even has a smirk playing on her lips.

" So what were you guys searching for ?", I ask.

" A tape cassette.", Gavin sighs. " This idiot said there is one here."

" C'mon..even if we went somewhere else searching for it, we couldn't have won.They already reached here.", Milan says.

" Hmm..", Gavin sighs. " How did you finish all the ten tasks so fast ? We could only do 8. Did you guys cheat ?", he asks.

" No way ! We did everything properly. We will show the pics and videos.", Grace scoffs.

" Okay okay..cool ! I agree.", Gavin nods to her.

" What's the other task you couldn't complete?", she asks chuckling.

" The rabbit one itself. We even went to a pet shop. And there was literally every animal but no rabbit.", Dulce says shaking her head and leaving a sigh.

"Oh..then why you guys headed home s..so fast ? There was still time. You could have went to a another p..pet shop.", Michael says.

" But then we found you guys are heading home. So we wanted to come first. And we thought we could find a tape cassette here, so we could finish 9 tasks.", Milan replies.

" How you found we are heading home ?", Grace ask frowning.

" I've a tracking app on my phone.", Gavin replies with an awkward smile. Grace just shakes her head at him unimpressed, her hands akimbo. She keeps on looking at him for a few moments and Michael couldn't help but burst out into laughter. Milan starts laughing followed by him. And soon we are all laughing hard, hitting each other's back. We don't even know why we are laughing. Even Dulce is laughing, clutching her stomach.

" Okay guys, C'mon..now let's go and watch the picture and videos we shot.", Milan at last says in between fits of laughter, clapping his hands. We all nod to him and walk out of the store room, laughing.