I pulled the mask back down, reached behind and squeezed her thigh, and then revved my engine, joining the others.
The crowd sat ahead, cluttering the tables of cafés and bars on the sidewalks, or loitering in groups around the vendors at the edges of the street, but the road wasn’t too packed anymore, the parade having ended hours ago.
“Me Against the Devil” blasted from the sound system in the square as high school and college kids danced and jumped up and down, and we waited only another moment before we shot off, Winter holding me with one arm and getting ready with her other.
We raced into the noise, the high-pitched whir of our engines overtaking every other sound in the square, and people popped their heads up and turned their eyes on what was coming as we raced around the square. Michael and I, carrying Winter and Rika, zoomed around the bend, doing one entire turn around the perimeter of the square, hearing shouts and cheers as we sped and screeched our tires. Kai and Will followed a little slower, checking out The White Crow Tavern as they passed.
The wind rushed us, I clocked the cop cars parked around the square, and Rika pulled out her paint gun, holding it pointed to the sky as Michael took us around the square for another run. The music charged me up, and I gripped the handle bars, speeding ahead.
Ready and… I tapped Winter’s right leg twice.
She pulled the ring from a smoke grenade and rolled it out of her right hand just like a bowling ball. It tumbled across the street, green smoke pouring out of it as it hit the curb.
People shouted excitedly as towers of smoke billowed into the air, creating a fog. If there were any kids around, at least, it was non-toxic.
“I did it?” she asked in my ear.
“Perfect.”
I wished she could see it. I raced over to the left and screeched to a stop, tapping her left leg as I felt her dig another out already.
She pulled the ring, and rolled one out of her left hand, it falling under a car, purple smoke drifting up out from underneath.
We took off again, and I could hear her laughing as I swerved side to side, firing up the crowd. I noticed the cops watching patiently, wondering how far they were going to let us take this.
I heard a guy from the sidewalk yell. “Paintballs?!”
I looked over to see him with a big red splotch on the chest of his gray sweater.
He pointed, laughing. “I’m gonna get you, Rika! I know that was you!”
I laughed.
We raced, setting off more grenades as Lev and David worked the drones flying overhead, which they’d disguised as reapers with skulls and black robes attached to them as they flew around the square, buzzing people.
We had everyone’s attention, the clouds of smoke dusting the air and blurring views.
I tapped her left thigh.
She threw another grenade, pink smoke pouring out of the can.
I sped on, tapping her right leg, and another can rolled, billowing red smoke.
All four corners of the square were covered in clouds of color, Rika punching a couple of paintballs on the brick over her family’s store windows.
Banks and Alex, both in their own masks, held their grenades in the air, steaming the smoke behind them.
“Alright, just start throwing a few,” I called back to Winter. “Make a mess!”
I drove, she threw can after can, draining her supply, and I watched as smoke filled the area, creating a heavy cover to where I had to slow down to see.
She finally took her arm off me, loading one can in each hand and pulling the rings, holding them up in the air.
“Whew!” she screamed, laughing.
We all did a final turn and then raced up to The White Crow Tavern, ending our escapade.
People filtered into the streets, screaming when the drones flew across, and disappeared into the smoke.