Author's Note: Does anyone else like cottage cheese and potato chips together? Or is it just me? Anyway Laser Tag has been on my to-do list for months. So I finally decided to sit down and write it. It took me about a week. I don't know what the problem was. Anyway, enjoy.

I was running around dimly lit laser tag arena for my little brothers birthday. I was confident I would win at laser tag since i'm a seventeen year old against a couple ten year-olds......... That confidence was soon crushed. They were like little demons. They appeared and disappeared with a drop of a hat, they were faster than me, had more stamina, and were smaller targets. 

I was slaughtered. I didn't get one point. I almost did when a little boy tripped, but being the oldest one there I had to ask if he was okay. He was fine. It was a trap. 

When I got close to the boy to check on him the heathens jumped out of nowhere and I was re-slaughtered. After about three rounds of a total blood bath. The game ended. I escorted the demons out and went back in to see if there were anymore kids still in the arena.

I looked around and didn't see any left over kids. As I was backtracking my way back out I hear a whimper. I stopped and waited. I heard it again. I followed the sound to the back of the arena. There curled up in the corner was a girl my age. She was shaking and probably hyperventilating. I could see her rocking back and forth trying to calm herself down. Every time one of the neon lights shined near her she whimpered and rocked harder.

I ran up to her. Her breathing is so erratic her lips are turning blue. I knelt down next to her and picked her up bridal style. I spoke softly into her ear as I moved to the staff exit, "You're okay. I've got you." I made my way to the staff exit. I pushed the back exit open and carried her out of the arena and into an alley behind the building. I sat down with her on my lap. I rubbed her back soothingly as I waited for her to calm down. 

Eventually her lips changed back from blue to pink and her breath evened out. She looked at the ground and whispered, "I'm so sorry you had to stop and help me. I've got bad anxiety. I thought I could handle laser tag." She sniffed, "I guess I was wrong." She mumbled the last part, "I tried so hard." 

I petted her hair, "Its okay. I wanted to help you." After a few minutes of just sitting there rocking her I asked, "Whats your name?" 

She answered, "It's Desdemona."

I tilted my head, "You mean Desdemona as in the Shakespearean character that got murdered by her husband, Othello?"

She nodded, "Yes that's it. I'm surprised you know what its from. My mom loves Shakespeare. Now, Whats your name?"

I answered, "It's Keres."

She started laughing, "Keres? As in a Greek word that means evil spirits?" I nodded. "Damn, our parents are bad at names." I couldn't disagree with that. It took my parents about ten minutes to pick my name. 

They googled random baby names and picked the first one they liked. They googled what it meant after they named me. Not that i'm complaining. Ill probably do the same damned thing to my kid if I have one. After a few minutes Desdemona sighed, "I guess we should head back inside." 

I nodded and stood up. I looked around for an exit. Crap. Desdemona realized the same thing I did. The exits were covered by giant fences. The only way to get back in is to go back through the arena. 

She started rocking again, "No, no, no, no. This cant be happening. I barley made it through once!" I pulled her into a hug speaking in the most soothing voice I had, "Hey. You're okay. I'm right here. Ill carry you through the arena. All you have to do is close your eyes. Okay?" 

She looked into my eyes, "Promise?"

"I promise."

She took a shaky breath and nodded, "Okay. Just go as fast as you can." With her nod of approval I scooped her up bridal style. She pressed her face into my neck. I opened the door with my foot and wove my way through the arena as fast as I could. She clutched my shirt in a death grip. I went as fast as I could without running. Soon we were back at the entrance. 

I pushed the door open to see two worried parents arguing with the staff. Who I assumed was Desdemona's mother was yelling, "What do you mean you cant find her?!" 

Desdemona made no move to let go of my shirt and get down so I let her stay in my arms. I quietly walked over to her mother, "Mam?" She spun around expecting me to be another staff person to yell at. Her eyes widened when she saw me carrying her daughter, "Oh my God! My baby! What happened?!" She tried to take Desdemona from me. Key word tried. 

Desdemona was not letting go. Not that I minded. Her mom eventually gave up when she wrapped her legs around my torso like a snake. I rubbed Desdemona's back soothingly, "It's alright Mam. She can stay."

She sighed, "Alright. You can hold her, but what happened?" Desdemona was lightly shaking from the noise of a bunch of kids running around. "Can we talk outside?" Her parents noticed her shaking and ran to the door. After getting settled down on a patch of grass outside. With Desdemona still on my lap of course. I explained what happened. 

They both thanked me for helping their daughter. After Desdemona calmed down all the way and I visited with her parents for awhile they decided they had enough excitement for today. They gathered up their things and her mom petted her hair, "Well be waiting in the car." 

After we were left alone we just sat there. I bonded with Desdemona and didn't want her to leave yet. Suddenly she shoved me to the ground and straddled my hips. Her lips when on mine before I could blink. 

My normal reaction would be to hit the person then cuss them out. But Desdemona was different. I kissed her back. In the back of my mind I was hoping her parents couldn't see us. But I didn't care enough to pull away. We only stopped when we were on the verge of passing out. I kinda wanted to keep going when if I passed out. 

After we got air back into our system we heard her mom calling for her to get into the car. She looked back at me a little frantic, "There's a coffee shop down the street called Extra Caffeine. Meet me there at five tomorrow?" I nodded. I'd walk if I had to. She gave me a smile and ran to her car. I just laid on the grass with my lips tingling.

The only thing I could think of was, "Wow."