frantic loading
of bullets
soft ones
not real but
deadly
all the same

she ducks her head
narrowly avoids
being hit

"you cheated!" they yell
the sting taken from the
words
with the smiles on their
faces

the offender smirks
"tell me how."
but they
can't
because they
cheat too

the first girl is
out
down she goes
staining her
jeans with grass
a lush green
buried in her
giggles
at having lost

alliances are formed
formal handshakes
lives at stake
at least in their
minds

with smiles they
charge forward
bad aim
good aim
doesn't matter

boy goes
down
reluctantly
wanted to
win
but wants to play
fair

boy, girl, boy
left to fight
another girl
group formed
though only
one will
win

"i'll shoot him," boy says
"okay," girl says back
they convince the boy to be
on their team

last girl is taken
down
leaving three

before boy can
get other boy
girl shoots
both of
them

she has
won
not to be trusted

they believed they
would beat her
a dark horse
in this silly
competition

but the victory is
soured
by the boy who grins
and says
"guess who I'm getting first
next time?"

guess what?
she's out.