Chapter 44 - Claw Machine
"Fine. I won't lecture you." Chloe held back tears. "But from now on, don't ask me for a single cent."
"Clo, what are you doing?" Her mother was frantic.
Chloe just gave her a scornful look, wiped her eyes, and turned back to her bedroom.
She threw herself onto the bed, buried her face in the covers, and cried for a long time.
She didn't know how long had passed when her phone buzzed.
She pulled out a wad of tissues, dabbed her eyes, and picked up the phone with red-rimmed eyes. It was a message from Top Donor.
Top Donor: [Sorry, Clo. Something came up just now.]
Just one line, and Chloe felt her heart come back to life. She typed, wounded: [Why didn't you reply?]
Top Donor: [My phone broke. Had to get a new one. Just downloaded WhatsApp. Lost all my chat history. Really sorry.]
SleepyCeCe: [I sent you so many messages. I thought you were lying to me.]
Top Donor: [How could I? It took me so long to win you over, baby.]
Chloe laughed out loud, thoroughly coaxed.
SleepyCeCe: [Then you owe me. Or I'll be mad.]
Top Donor: [I'll pay you back, of course I will.]
Top Donor: [It's just that I only have a few thousand left on me. It's all in the bank. I'll pay baby back after I fly home.]
Chloe hesitated: [When are you coming back?]
Top Donor: [Soon. Next week.]
SleepyCeCe: [Okay.]
Chloe let out a shaky breath of relief.
-
Luna slept and woke up at six in the evening. The sky was already dim.
She burrowed into the blanket for a moment before reaching for her phone to check for new messages.
She hadn't checked her phone much all afternoon. There were quite a few messages.
Several girlfriends she used to hang out with wanted to meet up tomorrow. Back when Luna had nothing but free time, she'd always go out with these girls, gossiping about the latest haute couture dresses and jewelry.
These girlfriends were just shopping and partying buddies. Not an ounce of real friendship. They were experts at reading the room. So when Luna hit rock bottom in her previous life, every one of them vanished. When they saw her, they acted like they didn't know her.
Luna scrolled to the bottom. Mila had actually sent her a message.
BuffTheQueen: [Wanna hang out tomorrow?]
It was from two hours ago.
Luna quickly replied: [Sure.]
Mila replied instantly: [Yay! What do you like to do? I'll plan it. Next time it's your treat.]
SadSweetie: [I'm up for anything. You plan it. Next time's on me.]
BuffTheQueen: [Cool.]
-
The next day, they agreed to meet at four in the afternoon.
Mila lived in the complex next door. She had her driver take her straight to Luna's building.
Luna came downstairs humming a song. She spotted Leo sitting cross-legged on the rug, playing a game. He flicked a glance at her. "Going out?"
"Yeah."
Luna nodded.
Leo said, without looking up, "Hayes went out too. You sure you're not looking for him?"
Luna's foot slipped. She nearly fell. She grabbed the doorframe with one hand. "What is wrong with you?"
The boy held his game console and looked at her coolly.
Luna said with complete sincerity, "Leo, be honest with me. Do you have a crush on him?"
"Are you out of your mind?"
"It's a reasonable suspicion." Luna said. "Have you noticed that lately, you're always the one bringing up that dog Hayes?"
Leo paused, then raised an eyebrow. "Do I?"
"All the time." Luna said.
Leo said, "Oh." Then, "I'm not blind. Why would I go for a guy like him? Be his side piece?"
Your taste isn't exactly stellar either.
Luna swallowed that one back. Barely.
Mila's father was a lucky charm of a man who doted on his only daughter. The car he'd assigned her was a brand-new model fresh off the lot.
Mila rolled down the window and waved excitedly. "Luna!"
The girl's aesthetic was always uniquely her own. This time was no exception. She wore a pink pigtail wig, bold blue eyeshadow, glossy pink lips, and diamonds on her neck and wrists that cost a fortune.
Luna was momentarily dazzled. "Hey there, hey there."
Mila beamed. "Get in, get in."
-
Luna had figured someone as bouncy as Mila would pick somewhere lively. She never expected an opera house.
When they got out of the car, Luna paused. "I'm a little surprised."
Mila blinked. "Surprised by what?"
"Didn't think you'd come to a place like this." Luna said.
Mila hooked her fingers through her bag chain. "Don't you socialites love coming to places like this?"
Luna said, "Killing time, that's all."
"You... don't like it?" Mila asked.
Luna thought about it. "Can't say I like it or dislike it."
Mila's eyes lit up. "Actually, I don't either. So after this, let's go to the arcade."
"Arcade?"
"Yeah." Mila said. "I love claw machines."
"Sure." Luna agreed without hesitation. She hadn't played since she was little.
-
By the time they reached the arcade, it was nearly dark.
Mila swapped for tokens without hesitation, splitting them evenly with Luna. The arcade was huge. The claw machines alone took up an entire side hall.
It was a holiday weekend. Even at six or seven in the evening, the place was packed.
Mila carried a basket full of tokens. When she passed a Hello Kitty claw machine, she stopped dead in her tracks.
Luna remembered the bag Mila always carried and asked, "Do you really love this one?"
"Yeah." Mila nodded. "I love it so much."
Luna said, "Then let's grab it."
Since it was a holiday, the owner had probably cranked down the win rate overnight. Mila tried fifty times. Half her tokens were gone. Still nothing.
"So evil."
Luna was wearing a thin hoodie today. She pushed up her sleeves. "Let me."
Mila pouted. "Okay."
Luna rubbed her hands together, blew into her palms, dropped in two tokens, aimed for the plushie closest to the edge, and slammed the button without hesitation.
The claw descended at a steady speed, scooped up the plushie, and lifted it to the highest point without dropping it.
Luna's eyes sparkled as she watched the claw.
Mila was already cheering. "Lulu, you're so good!"
Right as the claw moved toward the chute, it suddenly loosened. The plushie dropped with a thud.
Luna: "..."
Mila: "......"
"I'm done." Mila waved a hand. "I think the little chick next to this one is pretty cute too."
"Okay." Luna nodded and stood to the side, watching her go for the chick plushie.
But she was still smarting from the loss. She kept glancing at the Hello Kitty machine next to them.
A stocky kid with a cartoon bear eating honey on his shirt waddled over. He looked about seven or eight. He looked up at Luna. "Lady, are you still playing?"
Luna gasped. She crossed her arms and looked down at him. "Did you just call me 'lady'?"
The kid was fair and clean-faced, adorably round, with big eyes and chubby cheeks. "Yeah."
"Where are your manners? Say 'sister.'"
"...Sister." The kid clutched two tokens. "Are you still playing this one?"
"Nope." Luna shook her head.
The kid said, "Oh," dropped in two tokens, aimed the claw at a plushie, and casually hit the button.
The claw locked on perfectly, scooped up the plushie, and delivered it smoothly to the chute.
Luna: "?"
"Wait." She asked seriously. "Did you hack it?"
"What what what?" Mila turned her head, saw the pink plushie in the kid's hands, and felt the sky collapse. "He actually got it?"
The kid clutched the plushie to his chest, eyeing them nervously. "I caught that!"
"I know, don't worry." Luna braced her hands on her knees, about to ask him for tips.
But the kid seemed to feel threatened by two pretty older girls. His eyes brimmed with tears. He grabbed his plushie and bolted, sniffling. "Wahhh."
Luna was petrified. She turned to Mila in shock. "Why is he crying?"
Mila looked utterly bewildered. She shook her head. "No idea."
Luna quickly brushed off the little incident and was about to try again.
A familiar voice came from behind her.
It sounded pitiful and wronged. "Big brother, it's those two ladies who bullied me."
Luna turned around instinctively.