The school bell rang, and before I could even pack my bag, two familiar voices came from both sides.
"Hey, hey, Chen! Let's go! Net café tonight!"
I looked up, my heart sinking. My voice was barely louder than a whisper.
"…Are you guys gonna make me pay again? And play until I win?"
The tall one, Zhang Qingkun, smacked me on the head with a laugh that wasn't friendly at all.
"What do you mean 'again'? That's your honor! Think about it—besides gaming, what else are you good for? If we didn't grow up in the same village, and if you didn't have no parents to back you up, who would even hang out with you?"
The shorter one, Li Yan, wore a fake smile as he leaned closer.
"Kun, don't be so harsh. Chen and I are fated, you know. From kindergarten to now, first year of high school, we've never been separated. Desk mates forever! Chen, if you win every match today, popsicles are on me. I, Li Yan, never break a promise."
I forced a bitter smile. A popsicle only cost five yuan. Even three would only be fifteen. But my mouth still said what my heart didn't want to:
"…Fine. Let's go. But I only have sixty yuan on me—that's enough for one hour each."
Zhang Qingkun and Li Yan immediately slung their arms over my shoulders, grinning like wolves who had just spotted prey.
"That's fine! One hour it is—" they said in unison.
Then Qingkun added, his voice colder:
"But if I lose even one popsicle because of you, Chen… you're dead meat."