Chapter 115: A Perfect Score
If that happened, it would have nothing to do with Kyla. In fact, it might even help the Jensons resolve their current crisis, and they’d only end up resenting Tilda more. Tilda would never get another chance to go back to the Jensons!
Archery range.
Una leaned in and whispered to Tilda, “Tilda, do you know how to shoot?”
Tilda gave her a confident smile. “Watch me.”
Seeing her so sure of herself, Una finally relaxed and stopped trying to talk her out of it.
Just then, Andy sent Una a message on WhatsApp. “Where are you guys? Weren’t you going on the rollercoaster? Why did you just disappear?”
Almost nobody knew Andy had a serious fear of heights. Flying on a plane was fine–first class was smooth, comfortable, and quiet enough for him to sleep through the whole trip with headphones on. But when it came to rollercoasters, even with his eyes closed, Andy just couldn’t handle it. So he chose to sit in a café and wait for Una and Tilda to finish up their ride. But those two had been gone for ages. Andy was starting to think something was off.
[Andy, something happened. It’s too much to explain over text. Just come to this location.]
Una quickly sent her location to Andy.
[Be right there.]
At that moment, Rebecca had already picked up her bow and arrows. She put on gloves and all the professional gear. Her gaze was sharp and focused. With every shot, Rebecca took a deep breath, centering herself. She was completely focused. Arrow after arrow flew through the air. She fired 10 shots in a row. They all hit the bullseye 30 feet away. Her total score was 96. A bullseye was worth 10 points, and every ring away from the center meant losing a point. With ten arrows, the max was 100 points. Scoring ninety-six was definitely a top-tier result.
Rebecca clicked her tongue. Usually, she didn’t hit 100 very often, even in practice, but her average was 98 points. This result was slightly lower than her usual average. Maybe Tilda’s arrogant attitude had gotten under her skin, throwing off her breathing and focus.
“96 points! Congratulations, miss, that’s the best score we’ve ever seen here.” The staff at the range looked genuinely impressed, hurrying over to bring her a prize. Rebecca didn’t even look at them. She glared right at Tilda and said, “Your turn!”
Kyla stayed quiet, not stepping in or giving Tilda a way out of the competition. She couldn’t wait to see Tilda on her knees, barking like a dog. But Tilda stayed perfectly calm. And it wasn’t just Tilda. Una seemed just as composed. That steady, unfazed attitude–like she knew she had it in the bag–made Rebecca and Kyla both a little nervous. They didn’t even have time to tell themselves Tilda was just bluffing.
The next second, Tilda put on her gloves and picked up the longbow. Without a moment’s hesitation, she fired off arrow after arrow. She was so fast. She finished all ten shots in less than a tenth of the time Rebecca took. She looked so casual about it all. She didn’t worry about missing a shot at all. Unlike Rebecca, she skipped all the flashy moves. It wasn’t just the staff watching who were amazed. Even Rebecca and Kyla were totally stunned.
What? Tilda is actually this good?
Finally, Tilda’s score was revealed. As expected, Tilda scored a perfect 100 points. Tilda lowered her bow and looked coldly at the dumbstruck Rebecca. Her eyes gleamed with pure mockery. “Rebecca, get on your knees and bark like a dog!”
“Tilda, you’re amazing! I knew you could do it!” Una jumped up with joy. She’d even recorded Tilda’s performance on video. It turned out to be the right decision! Tilda looked so cool and in control, every shot hitting dead center–she was just impossibly awesome.
If only I were a guy, Una thought. If she were, even if everyone told her it was hopeless, she’d still go after Tilda with all her heart. Who wouldn’t fall for a girl this beautiful, talented, and strong?
“No… this can’t be happening…” Sweat broke out on Rebecca’s forehead. Her lips quivered as she tried her best to deny what had just happened. Her tongue started to tangle up. Rebecca had been into archery since she was a kid. She’d been on every archery team–middle school, high school, college–and even competed in city tournaments, bringing home plenty of gold medals. It was one of the few things she could actually brag about. Growing up in a family full of talented people like the Bells, having a real skill that people respected and admired was almost impossible. Rebecca had her pride. She never wanted people to say she was just another spoiled rich girl. She worked herself to the bone in archery, just to make her parents and brother proud. She never imagined… she’d lose to Tilda. To the country bumpkin she’d always looked down on. And she lost so badly, nonetheless.
Kyla instinctively took several steps back, putting distance between herself and Rebecca. Thank goodness she hadn’t bet against Tilda.