The morning at the Hart Estate began quietly, like any other day. The sun was shining brightly, and the fresh air carried the scent of flowers decorating the gardens. Everything seemed perfect… until Olivia decided to burst into our bubble.
Lindsay and I were sitting on one of the living room sofas, enjoying an intimate moment after breakfast. We had found a secluded corner where we could talk without interruptions—or so we thought. Things got more intense when Lindsay took my hand, and we lost ourselves in a prolonged kiss, one of those moments where the world seems to stop.
However, that romantic moment didn't last long. We heard quick footsteps approaching, and before we could react, Olivia appeared in the room with her usual energy.
"Oh, please!" she exclaimed, dramatically placing a hand over her eyes. "Seriously? I can't believe you two have so little respect for my mental health. At least lock the door if you're going to do that."
We quickly separated, both blushing and trying to hide our surprise. Lindsay buried her face in her hands while I tried to regain my composure.
"Olivia, you could've knocked first!" I said, trying to stay calm.
She shook her head, pretending to be deeply offended.
"Knock? Sack, I've lived here my whole life. You don't expect me to knock on my own house, do you? Besides, this has traumatized me forever. I'm going to need therapy."
Lindsay finally looked up, her cheeks still red.
"Dramatic," she murmured, though she couldn't help but smile.
Olivia crossed her arms, adopting a serious expression.
"I'm not joking. If you're going to do these things, at least make sure no one can walk in. Or better yet, warn me so I can prepare myself psychologically. I'm fragile, you know?"
I burst out laughing, unable to contain myself.
"Sure, Olivia. Next time we'll send you a formal invitation so you know when we plan to kiss someone."
She nodded with exaggerated solemnity.
"That sounds more appropriate. And maybe include a dress code too, because scenes like this require emotional and visual preparation."
Lindsay shook her head, laughing.
"You should write a manual on how to handle awkward situations, Olivia. I'm sure it would be a huge success."
Olivia smirked smugly.
"I've already thought about it. It'll be called How to Survive Your Exhibitionist Friends and will be a bestseller."
After a few minutes of laughter and jokes, Olivia abruptly changed the subject, as was her habit.
"Listen up, everyone!" she announced, descending the stairs of the main house with her usual drama. "I've found something that will change our lives forever. A croquet set!"
Lindsay raised an eyebrow, visibly confused.
"Croquet? Seriously, Olivia?"
Olivia placed her hands on her hips, pretending to be indignant.
"Not just 'croquet,' Lindsay. This will be the most epic tournament of all time. We're playing as if our lives depended on it. And, of course, there will be special rules because, well, I'm the one organizing it."
Ellie, who had been sitting on one of the living room sofas reading a book, looked up, intrigued.
"Special rules? What kind of special rules?"
Olivia grinned widely, as if she'd just had the best idea in the world.
"First, formal attire. We can't play croquet like we're amateurs. This will be elegant, fit for royalty. Second, it's not just about the traditional score. I'll also evaluate style. Every move will be rated based on how impressive it is."
I burst out laughing, unable to hold back.
"Style? Olivia, this is croquet, not a fashion show."
She gave me a look that clearly said, "Questioning my ideas is a mistake."
"Exactly, Sack. It's croquet, but we're taking it to the next level. Besides, if we're going to do this, let's do it right. So get ready, because we're forming teams."
Lindsay crossed her arms, trying to maintain a serious expression, though her eyes sparkled with amusement.
"Teams? Who decides that?"
"Me, obviously," Olivia replied, pointing proudly at herself. "The teams will be: Lindsay and Sack against Ellie and me. It'll be epic. Literally, epic."
Ellie clapped excitedly.
"I love this idea! Although I don't know how to play croquet, I'm sure I can learn quickly."
Lindsay turned to me, sighing.
"It looks like we're stuck in this, Sack. I just hope we don't accidentally hurt ourselves."
I laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
"Don't worry, we're professionals. Well, maybe not exactly professionals, but we'll definitely try."
An hour later, we were all dressed in semi-formal outfits, standing in front of the croquet field Olivia had prepared with such care. There were even strategically placed flags and a makeshift scoreboard with points written on a whiteboard.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen," Olivia said, using a small megaphone she pulled out from who-knows-where. "To the Hart Estate Croquet Tournament. Today, we will witness a legendary battle between two equally talented teams. Remember, it's not just about scoring the most points; style and elegance matter too. Let the game begin!"
Ellie approached me, holding her mallet somewhat clumsily.
"Sack, how do you play exactly? I don't want to ruin everything."
I smiled, trying not to laugh.
"It's pretty simple. You hit the ball with the mallet, try to pass it through the hoops, and reach the final post before the others. But be careful, because Olivia will probably penalize you if your shot isn't 'elegant.'"
Ellie nodded, though she looked more nervous than before.
The first turn was Olivia's. She walked up to her ball with the posture of someone about to give a speech at the United Nations. She slowly raised her mallet, paused dramatically, and then struck the ball with exaggerated precision.
"Perfect!" she exclaimed, admiring her move. "That deserves a ten for style."
Lindsay rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling.
"Sure, Olivia. Ten points for style and five seconds of unnecessary tension."
My turn came next. I positioned myself in front of my ball, took a deep breath, and swung… but miserably missed. The ball went flying into the nearby bushes.
"Sack!" Olivia shouted, laughing hysterically. "That was a total disaster! I think it deserves a flat zero for style."
Lindsay approached, trying to suppress her laughter.
"Nice try, sweetheart. Maybe you should stop thinking about math formulas while you play."
Meanwhile, Ellie attempted a strategic move, but in her enthusiasm, she accidentally hit Olivia with the mallet.
"Ow!" Olivia squealed, rubbing her arm. "Ellie, what the heck!"
Ellie stepped back, horrified.
"I'm so sorry! It wasn't on purpose!"
We all burst out laughing, including Olivia after a few seconds.
"It's fine, it's fine. But that move definitely deducts style points. A lot of them."
The game continued with hilarious moments and constant mistakes. Lindsay could barely concentrate because she kept laughing, and Ellie kept trying overly complicated strategies that ended badly. When the final shot arrived, the scoreboard was tied.
"This is the decisive moment," Olivia announced, resuming her dramatic tone. "The last shot will determine who will be crowned the supreme champion of croquet."
It was my turn. Everyone watched expectantly. I took a deep breath, focused on the ball, and swung with all my might… but failed miserably. The ball didn't even touch the final post.
"Yes!" Olivia shouted, jumping with joy. "We won! We're the undisputed queens of croquet!"
Before I could protest, Lindsay pointed out something strange.
"Wait a second… why is the final post somewhere else?"
We looked where she was pointing and realized the post marking the end of the game was several meters away from its original position.
"Who moved the post?" I asked, confused.
Olivia frowned, crossing her arms.
"I have no idea! But clearly, this invalidates the result. Someone has been interfering with the game."
Ellie raised her hands innocently.
"It wasn't me! I swear I didn't touch anything."
Lindsay burst out laughing.
"I think we'll never know who did it, but someone definitely wanted to sabotage this tournament."
Olivia huffed, pretending to be indignant.
"This isn't over. Tomorrow, there will be a rematch. And this time, no one will move the posts without permission."
We all laughed, accepting that, although the game had been chaotic, we had enjoyed it immensely.