Hita - Anita Claire Page 0,39
of guys I’ve played against. They tip their heads as I say, “Hi.” I was wondering if Brian might show up, but I guess he went home for the holiday. I’ve played with this guy, David, a couple of times. He’s cute, nice, and totally into science fiction. When I’ve played against him in the past, he’s taken defeat and winning well. Depending on the game we play he’s usually good at throwing out some funny Star Wars or Star Trek lines.
Choosing an empty table in the middle of the room, I pull off my backpack and start pulling out my miniature Star Wars ships and a deck of cards while I explain to Isabelle, “It’s easy, we play against a partner who has their own ships. Think of it as the Star Wars version of you sunk my battleship.”
I’m not even done setting up my side of the board when I can feel a presence on the other side of the table. Looking up I see David. Thinking this should be a good night, he tips his head and asks, “You playing?”
In an attempt to be cool, I give him an easy, “yeah.”
David’s a tall thin Asian guy with short cropped hair, an American accent, dressed in a T-shirt with an Intel logo and jeans. I can tell Isabelle is checking him and the other players in the room out. Gamers are like poker players, we have a cool attitude when we play. We don’t talk much, and we don’t want to give out too many tells.
David and I start playing. I have to hold back my smile because after a few good moves, I start pulling ahead of him. I’d like to explain to Isabelle what I’m doing and show her my strategy, but I’m way too competitive to tip my hand. As I get closer to annihilation, I take another of his ships. I can’t hold back as I say in my attempt to sound like Luke Skywalker, “It’s not impossible. I used to bullseye womp rats in my T-16 back home, they’re not much bigger than two meters.”
After taking a few more of his strategically placed ships, David shakes his head and scowls. Then responds with, “Why, you stuck up, half-witted, scruffy-looking Nerf herder.”
Unable to control myself, I feel a small smirk break out on the corner of my lips. I respond with, “Who’s the more foolish; the fool, or the fool who follows him?” Another win for me is eminent as I proceeded to take a few more of his ships.
He shakes his head and scowls again. With a frown that turns into a smirk he flashes me eye contact as he says in a Yoda voice, “Ready are you? What know you of ready? For eight hundred years have I trained Jedi. My own counsel will I keep on who is to be trained. A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind. This one, a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away…to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. …hmm? On what he was doing.”
With one last move I relax back in my chair, folding my arms over my chest as I say, “Yoda, I think I won.”
David shakes his head, leans back in his chair, finally giving me good eye contact and a smile that shows off both his dimples. Finally he says, “How about we play another game. I needed some time to warm up.”
Trying to maintain my cool I casually respond, “Okay, two out of three.”
We start setting up the board again as Isabelle breaks in, “Hi, I’m Isabelle, and you are…?”
David looks up at me with a miffed look, then flashes Isabelle a look before stuttering out, “Ahh…David.”
“Hi David, you’re playing with my friend here, Hita.” She tips her hand at me.
David gives me good eye contact and a slight smile as he says, “Hi, uhh, you ready to play?”
I ask Isabelle, “Are you going to get your own board and start playing?”
She looks around the room. By now there are probably another ten to fifteen players. “No, I’m cool watching you.”
David and I try to rattle each other by quoting Star Wars scenes, though it doesn’t work as I barely squeak out another win.
A determined David says, “Three out of five.”
Giving him a long look, I respond, “Seriously? You lost twice in a row to me. Don’t you want to try someone else?”
He shakes his head.
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