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"I'm here!"

...

"Matt?"

...

I clicked the door shut behind me and shuffled inside the apartment a little farther. Silence hung heavily in the air. The entire apartment looked so bare and empty: plaster-white walls, a couch, a coffee table covered in gaming devices and cigarettes, the flatscreen that felt so out of place... a low table by the door, the kitchen table and chairs, and the kitchen drawers and cabinets that were already there. But other than that, it was so... lonely looking. Just standing there I felt isolated.

I'd come hoping to get better at playing these action games. My father had been a big fan. I want to be like him now, although I didn't think it then. I remember him always trying to get me to play him after I came home from school, or after dinner, or after his work. "Just one round!" he'd say excitedly, and I'd usually decline. But once in a while, I'd join in. When it was a bad day, that was the time to talk to my dad. He would go easy on me too and let me win sometimes.

I loved my dad...

The rustling from behind the closed door leading to the bedroom snapped me back to the now. "Yeah yeah... smnufgdrglenshfmreh..."

I set the bags down on the floor, a little irritated. He'd called me up telling me to come over and play video games as a replacement for Near, and he forgot? "Matt? Are you in bed?"

"Not anymore..." he slunched out of the room in nothing but his shorts, running a finger through his deep red hair. Rubbing his brown eyes with one hand, he shuffled past me without even looking at me to grab his cigs. "What's in the bag?" He glanced casually at it as he lit the stick, puffing in deeply.

I could be doing so much else with my day. I could be doing something EFFECTIVE. But instead I chose to play video games with you. So BE GRATEFUL YOUNG MAN.

Those words almost popped out of my mouth. I'm sure my face did a good job of revealing them anyway. I picked the bags back up and dropped them on the couch. "Some snacks, as thanks for allowing me to stay over for a while."

He moved them to the kitchen, plopped into a dent in the couch that his butt probably made due to sitting there every day, and switched on the TV. "Thanks for the food. I'll keep it in mind while we play, so I don't kick your butt too hard."

Games were fun every once in a while, or maybe for a small portion of the day, but not all day every day. I sat on the floor and grabbed a controller, determined not to lose to this rude, arrogant, conceited, careless kid who didn't want to live in reality and instead spent every free minute of the day on his darn computer or TV or handheld gaming device wasting his time being someone else when he could be a fine person in real life! Isn't real life what matters most??? I SHALL NOT LOSE TO THIS MORON IN HIS UNDERWEAR!

Forty-five minutes and ten cigarettes later I'd lost about ten times. Losing wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that with the growing frustration seeping out of me, the more often I saw that smirk creep onto Matt's face. That jerk...

When I'd lost for... what, the fortieth time? Matt finally broke into laughter, his pale face crinkling at the eyes. I glared at him and set the controllers down. "Maybe it's just this game," he said between laughing. "You suck at this, but your determination is astounding. I think with a little bit of coaching, you would make an excellent gamer. Maybe even be able to have a chance at getting to my level!"

I looked at him in those laughing brown eyes. Really? I'll be able to get that good? "Do you really mean it?" I asked, awestruck. I'll be able to be as awesome as Matt! Maybe even as awesome as my father!

Matt stared back at me, more solemn now, not answering right away. My smile faltered. What's wrong? But then he laughed again, placing a hand on my head. "Believe it, I'm gonna be your sensei!"

...oh great. Matt as my sensei. Maybe this isn't worth it that much anymore...