Page 11 of Players Love Hard
I laugh. “I guess I better give Dad a break then.”
She smiles. “I’m sure he’ll appreciate that. His favorite show is about to start. Let him know, would you?”
When I reach the top landing, I’m surprised to hear my dad and younger brother laughing and yelling at the game. My dad hates video games. He didn’t even want to buy the gaming console for Cameron for Christmas last year. He’s convinced technology rots your brain. If he had it his way, Cameron would only play outside like my dad did when he was a kid. And now he likes video games?
I step into Cameron’s bedroom, surprised to find my dad clutching the controller in both hands, his eyes full of excitement. This is interesting.
“Hey, guys,” I say to get their attention. “Who’s winning?”
“The mages,” Cameron says, his eyes focused on the flat screen hung on the wall across from his bed. He leans forward, his elbows on his knees, clicking the buttons. “They keep stealing artifacts from us.”
“Dad, your show is about to start.”
He glances over at me for a split second. “Okay, tell your mom I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
I attempt to leave the room when Cameron yells over the sound of blades clashing. “Don’t go. Take Dad’s place. We’re on level fifteen.”
Dropping my bag on the floor, I sink to the mattress next to my dad and brother. “I’m not going anywhere. Promise.”
A few minutes pass where I exchange the same conversation with my dad as I did with my mom.
Every day is the same—go to work and school, come home and play games with Cameron, do homework, and repeat. Throw in the weekend frat party or sorority event, and that’s my life. Nothing ever changes. I can’t wait until the day I can open my bakery. That’s my dream.
My parents think my ideas are crazy. I guess when you work for the same trucking company for most of your life, it’s hard to grasp the concept of working for yourself. Dad is a truck driver. Mom answers the phones at the office. They met when they were in their early twenties and have been together ever since.
Cameron groans when Game Over flashes across the screen in red letters. Even my dad mutters something under his breath, annoyed.
He hands me the controller and gets up from the bed. “Now I can see why you two are so addicted to this game.” Dad fixes his gaze on Cameron. “One more hour and then time for bed, buddy.”
Cameron peeks up at him from beneath his light brows and smiles. “Can I stay up until ten?”
Dad considers his request. “Nine-thirty, but not a second later.”
Cameron throws his hands in the air, his face illuminated by the broad grin tugging at his mouth. “Thanks, Dad.”
After my dad disappears into the hallway, Cameron slides over to where I’m sitting on the edge of his bed. “You ready to play, sissy?”
Though Cameron is ten-years-old, he still acts like a baby sometimes, starting with his nickname for me. He couldn’t say sister when he was younger. Shannon was even harder for him to say. That’s how I ended up with ‘sissy.’
“Yeah, kid.” I nudge him in the arm with my elbow. “Do you want to play on the same team or against each other?”
“Same team,” he beams. “I was crushing it with Dad… until we lost the Sword of Balthazar.”
I gasp. “What do you mean you lost it? We need it to advance to the next level.”
“Why do you think Dad is letting me stay up late? He’s the one who lost it.”
I laugh. “Way to con your way into staying up past your bedtime.”
He shrugs, clicking a button on the remote to start the game. “He owes me one.”
“It took us three days to get the sword last time. Don’t even think we will find it again before you go to bed.”
Beyond exhausted, I want nothing more than to sleep for days. I rode four buses to get to and from school, attended five classes and a chapter meeting for my sorority, and worked at the bakery today. All I do is work. And then I come home without a second to relax before Cameron wants to play Mage Wars.
Cameron will not go to sleep unless I play with him before bed. He’s obsessed with this new role-playing video game where you choose a character who has magic. As the levels progress, you earn points to collect weapons, spells, and magical artifacts to beat the mages at the end of the boards.
Before we start, my cell phone dings, and I reach into my pocket to retrieve it. My heart rate speeds up when I see Jamie’s name on the screen.
