"Ha ha! I win again!" She throws her arms in the air and reaches to hit the reset button on the machine.

This machine that I have not come to appreciate at all, no matter what she might think. I can feel my brain going numb after two hours of this infernal game. Around and around and around, over and over. Tedious.

"You only keep winning because this button configuration doesn't make sense."

"Eh, you're just angry because you suck at this and I don't. The human girl is slaughtering you at a GAME and you can't handle it." He smile is infectious, but I manage to resist grinning back at her like some besotted idiot.

And here we go again. Round and round and round we go and where it stops I know all too well. I dodge when I should swerve, spin out on straight-aways, and hit at least three trees. She wins again, miles ahead of me.

"Can you not FEEL your braincells crying out for relief?" I ask her as she laughs in triumph again and reaches for the reset button.

She makes soothing, cooing noises at me and it all begins again. I hold back on my awful performance this time, giving her a run for her money to make it look like I'm actually getting the hang of it. Then I crash spectacularly on the final lap, much to her amusement.

"Better luck next time, mate." Comes her encouragement coupled with an elbow to my ribs.

I heave a sigh and try to think of how to lose this time without her catching on that I've had this figured out since the first time we played. Maybe I could win this one and play it off as a fluke? Yeah. That's exactly what I'll do.