Sorry bout the wait. I have no decent excuse.
Bpov
Most would think that winning all the time would make one more win boring, unimportant, for me though winning never gets old. I work hard for my wins and am always excited when the flashing YOU WIN! Pops up on my screen. After I'm handed the trophy, tell them to forward my winning to my Arizona home, and get my pic taken for Gamers Monthly (Canada) I jump off the stage and sign autographs as I make my way to the people that DID show up for my big day.
"Tommy! How's it goin?" I ask upon reaching the back of the auditorium.
"Same as always" is his reply as we complete our customary handshake as greeting.
I then turn and grin wider "Jacob! It's been to long" I give him a quick hug after glancing around to make sure no one was watching.
"Your dad says hi and is sorry he couldn't make it. A case has been keeping him busy and with the flu flying around he couldn't take the time off"
"Hey you came and that's enough for me" and it was. I just wish that my own mother could show up once in a while. Mirroring my thoughts Jake asks "Renee couldn't make it?" to which I shake my head and reply "you know she never does. I'm lucky she's let me game this long in the first place, even if she does complain that I'm 'obsessive' and 'don't spend enough time with her' or something. But enough of her I have a five AM flight back to Arizona and need to pack but am starving either of you up for food? On me." They both nod and we exit the establishment for good. Me shaking hands all the way out.
Quebec. I'd been here once before several years ago, with my father at the time. It was the early stages of my parents' divorce and the first time I'd really been exposed to video games. I was five at the time. My father, for lack of knowledge of five year olds, had taken me to a competition much like the one I had just won. I was in awe to say the least and had been thoroughly engrossed ever since. My father, upon realizing that I had an interest in something he did, brought me to a game store and showed me how to play on one of their PlayStation 1's, only two years old at the time and perfect as a starting point for any newbie. My mother wasn't thrilled with the idea of her daughter as a gamer but indulged me hoping beyond hope that it was a faze and eventually I would come to enjoy ballet or something. If this is a stage, I hope it's one I never grow out of, and not because my mother wishes it of me, but because it's the one thing I'm good at. But walking Quebec with Tom and Jake was a different kind of fun. I didn't have to be careful in how I dealt with my mother (equal parts batting eyelashes and reprogramming various toys of hers) and being flippant in my dealings with my fellow gamers. Tom and Jake, being with them meant I didn't have to pretend, act or fight. Just make them laugh, give them food and they were fine. After dinner (pretty sure in was Fridays?) we bum around town a bit.
"Thanks for dinner Bells" "yea thanks" Tom and Jake say as we exit the restaurant.
"No problem. It was the least I could do" and it was considering no one else I knew decided to cheer me on.
"That's what friends are for Bella" says Tom with a grin. I grin back and lead them down the street. We're passing a clothing store and I'm telling a story of the time my dad tried buying me a new outfit after I spilled motor oil down the front of mine and he ended up finding one with a French saying on the front when I notice a clock.
"And then I look up the phrase on the internet cuz I was curious right?" to which they nod. "And then it turns out that my dad had accidently got me a shirt that had 'will have sex for food' on it at which point I had already… shit is that the time! I gotta get back to the hotel my mom must be freakin out!" to which I brofist Tom and give Jake a hug before hailing a taxi. "Call ya guys later if I'm still alive"
(A/N was gonna stop it here but I owe you)
Upon reaching the hotel I throw money at the driver with a rushed "thanks I'm sorry" and hightail it passed the front desk up the stairs and into our room. "Mom I'm so sorry Tom came up to watch the tournament and then we decided to catch up a bit since it's been awhile from the last time we saw each other and he's going to Turkey in a few weeks and he'll be too busy to visit and video chatting hasn't really become a thing there yet… why aren't you saying anything and why do you look ready to eat me alive?"
"Isabella Marie I was ready to call the cops! It's 11 O'clock I thought you were dead in the streets!"
"Mom I'm sorry I should have called but-"
"no excuses young lady! No I've put up with this behavior for years hoping that you'd learn and grow out of this ridiculous faze of yours! You're inconsiderate and never think of anyone but yourself not to mention…" at that point I zoned out a bit. I've heard the lecture before and I was bound to hear it again soon she was going to mention that I was addicted to electronics (which was insane) and suggest I see a shrink not that I wasn't worried but I hadn't held my Gameboy in my hands in a few hours and I was getting a little itchy… okay so maybe I did have a problem. But I didn't need a shrink. "…So I called Dr. Watson and he suggested- are you even listening to me. Bella" I snapped up and stopped twitching my fingers by hiding them behind my back, but not before she saw what I was doing. "yea totally you were talking to Watson or something"
"Doctor Watson and he believes that we, you, have three options. A shrink-" to which I violently shake my head " to completely go off gaming with me" to which I stared and muttered a quiet 'no' "what's the third option?" "to move in with your father and go off gaming there" all three suggestions were bad so I muttered "can I think about it" and she nodded "you have until the morning" and left the room- for the hotel bar I would guess.
I got changed then layed in bed pull out my GameBoy and deliberate over my choices. A shrink was out of the option. Besides never living it down they'd probably take my controller away. Which lead me to option two and three no more gaming. Gaming was my life. My mom would become even more unbearable but my dad. My dad. What was I going to do.
I know her choice is obvious but give me the benefit of the doubt. Send me comments and ask questions. Me likey when you do.
