I lost? I can't believe I lost... How could I lose? I was on top, and then... My thoughts swirled around in my head as I packed my things. This was the tournament. Once you lost there was no coming back. No second chances.
I tried to calm myself by thinking of other things, thoughts of my foster parents. My little brother's twelfth birthday. I smiled and it made packing easier, remembering how much fun I had that day. He loved my gift the most of all; the holo-recorder and the concert tickets to see his favourite band. I had done extra chores in secret and bummed some money from Jayce. I can't wait to see them again...
Thinking about my foster family made me happy, but thoughts of my real family made me happier. My older brother off to college on Marandus prime. I was only six then, and I was sad to see him go but I was proud of him too. He came back three years later a seasoned pro of... I forget; something scientific anyway. He showed me lots of neat things, like how under certain conditions Tarydium would form with a purple or red colour instead of it's normal cyan blue.
Then I remembered that he was shredded by a minigun not too different from the gun I favoured in the tournament. And my foster parents? Same deal, only I was lucky enough to not be there the second time my family was killed.
It's funny, I'm thinking about how I've endured the very same emotional torture twice over, losing two loving families, and I'm not crying. I don't feel sad even, well, I don't feel anything really. All I'm left with is a blank slate. I know I loved both sets of parents and both brothers very much... Maybe I'm still in shock or something, even after all this time.
I thought I got a second chance when I started my new life on Earth, with my foster family. But I guess not. No second chances in life; just like there's no second chances in the tournament.
Just then, someone knocked on my door and slid a pad underneath. I paused packing to walk over and pick it up. It's... It's the info on my next match... starting tomorrow night.
But... why do I get a second chance?