Demitria takes Max to the arcade, she hates the loud buzzing and constant gaming noises such as celebrating and over-acted game noises. After ordering nachos, she went into the corner where there was a small vacant table for two.
“Go, you didn’t come to watch me murder my nachos,” Demitria says.
“I didn’t come here at all,” Max complains.
“You’ll live, it’s just a new town, I’m sure no one will bother you,” she pauses, pointing a nacho in the direction of the occupied Dig Dug machine. “Maybe you’ll even make a friend.”
After a dramatic but discreetly curious sigh, Max walks toward the girl at the Dig Dug machine. She examines the girl playing from a good proximity, while cautiously making sure she doesn’t notice. The girl has long, thick, and untamed brown curls. She looks focused, her tongue sticking out the corner of her mouth as she bounces on the bottom of her feet.
The score on the screen lifts. The girl beat Max’s high score. just like that.
She crosses her arms and leans against the neighboring machine, not a single word, nor noise, just simply watching.
The girl cleared yet another level. And another.
Without looking away from the screen, the girl says “You know,” so casual, like it was normal? “People usually blink every now and again.”
Max looked from the machine to the girls face, blinking a few times involuntarily.
“…What?” She says quietly, as if she wasn’t expecting acknowledgment.
“I’ve watched you stare for…” she glances sideways before back at the screen, still focused and causal despite the chaotic side of her peaking through, “…three levels.”
Max chuckles disbelievingly, “I wasn’t staring.”
The girl chuckles, but genuinely, not bitterly, “That’s somehow worse.”
Max shrugged one shoulder, lazily pointing at the screen in an attempt at casualness. “You missed a rock back there.”
“You nearly got cornered.”
“I definitely knew that one.”
The girl lost a life, dramatically slamming into the side of the machine.
“Traitor,” she says, mainly to herself, but still directed.
Max couldn’t help the rare smile that tugged at the corner of her lips.
The girl stepped aside theatrically, bowing in a welcoming way.
Max grabbed the controls, easily moving through the levels. After all, she spent years mastering this game back in california.
Behind her, the girl was impressed, letting out a low whistle, but not speaking.
The score climbed higher, til eventually, GAME OVER.
Max looked up, her ego instantly vanishing.
She blinked as if attempting to change the words on the screen.
The girl reached over Max’s shoulder casually, pointing at the top.
Max stared, blank-faced, “I don’t like you.”
The girl laughed so hard she nearly lost her balance, “I like you already.”
Max rolled her eyes, before staring blankly again, trying to remain intimidating, “I’m serious.”
The girl shrugs, “So am I,” she leans down slightly, looking at her through her dropping gaze, “I’m Tatum.”
“Best two out of three?” Tatum challenges, a knowing smirk displayed openly on her face.
They didn’t stop at three, or even four, they considered five, til they said one more.
Each round becoming louder than the last, each victory of tatums came with dramatic and theatrical cheering and celebration that Max wanted to grimace at, but couldn’t help but do with the most genuine smile that felt even unfamiliar to herself.
“You cheated!” Max says through a smile.
“There’s no way to cheat in this game!” Tatum replies playfully, slightly challenging.
“You found one!” Max shrugs, stammering through the worst comeback ever but trying to deliver it with fake confidence, only earning shared giggles.
They stepped away from the machine once they realized they needed more money, both laughing harder than either would care to admit. Before they reached the change machine, Max was hit with realization, grabbing Tatum’s sleeve and making her way over to the table that Demitria sat at.
“I’m meeting family already?” Tatum teases.
“Don’t make it weird.” Max rolls her eyes playfully.
“I make everything weird.”
“I’ve noticed.” They arrive at the table, causing Demitria to look up. “This is tatum” Max said, still talking far too quickly after the adrenaline of competing. “She’s literally the only person who’s ever beaten my Dig Dug score, which is annoying because now she won’t stop talking about it—”
Max is cut off by a defensive Tatum, “I’ve mentioned it twice.”
She turns to face her slightly, “It felt like twelve.”
Max continues anyway, but the two seemed to drift elsewhere, though Max was too in the story to realize it. Tatum and Demitria stared at each other, occasionally drifting back to Max every time they needed to give a little nod or a small mhm.
Then, Max finished her story and neither Tatum nor Demitria said a word to each other.
“Wow… ironic.” Demitria said, watching as Max stole a nacho.
She turns to Tatum, “rematch? I’ll beat you this time, I mean it, watch out.” and before she gets an answer, she walks towards the change machine excitedly, Tatum following behind with giggles but a distant mind as she replays Demitria’s face in her mind.
Tatum pulls out her wallet to grab a $5, and in the small ID slot of her wallet, the photo of her and her childhood best friend from the lab looks back at her. realization hits her like a physical blow, earning a look from Max as she pauses her playful threats.
Tatum doesn’t answer, and all Max gets from her is “stay here,” before Tatum jogs off frantically in the direction Demitria went.
Max hesitates, but disobeys and follows a moment later due to anticipation. She pauses just outside the door, watching as the events unfold.
i decided to write this one more fanfic like for @therealjacklez , heh.