Middle Of Nowhere

Precipitation

"What do you mean you stopped working?" Kelvin was fully concentrating on the console screen mashing button combos on his controller.

"Do you think I love to feel miserable?" Max's character was taking a beating, stuck in a defensive pose. Whenever he went on the offensive, Kelvin was relentless with a barrage of physical and special attacks. One-sided would be an understatement. To cap it all off, adding insult to injury, there was a tailored gore filled ending sequence that cemented the end result, as if the HP bars were not indicative of the difference in experience. Kelvin's enthusiasm didn't exactly help to make him feel any less hapless.

"I guess I am already feeling that way," Max was not even trying to mask his tone of utter resignment. He had thought he had got better after many previous rounds. This was not the idea of fun he had in mind. He had challenged Kelvin to a best of three with a good level of confidence. Kelvin became a different kind of a beast in face of a challenge in his domain of expertise. He probably was offered some pity wins to make it seem like it was even before. It was a bad idea.

"If this was all I did all the time, I bet I could have taken you on blindfolded with one arm tied to my back," Max held back from swearing, gripping the controller a bit hard, the desire to yank it on the desk increasing by the minute.

Kelvin couldn't stop laughing as the frustration added to the hilarity of the whole situation. He tried to hold back his laughter, ending up almost teary eyed. This was the most fun he had in quite a while. He usually played alone in the café on alternate weekends.

"We don't have many around. Don't break them, please."

Max placed the controller as lightly as possible back on the desk, but it still made a thud that made Kelvin flinch a little.

"Is the trip still on?" Max was awaiting the answer with cautious optimism. He didn't need it. He didn't mind to be on one either.

"Yes, it is. Fortunately for you, I don't like being stuck here forever."

"Outdoors is fine and all. But do you have some indoor hobbies?" Kelvin tried to make the question seem as trivial as possible. Clearly, gaming wasn't one.

"I tried writing. Poems," Max couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

"How did it go?" Kelvin was genuinely interested. He didn't take Max for a guy who would write. Max couldn't even stay put in a place for more than half an hour. He also was loud and chatty.

"It was terrible. I showed it to some of the guys, a couple of them stopped talking to me. Altogether. It's funny as they were pricks anyway," Kelvin sensed the salt and did not continue further.

"Okay let's get ready," he adjusted their chairs before retiring to his room.

***

Kelvin stood in front of the store counter observing the man counting and ensuring that a week's worth of his daily wage was enough for renting the vehicle for a day enough for a round-trip.

It better be good

Max was a good company so far and it didn't hurt to have a change in environment once in a while.

He observed Max pushing past a bunch of kids for his turn on the computer. He only had this in mind when Max had mentioned after their gaming session that he wanted to feel on top of the world.

The screen read, "No internet." Below that ominous warning which would have meant disaster in the old days, there was a stick figure running around trying to dodge block shaped obstacles which he either jumped or ducked under. The screen oscillated between bright and dark backgrounds making him dizzy and sick. Kelvin did not see the appeal of it. Also, internet never caught on which reminded him, their place in the world. LAN gaming however, was a flourishing leisure activity. The console he had was passed on from his father along with the games inside.