Game Over

3

"I-I'm so sorry Adam," I said, pulling out my ID and handheld.

"Vic, has your situation really gotten this bad?" Adam asked.

I nodded and burst into tears, Adam had never seen me cry and we'd been best friends since we were 9. We're 17 now. 

"Mom's lost her job, the city downgraded us to a one-bedroom apartment, we barely have electricity and we went down a class. I had to do this, for her."

Adam hugged me and we stayed there for a while. He looked up and wiped my tears, "Hey, we've got some money to spare. Not much, but some. Seeing as I'm on my own now."

I shook my head, "I don't want to be a burden." 

"You're anything but a burden."

Suddenly my handheld beeped, I was wanted at a match nearby. "I have to go."

Adam nodded, "Be safe."

"Always am."

~

I knocked on the metal door of the warehouse and the door slid open slightly, "Name?"

"Victoria Ross."

He quickly opened the door and shut it behind me.

I looked into the center of the room and saw an arcade machine. Dance dance revolution. It sounds harmless, but it was one of the first to go.

The crowd grew silent and the only sound was the click of my heeled boots on the concrete floor.

"Little Vicki, I was beginning to wonder when I'd see you. Come to avenge great great-grandma have we?" a woman said in a sly voice.

I walked over to her and shook her hand, "Victoria Ross."

"Oh believe me sweetie, I know. Adriana Winters."

"Alright ladies, take your places. There's 3 rounds in this match. Winner of 2 out of 3 wins and gets the prize money. If ya somehow managed to tie, don't know how ya would but if ya did you'd go into sudden death. In that case first to 600,000 points wins," the guy would be the "ref" of the match said.

The machine booted up. We picked a song. "3...2...1...START!"

My feet began to move like lightning, all of my life had been prepared for joining the Elite. Even if I didn't know it, it was in my blood. Before I knew it, the first song was over and Adriana had won.

"Feeling nervous?"

"You wish."

We started the second song and I really focused. I didn't let the boos and cheering of the crowd distract me. And I didn't let Adriana's score distract me. Minutes seemed to pass like hours. I wiped the sweat off my forehead. Suddenly the song ended and I won. I smiled and didn't say anything.

"Alright, this is the last round. Right now you're tied. Remember, whoever wins this takes it all or you go into sudden death."

We chose another song and I felt the tension in the room. The song started and I was in the zone. I was praying for the song to be over so I could see who won. Minutes had passed by and the song ended. We waited anxiously for the scores to pop up on the screen.

Adriana: 07,256,000

Victoria: 07,256,001

My eyes widened and I looked around at the stunned faces in the crowd. Then the entire warehouse burst into cheers. The guy came over and raised my hand.

"And our winner is VICTORIA ROSS!!" he yelled. He slapped me on the back and handed me 100 dollars. I looked at it in shock. This was more money than we'd had in months.

I shook Adriana's hand and couldn't help but feel proud of the scowl on her face. 

"You made granny proud."