Shattered Like Glass

Mind Games

Coco closed the door quietly when I walked into the game room. I gasped at the sight. There were huge shelves stacked with different board games, card games, video games, and even glossaries of games to play. There was a coffee table and bean bags as well as large TVs. It was the ultimate game room. 

Coco glanced around and whispered to me really quickly, 

"Look, I hate you, but my brother adores you. I love my brother, so don't you dare hurt him or I'll make you suffer." I blinked at the little girl. 

"I don't like him that way-" I began, but Coco cut me off. 

"Alina, please. Just do this for my brother. Please. I promise I'll leave you alone if you do. I'll ask daddy to give you a pay raise. I'll get you a promotion? I'll be your friend and help you whenever you need it! Anything!" I considered this for a moment. Would it be worth getting Coco to play nice? 

"Fine. I'll play nice, but if things go wrong, it's your fault. You will take full responsibilities, got it?" Coco nodded quickly and gestured to the door. Cygnus walked in and sighed. 

"Sis, I just don't understand how you don't like her! She's amazing. She's polite. She's smart. Mother already loves her!" Coco stared at her brother and sighed, 

"She's standing right here. You can tell it to her face you know." Cygnus seemed to snap out of it immediately.

"Oh..hi. I didn't...see you there....Alina. W-would you like to play a game of uh, of uh chess?" I forced myself to smile. 

"Sure Cygnus." He laughed nervously, 

"Call me Cyg." I'm done. Nicknames? Ugh, I hate that I promised Coco this. 

The game was interesting. He wasn't like anyone I've ever played. In fact, the closest person to play similarly to Cygnus would be Alice, and she isn't even real. Alice always seem to be one step ahead, so I have to come up with new tactics to trip her up. Cygnus always seem to consider every outcome, calculating possible moves quickly. It might do him good against regular players, but to people like his sister and I, it is merely a small obstacle. 

"Checkmate." I replied quietly. Cygnus shook his head in disappointment. I quickly extended my hand. 

"Hey, it was a good game. Plus, you're actually quite skilled. You would have beaten me if I wasn't super brained like your little sister." Cygnus took my hand and replied shakily, 

"Thanks. What should we play next?" I turned to look at Coco and raised my eyebrow. 

Good enough, Coco?

Coco nodded. I turned back to Cygnus and replied, 

"Let's play a game of poker. Coco should join us too." Coco looked at me curiously. Then her eyes sparked with understanding. From the game of chess, I realized that Cygnus is very smart. He's exceptionally talented. I have no intentions of winning. In fact, by the end of the game, the only winner would be Coco Gilman, who always got exactly what she wanted. 

_ T I M E  S K I P _

"I- I won?" Cygnus gasped. I nodded and smiled. 

"Good job Cyg! I'm really impressed." Coco cleared her throat. 

"Cyg, do you remember what it means to win poker?" Cygnus sighed, 

"Winner gets one request that loser must follow. You always steal my snacks or my money sis. I don't want to do that to Alina." Coco rolled her eyes. 

"ASK HER OUT IDIOT. SHE HAS TO SAY YES!" She yelled a little bit too loudly. Cygnus blushed and turned to me. 

"Well, will you?" I smiled a fake smile. If only I could tell him how I truly felt. No, I don't want to date you. It doesn't matter how cute you are, I can't. I can't afford to distract myself from work. I'm too young to date and I barely know you. 

"Yes." I replied. Cygnus smiled shyly, 

"Really? Oh yeah Coco you must pay me back two times the amount of your winnings." Coco gaped at her brother.

"What? Brother, after all I've done for you to help you get your girl? How can you be this cruel to me? I thought you loved me, Cyg!" Coco whined playfully. Cygnus laughed and ruffled her hair. 

"Fine. Just pay me back what you earned. That's one thousand dollars and three weeks worth of snacks." Coco smiled smugly. 

"That's much more fair." I smiled at the two siblings. They get along just as well as Noel and I do. The only real loser here is me. I don't have a say in this, but Coco better keep her word. 

"Oh my, it seems like you kids have a good time. So Cygnus, you got yourself a girl? You better treat her like a princess sweetie. Coco, I'll help you pay your brother back in the snacks part. Now it's time for Alina to go home. Coco, will you escort her out?" A voice interrupted my thoughts. All three of us turned to see Mrs. Gilman standing at the doorway. Coco cleared her throat and dragged me out the door. 

"Yes mother." Coco quickly led me to the front door. 

"Thank you for everything. I'll keep my word Alina. You'll learn to love my brother, you'll see! Now I have to make sure mother doesn't lecture him too much for crushing on a girl younger than him. Bye!" Coco whispered before closing the door. 

I took everything in for a moment as I walked into my mother's car. 

"Alina! How was the dinner party?" I glanced at my mother, smiling anxiously, worried that I messed something up. I gave her a bright smile and replied, 

"It went great, but promise me never to take me to a dinner party in the next year. I think I'm done with them for a while."