The Heartbreaker's Game

02 - Setting the Game

Kris and Scott sneered the moment they saw each other. There was no mistake about what they felt toward one another: it was pure venom of hatred. Their strong dislike for each other ran so deep that no one even remembered when it started — or even how and why they started to hate each other. It was like eons ago.

“So, are you ready to lose again?” Scott taunted Kris with a scornful smile. “Neptune Day has been winning for the past five Games.”

Kris shrugged, not perturbed by his jeers. “Please, even if you guys have been winning five years in a row, we’re still tied,” he replied evenly.

Scott raised an eyebrow, smirking, not wanting to back down. “So you wouldn’t be disappointed when we win for the sixth time in a row,” he came back smoothly.

Kris rolled his eyes, waving toward the computer. “Can we decide on the country now and get the Game already? I’ve been bored out of my mind for the past 364 days while waiting for this day to come,” he replied in a bored tone.

They switched the computer on and began to scan through the world map once it blinked its lights to life, wondering which country should be the arena this year.

“Last year we held the Game in Boston,” Kris mused thoughtfully, tapping his chin, as his eyes glazed over the screen which showed the map of America. “Which means this year, we’re still holding the Games in America.”

Scott shrugged. “Well, then, how about Madison?” he offered.

Kris shook his head. “No, not Madison. We already covered the whole of Madison. How about Nashville?” he suggested.

“We did Nashville too,” Scott pointed out. He frowned, glaring at Kris, who in turn, glared back at him.

After a minute or so of glowering at each other, they remembered why they were here and turned back toward the screen as Kris zoomed the map in to get a clearer picture. “How about Washington?” they both said together in perfect unison. They exchanged looks.

“That’s the only time we’re agreeing with each other,” Kris said.

“Who’s agreeing?” Scott scoffed.

“So Washington it is,” Kris went on, ignoring his childish antics. He began to type in the information on the location side for the 71st Game.

“Who said you can type it out?!”

“Says me.”

“You had your turn last year!”

“Grow up, Scott. I’ll let you choose your representative first, you baby.” Kris sighed, shaking his head. What a big baby. How is he even the leader for Neptune Day, I wonder? Whined and threw his tantrum his way to the rank? He straightened up, scrutinizing Scott as he did so. He gets much more infuriating each year, I swear.

Scott grimaced but made his way over to a glass bowl where it was filled with the five members’ names from Neptune Day. There were only five pieces of papers. The same goes for Neptune Night’s bowl of names. Five names for the five representative they have in Neptune Night and Neptune Day. As Scott dipped his hand into the bowl, his fingers played around with the papers. He shut his eyes. Give me a good one. Samuel or Blake, either of them, please.

He grasped a piece of paper and drew it out.

Then it was Kris’s turn to draw out a representative’s name from Neptune Night’s bowl. He just dipped his hand in and pulled out a slip of paper without bothering to choose. He turned to Scott. “One,” he said in a clear voice.

“Two,” Scott continued.

“Three!” they exclaimed in perfect unison and opened the paper, showing it out to one another so they would know who the chosen representatives were.