I'm new here. New member new meat. You can slap it around but please don't chop.
Prologue
“Good morning, Mathew.” A lady with short-cropped hair kissed her son on the head.
“Matt, Mom.” He ate spoonful of his cereal.
Matt’s mom started rummaging through the fridge.
“So how was your first night in our new home?”
Matt stopped chewing his food watched her comb through the fridge.
“It was just like the other house, no wait Dad wasn’t here.”
His mother stopped and let out a small sigh. She took out a pancake mix jug from the fridge.
“I know it’s going be hard getting over me and dad’s divorce but it’ll be okay. You trust me, right?” She faced him as she tried opening a pancake mix jug.
“Yeah…sure.”
He put his bowl in the sink and gently grabbed the pancake jug from his mother. He opened the jug and handed it to her, “Here.”
“Thank you Mathew but admit I loosened it for you.” Her red hair bobbed as she laughed.
“Hey, Mom?”
“Yeah, sweetie?” Pouring the mix into a bowl she started humming.
“Mom, I’m sorry for the sarcasm just then.”
Her humming continued for a few moments then ceased. She looked up at him, her eyes were blurry,“ I love you too.” He smiled.
Matt climbed stairs as his mother screamed, “Mathew what are you going to do now?” He shouted, “ Sleep, video games, computer. It’s a Saturday.”
“Okay,” she yelled.
“Mathew, I’m going to the mall, okay.” His mother was standing at his door.
“Wait!” In one motion the covers flew off and he was on his feet.
“Can I come with you?” He was trying to regain his balance from waking to fast.
“Ah, Mathew I’m going shopping. Why would you want to come all of the sudden?” Her eyebrow arched and she planted her hands on her hip. Matt’s eyes scanned across his bedroom floor and landed on a pile of dirty clothes.
“I need some new jeans.”
He looked pathetic. He stood in the middle of his room with only his boxers on. His mother crossed her arms, “No you don’t.”
Matt dropped his head, “Fine, I don’t need jeans but look,” he went to his computer and showed her the screen, “see mom The Ultimate Game Zone is at the mall.”
“Oh, not another one!” She slapped her forehead. His brown eyes pleaded with her. She took another look at her son and said something inaudible.
She rolled her eyes, “Fine. But put on some clothes and brush your teeth!”
She walked out. He sighed in relief. She came back in, “And brush your hair!”
Matt rolled his eyes. She walked down the stairs speaking to herself,“ To think I moved to get Mathew out of The Ultimate Game Zone. I wouldn’t doubt if he called it his home away from home!”
The Ultimate Game Zone hid in the mall. It stood amongst stores that people hardly ever ventured to, so it was practically empty. Matt and his mother stood at the entrance of The Ultimate Game Zone. His mother fished in her purse.
“Here’s about thirty dollars. That’s about as much as you need right?”
“Yeah thanks,” he patted his mother on the back.
“See ya,” he started opening the door.
“Alright. I’ll be back in two hours, Ok?”
Before he closed the door he looked back and made a shooing motion with his hand. “Bye, Mom,” he said impatiently. She walked off smiling.
“Hi,” Matt held out two ten-dollar bills to the cashier. The cashier lifted his face from his ‘Wizards and Magic’ magazine. Complete boredom and self-pity covered his face.
“Okay listen I’m not going to lecture you about what games you’re allowed to play … and so there is only one rule in this fun house,” his voice droned.
Matt scratched his head, “And what’s that?”
The cashier leaned forward, “Have fun.” He took the money out of Matt’s hand.
Matt sauntered away shaking his head sympathetically and whispering, “Poor guy probably a magic freak.” The cashier went back to his magazine whispering, “Poor kid probably a video game freak.”
The smell of newly refurbished carpet suffocated his nostrils. Matt looked around there was only three people in the Zone, and they were playing his favorite system. Xbox 360. He stopped and started calming himself, “Alright you can do this. Just like mom says try to make new friends,” he wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans. His face reddened, “If we didn’t move I wouldn’t need to make new friends.”
One of the boys caught his eye so he had to walk over.
Matt waved, “Hey. I’m Mathew, Matt for short.”
The boy who caught his eye grinned widely, “Hello,” he shook Matt’s hand fervently.
He had glasses, black curly hair, and spoke with an Indian accent, “I’m Andiershrecca Telsuthca, Andie for short. This is Tye,” he indicated the left end of the coffee table. An Indian boy sat in a sofa chair. Tye bowed his head. Tye’s hair was growing into a mullet.
“He is my cousin and that is Pbear,” Andie gestured toward an obese black boy sitting at the other end of the coffee table. You could barely see the chair he was sitting in. Andie whispered very softly almost inaudibly, “Never call him fat boy.”
Andie pointed to the flat screen T.V., “And that’s Sony.” Matt chuckled. You could feel the jubilant spirit in the group.
“Come. Sit. Do you know who to play Call Of Duty?”
Matt smiled even wider. “Yeah!” He exclaimed unbelievably.
The trio yelled in union, “Nooooo!”
Matt’s butt was a few inches away from the sofa Andie was sitting on. Matt froze. Their deep breathes were the only thing that could be heard.
“Hey! Pipe down back there!” the cashier yelled. Matt shifted his eyes to their faces. Andie recollected first. He cleared his throat, “Sorry. Take a seat in the middle cushion and we’ll explain.”
Matt only nodded. He sat on the middle cushion. Andie paused the game. Tye retracted his fingers from the controller. Pbear cracked his neck, which made Matt flinch a little.
Andie adjusted his glasses, “You see.” Tye interrupted, “Never sit on the left cushion. That’s where the God of Video Games sits.” Matt blinked a few times.
“Tye you aren’t supposed to tell anyone,” Andie gave him a disappointed look. Tye sunk into the sofa chair.
“But”, Andie smiled showing white teeth, “maybe Kayla will accept him.”
Tye brightened, “You think so?”
Andie shrugged, “Maybe.”
Tye nodded happily. Andie faced Matt. “Matt have you ever heard of the God of Video Games?”
“No,” he exasperated.
“Have you heard of Millionaire300?” Andie’s eyebrows rose to its highest extent, trying to make Matt remember.
Matt’s eyes widened. “You mean Millionaire300 who can take a guy down with just one bullet in Call of Duty and has unlimited well actually unknown money points and has practically played every game in the world. Okay to me that feels a little over exaggerated but still. Is that who you’re talking about?”
Andie nodded excitedly. Matt sat back, “Whoa.”
Andie waved a finger in the air, “Now don’t you go thinking that we worship Millionaire300 just because we didn’t let you have the seat. Millionaire300 doesn’t really like strangers and of Millionaire300’s status you could imagine why Millionaire300 doesn’t like people sitting on the cushion. Oh, but you can shake Millionaire300’s hand and use Millionaire300’s controller. Millionaire300 is actually very nice just as long as you wash your hands and you aren’t too touchy.”
Matt noticed how repetitive Andie used the name Millionaire300 but let it pass.
Matt asked, “Where is Millionaire300?”
Andie grabbed his controller, “Millionaire300 is on vacation somewhere but is coming back in a month.”
Matt grabbed an extra controller. Matt kept his cool even though it was his dream to meet Millionaire300 since he was twelve. He didn’t see the look Andie gave Pbear and Tye nor the smiles on their faces. Matt smiled at them and gestured with the controller to the T.V., “Let’s play?”
For those who want adventure it may seem to simple a place to start the story until we remember that the best adventures begin with simple things
- An Old Thanksgiving
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