Love is a Game

“Hm, maybe we can find a cool game in a different section of the arcade?” I suggested thoughtfully while inspecting my surroundings. I was determined to one-up Simon today, so I decided that I would need to find a game that I knew through and through.

Simon bashfully looked away from me when I grabbed his hand. “O-of course! What kind of game do you have in mind?” The blush that I adored so much had returned to his ears and cheeks, and his palms were a little bit sweaty. I wondered whether that was due to the intense game we had just played or if he was just as nervous about our date as I was.

As we started walking, he added with a sly smile: “We should play something other than a shooter this time, I don’t want to hurt your ego twice in a row; you wouldn’t stand a chance!”

There was the cheeky Simon I knew and loved. “Ha. Ha. Very funny, Fisher,” I chuckled. “Round one was a slip-up, so I’d take that confidence down a few notches if I were you or I’ll have to do it for you.”

“Oh nooo, I’m sooo scared,” Simon dramatically replied. “Please go easy on me, mister Burgundy. I'm shaking in my boots! Well, I'm wearing sneakers actually, but you get the point."

Suddenly, a game that I had not played nor seen in nearly a decade caught my eye and I instantly knew that this would be the ultimate game to beat Simon at. It was currently already occupied by two younger teens who were moving their hearts out to the beat; their feet synchronously drummed on the worn-down arrow mats connected to the machine and their eyes were glued to the screen.

“Have you ever played Dance Dance Revelation?” I asked confidently. I knew that Simon was a dancer by nature, but Jacob and I had spent years perfecting our dance moves on the hardest difficulty. We had fought tooth and nail to climb the in-game rankings, duking it out with talented arcade goers at least twice our age in the process. In other words: this game was physically ingrained into my muscle memory.

I was taken by surprise when Simon enthusiastically answered: “Oh yes, of course I have! Dance Dance Revelation is legendary! I didn’t know it was still up and running, but I’m glad it's in good condition… It was one of my favourite games when I was younger; my sister and I used to play it all the time! It’s actually one of the things that initially sparked my interest in dancing.”

“No way!” I exclaimed in utter shock. I never knew Simon and I would have such an odd thing in common, but I was pleasantly surprised. “Jacob and I were obsessed with that game! What was your screen name?”

“Oh god, I don’t remember… Let me think. I believe it was something really silly that I thought was funny at the time,” Simon pondered while unconsciously biting down on his lower lip. “I believe it was something similar to ‘PooPieLord’.” He started laughing. “What an embarrassing name... How did I ever think that was a good idea?!”

It was at that moment that I knew I had made a huge mistake and I broke out in a cold sweat. “Are you… Are you serious right now? You are PeePooPieLord?!” I stammered. “You were always super high up in the global rankings! Your scores were incredibly tough to beat.”

Simon shrugged. “I never cared much about getting a high score. My ultimate goal was simply to unlock all the bonus content. What was your screen name? I don't remember seeing you here at all when we were younger, but maybe I just need a refresher.”

My heart shattered into a million pieces when Simon revealed that he had never paid much attention to the leaderboard. Back when I was a kid, I was one hundred per cent convinced that the mysterious PeePooPieLord was my arch-nemesis and I believed that I was destined to meet and beat him one day. However, the knowledge that Simon had been PeePooPieLord all along dissolved that grand delusion of an epic rivalry and I started to doubt my own abilities. I tried to hide my disappointment and quietly answered: “My screen name was Ronaldo_Fan1706…” How could I ever compete with a professional dancer who already had years of experience playing the game?

Simon’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Oh! I do vaguely remember that name! It always popped up on various leaderboards around the arcade. Was that really you?” He smiled with admiration. “I’m astonished that someone can possibly be that good at so many different games.”

And with those sweet words, Simon glued my broken heart back together. I swear, this boy would be the death of me one day.

I explained with a faint smile: “Yes, that was me. My dad is -and always has been- busy with work and my mom didn’t want me to loiter around the house after school while she was doing housework. They’d drop me and a couple of friends off here for a few hours every week with money for food and arcade coins so we could entertain ourselves. Jacob and I would go around the arcade playing each game over and over again until we’d achieved the highest scores on the leaderboard! Looking back now, I can safely say that a lot of my best childhood memories were made here.”

“It must be weird to be back after such a long time, huh?” Simon answered with curiosity.

“I'll admit, I was a bit nervous about what to expect,” I hesitantly responded, “but strangely enough… not much has changed. Sure, I guess games have come and gone over the years, but this place still feels the same; it even smells the same! It’s as if time has slowed down here while my life has only gotten more hectic. Maybe slipping into nostalgia for a while to take a break from the chaos of everyday life is not such a bad thing. I should come back here sometime.”

Simon listened to what I had to say and nodded in solidarity. “I feel the same way. Don’t get me wrong, I’m content with where I am in life, but sometimes I wish I could return to the time when I was a kid. The smallest things seemed so wondrous back then, you know? We were also not tied to the responsibilities that we have now: There were no projects to be completed, there was no pressure to get a job and we did not need to figure out yet who we are.”

“It’s a shame we both needed to grow up so fast. I would have loved to take Alex here.” The dim arcade appeared to grow ever darker.

I was tired. I was tired of everything; tired of the raw emotions that I kept locked up deep inside of me and -most of all- I was tired of myself, but I could not afford to have a breakdown right now. My friends deserved better. Simon deserved better. I had grown accustomed to ignoring the heavy burdens on my shoulders that were perpetually trying to drag me down into the abyss, but Simon had his ways of making these burdens salient once more by prodding at the parts that I did not like about myself.

I was relieved when Simon did not immediately respond. Nothing he could have said would have made me feel better anyway. However, it was abundantly clear from his body language that he had picked up on my sudden mood change. I am sure he understood. If there was anyone who knew what I was going through, it would be him.

He only spoke up when the two teens playing ‘Dance Dance Revelation’ had finally finished their song. “Hey Joey, I know that it’s your turn to choose a game, but can we play this one, please?” He pleaded. “For old time's sake?”

How could I ever say no to such an adorable face? “Sure, I still need to whoop your ass in at least one game, right?” I smirked playfully.

“Hell yeah, Burgundy!” Simon exclaimed while stepping onto one of the mats. “Game’s on!”