Zero Sum Game by Stefani Deoul

Author:Stefani Deoul [Stefani Deoul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781612941387
Publisher: Bywater Books
Published: 2018-11-07T16:00:00+00:00

FOURTEEN

And several hours later, I can officially declare myself a founding member of the futilitarian’s club.

Imani left hours ago, right after Ze agreed, “I like your friend. She is very sweet.”

That compliment followed our easy-peasy plan number one . . . fail. Which was to go online, find the user name of whoever put the tag down, and track them backward. This led us to nothing but a fake account, along with all the approval Imani needed for her to bail, leaving me here with our next plan. The evil, sadistic one where we get back to playing the game with me still no closer to leveling up than I have been for the last twenty-four hours.

Which really isn’t all that long. Just long enough to determine that eighteen is not my lucky number.

During this same time, Ze spent an entire day doing who knows what and in our few hours has leveled up to twenty. Yeah. Feeling the burn.

“You know, Sid.” Ze’s voice interrupts my useless glaring at the screen. “In China, as in Judaism, the number eighteen is very auspicious. It is, for example, very good luck to live in a house or apartment with that number. They say you will have great success and be very prosperous.”

And while talking, ze simultaneously continues to fly across the keyboard, beating back yet another virus attack. “But of course in tarot the number eighteen is associated with the moon. And the moon is weeping. And they say it is because the material is trying to destroy the spiritual.”

“So,” Ze pauses zir game and looks over, “before your spirit is destroyed, I suggest we stay with the combined blessings of a Jewish life and a Chinese prosperous life and get you off this level.”

I am many things, but right now, proud is not one of them. Before zir offer is finished, I am offering up a Vulcan salute, rising, and then bowing with a flourish over my now vacant seat.

“It is all yours.”

I go and stand kind of over Ze’s shoulder, but a little ways back, trying hard to pay attention while discreetly unkinking my neck and lower back. And as I straighten back up, I get lost watching Ze’s hands fly across the keyboard, seamlessly moving my avatar across the screen.

And it’s a pretty intense and really awesome show. Watching Ze’s fingers fly is like watching, I don’t know, maybe a ballet?

No, that’s not right. It’s more like when you see a street group dance-off where first one guy goes and then the next guy— only in Ze’s case, one guy is like the left hand and the next guy is like the right hand.

And they’re amazing. They fly and then they dip and then they . . .

. . . oh no. No. No. Hands? Really? No. No. No. I close my eyes, squeeze my thighs, and cringe to myself. I did not just think that. That would not be the thought I am meaning to have.

Which is a problem, because it’s too late.

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