There’s only one way to play the game.

Strike hard. Strike fast

A pair of dice roll onto the mahogany desk, bouncing off each other and clattering in opposite directions. The pieces land on two numbers: a three and a six

The room seems to quiet. Air vents let out a cool whistle and the players are baked in flourescent lights. Everyone is collectively holding their breath.

People in the crowd inch over their seats to get a closer look. When the Ref is still hunched over his clipboard, the room starts vibrate. Murmurs and whispers get passed through the crowd, like a small infection making its way to the brain.

As if perturbed by the crowd, the Ref straightens himself and addresses the crowd. “Bells: 42.”

The room hushes. Some sit at the edge of their seats, literally. “Jacobs—“ the Ref starts to say but pauses. He looks at the two players sitting down at the table, who are both staring anxiously at him. He takes a deep breath and gestures towards one of the players. “Jacobs: 63.”

The world erupts into a clamor of screams and applause. Hats, shirts, and even shoes start being tossed up in the chaos.

One of the players, Anna Bells, watches her opponent be rushed and clobbered by what she can only assume is her family. A small army of little girls, all who share Nina Jacobs’ red curly-hair, surround Nina and swallow her into a loving embrace.

“Thank you ladies and gentlemen for coming out tonight. A huge shoutout to our sponsors….” the voice trails off behind her as Anna pushes her way through waves of people.

She’s only a couple of feet from the bathroom door when a hand reaches out and grabs Anna’s shoulder. She’s turned around in minutes.

A woman, no older than thirties, pulls Anna into a hug. “You did so good ‘hon.”

“Thanks.”

She releases Anna from the hug but still has her shoulders. “You’re a winner, no matter what the score says.“ She opens her mouth to say more but then her eyes widen. A look of alarm flashes across her face. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, Mom."

“But sweetie your eyes; they’re so red!”

“I just didn’t get much sleep last night.”

Nina and her family spill out into the lobby area, where the rest of Event attendees are. As she steps out, she’s met with a wave of applause and congragulations from everybody. She smiles and nods to everyone, taking special care to point and wave to familiar faces. As she’s surveying her adoring fans, her eyes catch Anna's

For a moment, the world disappears and Anna’s breath catches in her throat. Nina Jacobs. One of the leagues’ best. She earned her fame through underground games and random tournament appearances. Though she’s been one of the fore-running players this season, she really took off after her match with Gustavo Fringe garnered attention. How does Anna know all this? Beacuse she spent the better part of the year watching those games

And now she was here. Playing up against Nina Jacobs. Or rather—losing against Nina Jacobs. But it was all the same to Anna. To her, even getting to play the game was enough for her. Now she was playing against the greats? What else could she have possibly asked for?

Anna’s Dad, however, doesn’t see things the same way. “We’re a house of winners,” he’d drill into her head after each private lesson. He’d treat the game as if it were the Marines or a professional sport. He did neither of those things himself but always imagined a life where he did. A “what if” tale where instead of getting my Mom pregnant at sixteen and being forced to drop out of High School with her, he’d follow his dreams past his small town and pursue his professional wrestling career

Anna’s whole life has been spent surrounded by people like her father. Private tutors, adoring fans, even her friends sometimes would issue the importance of “winning at all costs”. Nina Jacobs was different. Despite her natural talent and insane abilities, she never came across as hardcore or obsessed with the game. That was one of the first things Anna noticed about Nina when they first met. Her apathy towards the Game.

“It’s just a game,” Nina said once in a Times interview. She was just named Forbes’ hottest trending topic and secured a sponsorship with Eagle Chips, a new brand of potato chips. “Yeah I love the Game and I’ll spend my whole life playing it, but I don’t think I need to sacrifice my integrity to play it.”

Who could think like that? Brushing it off like a silly little hobby. The thought that someone could just throw this lifestyle away like it was nothing; that was worse than murder for Anna. She decided right then and there that she would hate Nina Jacobs.

But then she met Nina Jacobs.

Nina smiles at Anna, like really smiles at her, and gives a little wave. Anna returns the wave with a curt nod.

“You hungry?” Anna’s Mom says, bringing Anna back to reality.

“I could eat.”

With that, the pair shuffle out of the Event Center and to the parking lot, where a limo driver waits for them