This is a brief piece I did spur of the moment on Twitter in response to an online friend's tweet.
Once upon a time... in a video arcade... the year was 1983...
Amid the glow of the neon lights and flicking screens, he saw her. Her hand moved frantically over the track ball as the other pressed the fired button rapidly. He placed his quarter on the rail on the Centipede machine and watched her.
Her movements were rhythmic as she played, a steady sway to the music of the machines collected there. If she was aware of his presence next to her, she did not betray it. Her focus was purely on the destruction of the glowing, animated insects on the screen before her.
Another level cleared, her green eyes, shining with electric reflection, darted up to the score. The top score was within striking distance.
"You got this." He offered to encourage her.
She said nothing as she opened fire on the next wave of creatures.
A crowd had begun to form around the machine as the collective consciousness within the arcade sensed a high score in danger. He had a front row view of her spitting profanity and giving the finger to a virtual spider that cost her a valuable life. She earned another soon after.
"Come on" she muttered to herself as the score drew near. His gaze drifted from the screen to the desperation twisting her alluring features.
The score fell to her skills to the cheer of the assembled crowd. "YES!" She cried out in a tone that burned into his mind and which he would forever use as the gauge to measure the true satisfaction of a woman.
Her focus wavered for a moment costing her another life. The assault of sprites was relentless, but she was determined to put an exclamation point on her victory. Her breathing was labored and her legs shook a bit. Her run finally came to an end.
The adrenaline high of victory was already subsiding as she entered her initials on the leader board, "QTX". She turned from the machine to the applause of the crowd.
His quarter on the rail deemed his turn was next by arcade etiquette.
But she was walking away.
He snatched his quarter off the rail and pursued her. He lost her briefly in the flickering lights and flow of gamers moving through the arcade. He found her sitting at a table with her plush lips pursed around a straw as she slowly sipped a Tab Cola.
He paused for a moment, unsure of how to approach her. The TV mounted on the wall next to the snack bar provided a soundtrack of MTV videos. He hoped for a song to give him just the right music to make his attempt.
"Hold me now" by the Thompson Twins came on and he knew there would not be a better time. He walked over to her. "Great game." He managed to make audible over the music and the background noise of the arcade.
"I know." She replied with a knowing smile, looking him over.
He asked if he could join her. She pushed the chair across from her out without saying a word. He sat down and struggled to think of what to say hoping to not sound stupid. "You only come up to me because of my Centipede skills?" She asked baiting the hook?
"Yes."
He couldn't bring himself to tell her how pretty she thought she was. He could barely manage to tell her anything. So, she asked the questions. She handled him as she had handled the trackball, smoothly and putting him in all positions she wanted him in.
He forgot about the quarters in his pocket. He forgot about getting home before his parent's curfew. He forgot to tell her he was a junior high school student and was tall for his age. She forgot to ask.
Eventually, she asked him about classes. The truth came out. She was leaving soon for college. She smiled at him again knowing she would have to crush his infatuation.
But he was sweet.
And he seemed kind.
She stood up and told him to do likewise.
He stood nervously before her. Her green eyes pierced his young soul. She moved to him. Leaning in, her soft lips pressed to his cheek. In his utter shock, he barely felt her soft hand expertly slipping into his pocket.
She pulled back and smiled. Her hand slid smoothly out of his pocket and she held a shiny quarter between her fingertips in front of her lips. "Consider this on my rail. You'll be ready to play one day."
She left, and he returned to that arcade every weekend afterwards.
