“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Did you ever play any kind of game, anything, even as a kid?”She twisted around to look at him.
“Once or twice, not often.We didn’t have the money for a game, and Dad wouldn’t have spent the money on something he considered a waste of time anyway,” Spider said without looking up from the screen.“What’s a good one to start off with?”
“How do you feel about puzzles?”
“I’m decent at them, as long as they’re not too complicated.”
“All right.I have an idea.”She pulled up one of her favorite games.She didn’t care that it was older than she was.
“What do I do?”
Jordon explained how to play Dr.Mario.She kept things slow and easy, not wanting him to get discouraged.That wasn’t the point of this.If she used all her skill, he might get disgusted with how bad he was and never pick it up again.That wouldn’t help anything.
It took him a few minutes but before long he’d picked up the basics.
“You play for a while.I’m thirsty.Where’s the kitchen and can I get you anything?”
“It’s through there.”He pointed behind him.“And I wouldn’t turn down a soda or some water.”
She’d let him play on his own for a bit.She didn’t have to be competing with him to enjoy her time with him.They didn’t even have to talk.She liked just being in the room with him, even if they were silent and doing their own thing.
Chapter Seventeen
“Ithink I’ve got this.What other games are there?”Spider asked, turning to where Jordon sat on the sofa beside him.When she’d come back with their drinks she sat farther away than he wanted but she was there, and he was distracted by the game she’d gotten him into, so he hadn’t complained.“What’s your favorite game?”
“I have a few.It depends on what I’m looking for at any given moment.”
“What do you mean?”he asked.
Jordon shrugged.“Sometimes I just want to zone out and relax on my own.When I want to do that, I play Breath of the Wild or Spiritfarer.Sometimes I want to connect with others, people I don’t live with.That’s when I play Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley.When we’re having a family night and want to get loud and compete, then we play Mario Kart or Super Smash Bros.”
Spider blinked several times.“I know all those words were English, and individually they make sense, but all smashed together like that?You lost me.”Jordon laughed and just the sound made him smile.
“And if I want to play with some of the guys at home?”
