STAMP OF APPROVAL - a selection story

"i'm gonna teach you to skateboard"

L E V I

round five ||

january 30th

[ 4:56 PM ]

"Do you have... a king?"

"Go fish."

Abri lets out a sigh, pulling from the deck. Emmie grins, glancing at me through the screen. I only shake my head and let out a sigh.

Abri forgot Emmie was coming over this evening to hang out, and when I called, they both picked up and I told her she didn't have to leave, and that somehow got me wound up in a game of go fish that I can't really play unless Emmie does it for me, which she was happy to facilitate and play my cards for me. Abri finds it hilarious.

"Do you have... any queens?" I ask, watching as Emmie holds my cards in front of the screen.

Abri groans, and hands over two queens. Emmie places my other two queens with Abri's and sets them down next to her on the table. We high five against the screen. Abri rolls her eyes.

"I don't even have one match!" she complains, glancing toward our three piles.

"Don't be a sore loser," I scold teasingly, giving her a wink.

She narrows her eyes. "Levi. Give me all your jacks."

I lean close to the screen. "Go fish."

She groans again, pulling from the pile.

Emmie laughs.

"I can't believe I'm losing to both of you." Abri takes a drink of her soda.

"Uh uh," Emmie shakes her head. "Just Levi. I'm just holding his cards."

"She's just holding my cards, Abri," I repeat, giving my sister a serious look.

She deadpans. "I'm still losing to the screen version of you." She glances one more time at her cards before giving me a prompting expression. I almost forgot it's my turn.

I squint as I glance toward my cards. "Abri, do you have any fives?"

She lets out a sigh. She hands over one five. Emmie adds it to our growing deck.

Abri basically has the whole deck in her hand. No wonder she's losing.

"Levi, hand over your sevens."

"Go fish," Emmie and I say at the same time.

Abri groans and pulls from the dwindling deck in the middle of the ottoman. She adds it to her deck and sends me a glare.

I ask for her tens, but for the first time, she doesn't have any. She looks a little too excited for Emmie to have to pick up for me.

"So, Levi, how's the castle?" Emmie asks after a moment of silence as Abri sorts through her deck, no doubt trying to figure out which one to pick. I glance toward Emmie with a questioning look. I assumed Abri told Emmie everything I told her, and even more so, seeing as they spend pretty much all week with each other. But maybe Emmie is interested in hearing about my time for herself.

"Fine," I answer, looking at Abri. She asks me for twos, and I tell her to go fish.

I swear a blood vessel may pop in her face.

"Just fine?" Emmie asks, giving me a good look at the cards she's holding.

"Abri, hand over the jacks," I say, and her mouth falls.