The Wanderer

Can Of Peanuts

Something was nudging my body softly stirring me from my dream. My eyes fluttered open seeing Lloyd's face as he knelt at the side of my bed cot. Scout's tail wagged as he lied next to me stealing most of my blanket.

"Lloyd..." I muttered with sleepiness in my tone as he nudged me more.

"Come on Asteria, we just got assigned something important" the boy chided "It'll be fun."

"What?" I asked sitting up rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I looked outside and it was the crack of dawn with the sun barely peaking over the horizon. "Good grief" I grumbled stretching my neck.

"My Uncle wanted me to pull some pranks on the ninja" he told me "So we gotta prepare before they wake up."

This got my attention snapping the sleep out of my system. Part of me liked the idea and was now on board.

"What do you have in mind?" I asked as I got up from my bed, my side of the blanket landing on Scout's face and he tilted his head up confused. I slipped my jacket on.

"Yes! Let's cause some mayhem!" The boy whisper yelled grabbing my hand heading out of the room sneaking through the Bounty quietly so as to not wake anyone.

He leads me to a room with a tv and video game console in it. "Playing videogames?" I questioned tilting my head in confusion.

"Yeah we gotta beat Kai's high score" Lloyd replied as he grabbed a controller. "He's the fire ninja and has a hot temper. He'll lose it if someone beats his favorite game" the boy explained as he turned it on.

I sat by his side watching the boy play but everytime he tried Lloyd couldn't beat the high score. This was going on for a while as I went to the kitchen to go get some juice for the both of us to drink. When I came back the boy had failed again.

"Arrghh! I can't beat it..." Lloyd grumbled defectedly as he muddled over the controller.

Taking a sip of my drink I held a hand out. "Can I try?" I asked after setting my cup aside, curious of the game myself.

"Huh? Sure give it a shot" Lloyd said as he handed over the controller even showing me what the buttons do.

The entire time I was watching the gears in my mind were turning. Analyzing the way the pixels moved and how it was played. The colors on the screen keeping my attention that I was mesmerized by it entirely.

The buttons clicking on the controller feeling very comfortable in my hands that it brought a sense of nostalgia to my being.

"Look! You're getting close to beating his score!" Lloyd awed from beside me with excitement in his tone. I wasn't even paying attention to the scores.

After hitting the last bad guy and finishing the stage the game congratulated me by announcing that I beat Kai's highscore.

"Woah awesome Asteria! That's so cool!" The boy whisper yelled jumping up and down on the couch and hugged me in excitement.

He must have had a good time watching me play. Pride and pure joy rushed through my being. In the moment I smiled and hugged the boy picking him up as the both of us relished in the victory.