The Life Of Gamemaker Z

April 16th age 19

I press a button, and the Fallen broadcast comes on in the Arena. Annex and Cliff are dead. Poor Cliff was in a duel with the much older boy, and Xeropaga summoned enough gusto to avenge her boyfriend's death. 

Now it is just three I'm rooting for. Judas, Lupus, and Xeropaga. This is going to be hard.

"Alright," Gamemaker Demi laughs, "Who's the mom friend?"

"Z is! Z is!" Bailee nearly shouted, and soon we're in a fit of giggles, while onscreen, the names of the dead were called and pictures were shown.

"Alright," I say, calming down, "Let's watch this." 

Judas and Lupus have allied together, unbelievably, against Xeropaga. Judas and Lupus are hiding at the bottom of the hill. Xeropaga has lined the top of the hill, particularly the area around her, with homemade land mines. Lupus and Judas don't seem exactly enthusiastic to hurt or kill each other, even though with Xeropaga's current protection, they'd have to and let her win, or push the other in to a land mine. They must realize that too.  

But I'm in no rush. 

"Girls," I have an idea for how to pass the time, "Let's play a game." 

"What game are you thinking of?" Bailee asks. "I forgot to bring Cards Against Humanity, sorry."

"It's fine," Demi grins, "I brought something." 

"Ooh, what is it?" Bailee says what I'm thinking. 

"I brought..." She shuffles around in her bag, "Apples to Apples."

"Ooh, yummy." I grab a small deck from the open box. "I shuffle a third, you shuffle a third, and you shuffle a third? And by shuffle, I mean...organize. No need to actually shuffle. We're playing Apples to Apples. Goodness, I'm awkward."

Bailee laughs. Demi and Bailee nod. 

While organizing the cards, my focus drifts to the screen. I see Judas and Lupus racing each other to the top of the hill. What are they planning? I think. I bet I could guess, but I still wonder.   

Demi hands out seven to Bailee and I, and then I pick seven at random and hand them to Demi. Our organizing has paid off. There's a pile to grab from, and there's a designated area for used ones. 

"I'll be the first judge," I smile, "The word is painful." 

They hand in their cards. I suppose it's a mini game of Apples to Apples, we don't have nearly enough people, but this still ought to be fun. I laugh out loud. The words they put in are "Robin Williams" and "Adolf Hitler." I can't decide which to pick for separate reasons. 

"I pick Adolf Hitler." I'm half crying, half laughing. 

"Yaaaas! That was miiiiiine!" Bailee throws her own little party.

"Okay, Demi, your turn." I'm still laughing. 

"Alri - wait. Look at the screen. Something's going on."

I look, and I see Judas running away from an exploding hill. That clever boy. Xeropaga had inserted the mines to deep and the entire "lid" of the hill blew off, taking Xeropaga and Lupus with it. That clever, clever boy. 

"Welp," I relax, after a few seconds of feeling quite tense. "I guess that finishes it. Demi?"

"I know what to do, boss!" She says in a cheerful, sing-song voice. 

She presses a few buttons, and a minute later, one of our hovercrafts comes down to welcome Judas back to Panem. Just as this happens, Zoe Snow, my sister, runs in screaming with joy. She shakes all of our hands. 

"Awesome, awesome, awesome, that was awesome, awesome, awesome..." She cheers. 

I am filled with happiness. She's right. That was wildly entertaining, and I did a great job.