"What can I say? You're clearly an unsung hero in the cause of
American education."
"You can always find something nice to say about everyone if you try." Joel leaned forward and tapped the kid on
the shoulder as the game came to an end with the simulated roar of an exploding rocket and a brilliant display of
computerized fireworks. "Which game do you like better? This one or the new one over in the corner?" he asked
interestedly.
The boy glanced up at him with questioning blue eyes. "I like the new one best, but this one's okay. There's too
long a line at the other one." He turned back to his machine, fishing another quarter out of his pocket "And I still have
a lot to learn about this one. I've never gotten beyond the third level." There was blatant speculation in the boy's
expression as he innocently asked, "Did you want to play?"
"Well, I was thinking of showing my accountant here how it works," Joel said, smiling benignly down at the boy.
"I hate to give it up because it's tough to find another game open right now," the young man said slowly, his
light-brown hair a casual mop around his head as he looked at the crowded room. "But we could, uh, take turns."
There was now a definitely hopeful gleam in the boy's eyes as he gazed upward at the redheaded stranger. He rattled
the quarters in his pocket suggestively.
"Never got beyond the third level, huh?" Joel shoved his hands into the back pocket of his jeans and eyed the
video game reflectively.
"No, sir. It's a hard game," the boy assured him earnestly.
"Tricky, hmmm?"
"Yes, sir. Want to play?"
"What's your name, kid?"
"Steve. I'm ten."
"Okay, Steve, my name's Joel. And I appreciate your offer to take turns."
"I was thinking," Steve began cautiously, "we could sort of, well, compare scores when we got done, you know?"
Shelley stifled a burst of laughter at the obvious ploy, but her eyes danced as Joel frowned consideringly and
appeared to mull the idea over in his mind. She waited expectantly for him to decline the contest
"Compare scores, hmm?"
"Yeah, you know, see who gets the highest." Steve nodded eagerly.
"And what does the high scorer get?" Joel persisted.
"How about a free game paid for by the one with the lower score?" Somehow Steve managed to make the idea
sound ingenuous. He rattled the quarters in his pocket again. "My mom won't be back for me for another hour."
"You're on, kid. You go first."
"Joel!" Shelley's disapproval showed in her voice. "Surely you're not going to—to bet with this child on the
outcome of a game!"
Joel and Steve both turned to stare at her as if she were one of the alien invaders against whom they would be
defending the planet.
"Who did you say this was?" Steve asked with a frown.
"My accountant," Joel explained as they both turned back to the machine.
"Is that like a girl friend?" Steve put his quarter into the slot
"Yeah."
Shelley muttered something vindictive that went unheard amid the various explosions and other audio feedback
coming from the video games in the arcade. It wouldn't have mattered if she'd raised the level of her voice, however.
Neither Joel nor Steve was showing any inclination to listen. Their total concentration was focused on the space war
game being played out on the screen. If Steve paid half as much attention to his school work, he would probably
graduate at the head of his class, Shelley decided, and in the same moment told herself it was highly unlikely the boy
showed quite the same level of concentration in the classroom. It was highly doubtful any of the avid players did. Pity.
A lot of talent waiting to be tapped.
The game progressed fast and furiously as one alien invader after another was obliterated. Steve racked up a high
score before losing his last defender and turned the machine over to Joel with an anticipatory smirk. Joel dropped a
quarter into the slot and went to work.
He was good, but not quite good enough. The alien invaders went down quickly,
American education."
"You can always find something nice to say about everyone if you try." Joel leaned forward and tapped the kid on
the shoulder as the game came to an end with the simulated roar of an exploding rocket and a brilliant display of
computerized fireworks. "Which game do you like better? This one or the new one over in the corner?" he asked
interestedly.
The boy glanced up at him with questioning blue eyes. "I like the new one best, but this one's okay. There's too
long a line at the other one." He turned back to his machine, fishing another quarter out of his pocket "And I still have
a lot to learn about this one. I've never gotten beyond the third level." There was blatant speculation in the boy's
expression as he innocently asked, "Did you want to play?"
"Well, I was thinking of showing my accountant here how it works," Joel said, smiling benignly down at the boy.
"I hate to give it up because it's tough to find another game open right now," the young man said slowly, his
light-brown hair a casual mop around his head as he looked at the crowded room. "But we could, uh, take turns."
There was now a definitely hopeful gleam in the boy's eyes as he gazed upward at the redheaded stranger. He rattled
the quarters in his pocket suggestively.
"Never got beyond the third level, huh?" Joel shoved his hands into the back pocket of his jeans and eyed the
video game reflectively.
"No, sir. It's a hard game," the boy assured him earnestly.
"Tricky, hmmm?"
"Yes, sir. Want to play?"
"What's your name, kid?"
"Steve. I'm ten."
"Okay, Steve, my name's Joel. And I appreciate your offer to take turns."
"I was thinking," Steve began cautiously, "we could sort of, well, compare scores when we got done, you know?"
Shelley stifled a burst of laughter at the obvious ploy, but her eyes danced as Joel frowned consideringly and
appeared to mull the idea over in his mind. She waited expectantly for him to decline the contest
"Compare scores, hmm?"
"Yeah, you know, see who gets the highest." Steve nodded eagerly.
"And what does the high scorer get?" Joel persisted.
"How about a free game paid for by the one with the lower score?" Somehow Steve managed to make the idea
sound ingenuous. He rattled the quarters in his pocket again. "My mom won't be back for me for another hour."
"You're on, kid. You go first."
"Joel!" Shelley's disapproval showed in her voice. "Surely you're not going to—to bet with this child on the
outcome of a game!"
Joel and Steve both turned to stare at her as if she were one of the alien invaders against whom they would be
defending the planet.
"Who did you say this was?" Steve asked with a frown.
"My accountant," Joel explained as they both turned back to the machine.
"Is that like a girl friend?" Steve put his quarter into the slot
"Yeah."
Shelley muttered something vindictive that went unheard amid the various explosions and other audio feedback
coming from the video games in the arcade. It wouldn't have mattered if she'd raised the level of her voice, however.
Neither Joel nor Steve was showing any inclination to listen. Their total concentration was focused on the space war
game being played out on the screen. If Steve paid half as much attention to his school work, he would probably
graduate at the head of his class, Shelley decided, and in the same moment told herself it was highly unlikely the boy
showed quite the same level of concentration in the classroom. It was highly doubtful any of the avid players did. Pity.
A lot of talent waiting to be tapped.
The game progressed fast and furiously as one alien invader after another was obliterated. Steve racked up a high
score before losing his last defender and turned the machine over to Joel with an anticipatory smirk. Joel dropped a
quarter into the slot and went to work.
He was good, but not quite good enough. The alien invaders went down quickly,
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