Author Games: Ace of Spades

Task Three: Males

Perhaps I wanted something like what they had, the responsibility, the worry, but why would I want to live without knowing where my next meal was coming from? For not the first time, I felt that I was in too deep, but my thoughts were cut by a joking comment from one of the men.

"Yeah, screw you, student loans!" He shook his fist at the sky laughingly, and someone laughed. The next person bet ten, which most everyone matched, except a young man, who threw his cards down and grinned.

"I made a bet with my friend that luck was real. This isn't really helping me out in that regard."

More laughs, and more people calling. I threw in my chips and kept my cards hidden.

As another two people folded, the secrets came out. I'd expected most to be about the reason for money - if I needed to fold, I knew what I would say - but one of the girls on my team told a story about her prom and running off to Mexico instead of buying a ticket or a limo or a dress - "Well," she added, "I did buy a dress, but I only wore it for the pictures and right after we crossed the border, that got left behind. Somewhere along the wall that Trump wants to build will be a pink, ball gown style prom dress that never saw a prom."

It was easy to forget that it was a contest for a second, with the laughter and the joking. My worries disappeared as I threw in chips - just another day when Barry was dealing and we had the den to ourselves. Of course, we'd played for real money, but the thousands we gambled away had never had a lasting effect. On the table in front of me, slowly depleting, was all I had for this game. There was no backup from Daddy, or a loan from the Worth twins. My worldly wealth for this game was sitting in front of me.

And I liked it. My father couldn't fix everything forever. I had to learn my own way.

"Call," I said finally, and the round ended. Only the ones who'd folded - five, three from the other team and two from mine - had a sizeable pile. The rest were about half the size that they'd been originally.

Again, the laughter disappeared as Zahra burned a card and flipped the next - the two of diamonds. Perhaps it would be useful to another, but it held no value for me.

I glanced at my cards, and as the bidding went around and another person folded, I decided. Once it reached me, with a fifty dollar bid, I threw my cards down.

Instead of my planned statement - my father has always provided for me and I need to break away from him - I surprised even myself.

"I cheat at tennis," I admitted, "which may not seem big, but my father is always proud of me. Ironically, he's the one who convinced me it wouldn't affect the game, but I always win, and I know I'm not that good. I guess it's part of why I feel like I can't even trust my own father, and, of course, he cheats at poker too."

The blonde to my left threw down her cards as well, and the game continued, but this time, I don't win, as I do most of the time with my family's money, my family's morals. I play on my own.

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Blorange Orange

T I T L E = N E V E R

Never have I ever believed in the word unfair.

To say that something is 'unfair' would suggest that it was possible for something to be fair, which is impossible. Since the dawn of time there has never been an instance in which all of the living creatures were on a level playing field. Quite frankly 'unfairness' is simply how Natural Selection works, the living organism with best traits for a given time period and situation has always prevailed. Even in small, controlled games or situations that people try so incredibly hard to keep fair there is still disparity. Genetics, intellectual capability and experience all come into play, helping to determine the odds of a person's chance at victory. Rules always seemed humorous to me as they tried to control something that simply was uncontrollable.