Collision Course [+ Additional Levels]

Level Thirteen - New Arcade

Moe looked at him for a moment, his lips parted. Then he looked away and swallowed. "Well, I haven't done a very good job with that," he muttered.

Andrew's brows raised in surprise, wondering what he meant by that. He knew his friend for his mischief―had a prank gone wrong? He opened his mouth to ask him about it, but Moe seemed to sense it, and told him in a dismissive manner, "I don't want to talk about this anymore, okay? It's behind me anyway. It doesn't really matter."

He looked at Andrew, who paused, then smiled and patted his back. "Yeah, okay."

Moe squinted back at him, and glanced at Andrew's hand on his back, which dropped immediately. Then he started chuckling, which quickly grew into a laugh. Confused, Andrew asked, "What's so funny?" He poked the spot where he'd patted his friend's back. "Did I tickle you or something?"

"No!" Moe replied hastily as he twitched away. "Nah, it's just―" He couldn't finish, still laughing. Finally he looked up, and, staring off into the distance in a thinking face, he echoed, "'Old Software Expert'."

"Yeah? What of it?"

Moe turned his head, deadpan. "That's quite the fanciful word for 'geek'."

Andrew laughed in surprise. "So is 'fanciful,' my fine sir," he told him.

"Ha!" Moe just shook his head. "You're just a dude who likes video games. Ya nerd."

"Actually, it was Karan who coined the term first."

"I think you mean that he dubbed thee of the title."

Andrew sat back, fists on his hips. "Oh ho, ho! What articulate speech you procure!"

"Oh, but only the most," Moe told him feigned pride, twisting the end of an invisible mustache.

"Indeed!" Then Andrew stopped, and just started chuckling as he recounted, "Ya nerd."

With that, they laughed together, the sound laid-back and real. And, for a short while, the rest of the world melted away. They couldn't remember their troubles, their anxious thoughts were far off in the distance somewhere, and neither of them cared about what anybody else thought of them in that moment.

Life had been strange lately, but for now, at least, they both were alright.

When the moment passed, they both seemed to sigh collectively. Moe nodded contentedly, and Andrew looked around. His smile broadened to a grin. "Yo. Let's go play some video games."

"Oh, yes." Moe grinned back and waltzed toward the desk, making his friend laugh again. "To the unexplored castles, unsaved damsels, and unslain monsters: Let's!"

****

"I can't believe that you guys talked me into this."

Jumpman glanced at his grumpy passenger from the driver's seat, his sweater sleeves tied around his waist despite the chill of the night. He also sported an orange hat backwards on his head, which Jumpman thought looked suspiciously like his. He himself had put on his red flat beret cap (which he wore facing forward) before they had left the house because he hadn't been able to find his baseball styled cap, which was the type that he saw him wearing. He'd make sure to ask him about it later, though; when his passenger was in a better mood, perhaps. "I thought that you would be more cheerful at the prospect of leaving the house," Jumpman said.

QBert growled, his arms folded across his chest. He hadn't lifted his gaze from his window ever since they had entered the Denali. "What if I end up exploding the place from static discharge?" he asked testily.