Out of Character (True Colors 2)

I kept tensing up, wanting to make him proud. This would be so much easier if it were just him and me at the pizza place, me showing off about the game or stochastic processes.

Wait.

I was making this far too complex. I remembered how I’d explained things to Milo, making predicting seemingly random events like which cards were likely to show up in a given card draw easy to understand. I had it. Now to show off.

“Quick change,” I announced as I played the card. I’d added it at 2:00 a.m. I hadn’t been able to sleep after Milo left for another night at the professors’ house, and I had kept fiddling with my deck rather than confront how lonely my bed seemed without him in it. And how nervous I was about this match. But I couldn’t show my nerves. I’d let them get the better of me in round two. I wasn’t going to lose twice.

“What fresh hell is this?” George snatched the card up, as I’d known he would. It wasn’t an expensive card, but it also wasn’t common. Few players wanted to discard their entire hand and take the risk of all new cards. But I’d done the math. This was my best chance.

“Response?” I tried to sound bored, like I didn’t care if he countered the card. But everything hinged on him letting the card through. I also didn’t dare look at anyone. If Kellan or Professor Tuttle caught on to my move, their expression could give me away.

“Whatever.” George waved his hand dismissively. “Do your Hail Mary.”

“Don’t mind if I do.” I discarded the five cards I’d been holding, then drew a fresh five. I didn’t waste time reviewing them. In that moment, I was the Frog Wizard and my ability to deceive and mislead was more important than what I’d actually drawn. “Your turn.”

“This is getting pointless.” George took his turn and shaved another few points off my life total. Another turn and he’d have me.

Showtime. My turn. I slapped down a hasty warrior princess, schooling my expression.

“Tell me you’re not attacking.” George shook his head like he was already deciding what to wear for the launch party.

I considered everything I’d counseled Milo about patience and not attacking too recklessly. And threw that advice out the window. Bring on the balls-to-the-wall heedless attack.

“Attack.” I threw everything I had at George. Well, almost everything.

“All in?”

“Yup.” The part of me who was Milo’s boyfriend was trembling. I needed a certain response from George or else this was going to fall apart. However, my inner Frog Wizard winked. You’ve got this. George wouldn’t shake. He’d revel in the moment. Which was what I did, leaning back in my chair.

“You’ve miscalculated,” he scoffed, exactly as I wanted. “Let me see how I want to block.”

Taking a breath, I waited until he lined up his cards. “Kill them all.”

Snap. I put down Grave Mistake. It had been in the lot of bulk cards Milo and I had sorted. I’d said it needed the right deck, but really it needed the right move and the right player. Me.

“Vicious.” George whistled but didn’t move to remove his cards. “And illegal.”

“Rules?” I’d been anticipating this.

“According to the official guidebook…” Professor Tuttle held up his phone to reveal the Odyssey website, the rules committee page, and quoted the specific provisions that related to what I’d done. “Allowed.”

“Do you have a counter?” I asked George, who still hadn’t moved and also hadn’t offered his hand.

“No. The rules website has it wrong, though. You can’t be that sneaky.”

“Says the king of sneak attacks,” Milo huffed from behind me. Almost. Almost. I still couldn’t look at him.

All I needed was George’s concession, but the moment dragged out, George’s eyes narrowing, his hand glued to his side. His mouth pursed like he was doing internal math. I didn’t care what he calculated as long as he came to the same answer as me, saw his inevitable loss.

“Fine. You win.” George huffed as he stuck out his hand. “But don’t go blaming me when you get a rep.”

“For winning?” Finally, I let myself smile. All the air returned to my lungs in a whoosh, and leftover adrenaline made my hands shaky. A single glance in Milo’s direction was enough to have my eyes burning, the way he looked at me like I’d captured the sun.

“Don’t go getting cocky, Quigley. It doesn’t become you.”

“Sure it does. Cards, please.” I tapped the table.

“Whatever. Here.” He removed two triple-sleeved cards from his deck bag, stopping just short of bending them as he slapped them down. “Don’t think you’ll get me to play you again.”

“Don’t imagine I’ll want to.” I shrugged, remaining sitting even as George packed up his stuff and beat a hasty retreat.

“Oh, my God, that was spectacular.” Kellan launched himself out of his chair as soon as the door shut behind George and his friends.