How?! How does he manage to do that every. Single. Time. That was the only thing I could think as I slammed my fist into the seat of my futon. I started taking deep breaths to try and calm down when I saw my mom walk in. She would not be happy if she knew I was damaging the furniture. But when I looked up she only held a look of concern, the exact opposite of Matt’s.

“Now, remind me why you thought this time would be any different from the last four times you tried dueling me today,” Said Matt, a smirk on his face that resembled a man mad with power
“Well, I was mainly hoping I would get a better hand” I replied, constantly looking from the table where the cards were laid out to the cards in my hand. I hoped if I stared at them long enough I would get an idea.
“Yeah well look how that turned out for you. The same way it does every other time you think you can beat me. You. Lose. Horribly.” Matt cackled, a sign that he was getting ready to monologue about his power again
“Ok,” I put my hands in the air to shut him up before I did something I would regret “We both know no one here wants to hear your monologue. Again.” I said, making sure to put emphasis on again. Matt scoffed and tossed his head up

“Well, they certainly don’t want to see you performing as bad as you are. Now, let’s cut the banter and end this!” and with that same infuriating smirk, Matt finished off my life points
I stared at my mom looking as if I were internally debating, which I was. I started thinking about the last thing Matt said before I ran off. Unless you manage to get an entirely new Yu-gi-oh deck, you’re never going to beat me. I won’t get a new deck, but I’ll certainly beef it up.
“Hey mom, can I have some money to buy Yu-gi-oh cards from the card shop?”
“No Luke we need to save money for things like gas, insurance, and groceries. I guess you’ll just have to come up with the money yourself or wait until Christmas” It was at that point that I knew she was right about one thing. I had to take matters into my own hands.

“Alright Mom.” I said. After she went back into her room I went into the garage and opened the car door. I opened the middle compartment, took out mom’s money purse, and took out $50. Then, I put it back and went back into the house to grab my headphones. Passing my mom’s room along the way, I saw she was engrossed in her tv shows as usual. I went up to my room and grabbed my headphones, came downstairs and went to the doorway of my mom’s room.

“Walk” I said, which my mom replied with a nod. Then, I connected the headphones to my phone and started playing music as I walked out the door

When I got to “The Card Shop” I stopped and looked at the entrance.
“Well, I’ll give ‘em points for honesty.” I said while slightly tilting my head, then walked in and went straight to the cashier since I didn’t see what I was looking for on the shelves.

“Show me where you keep the powerful Yugioh cards. I have a score to settle as they say.” The cashier takes out a binder and lays it on the counter. I open it and smile widely as I imagine all the different ways I could eliminate Matt. Yes, yes, yes! All these cards are just what I need to give Matt a taste of his own medicine. But I should pick the ones that run best with my Dark Magician deck. I start flipping through the pages of the binder looking for the most powerful cards ever and pulling them out when I do until I reach the end of the binder, having found 10 cards in total. I gave the cashier the money and immediately snatched the cards off the counter and walked out of the store.

“I finally have enough power to beat Matt! I can’t wait to duel him and beat the stuffing out of him!” I said in a vengeful as I started laughing like a villain.

I excitedly slammed my hands down on the table of the mall’s food court, it was my first Saturday game day at the mall. Matt and I had planned it for weeks now and I was overjoyed about getting to meet other duelists besides Matt.

“Duel me Matt!”
He smirked smugly and laughed,
“Alright Luke, but with this new deck I have I doubt you’ll be able to beat me.”
I jumped upright and held my hands to my hips. “We’ll see about that!”
“Back when it all started…”
As my group of friends and I gathered around the table in the cafeteria at our high school, I placed my yugioh deck on the table and stared at Matt.

“If you really want to lose that badly, I don’t see why I can’t enjoy beating you to death” to which he gave his smirk and laugh which had become signature by this point

“I’d like to see the comeback you have when I’m the one who’s beating you to death!” I exclaimed. That was the last time I stopped caring about Matt for awhile

Matt would be strutting towards the group table and sit across from me in his usual spot, with the smirk already on his face

“So, how do you want to lose today Luke? Same routine? Or do you actually want to give me a challenge today?” cue the laughter. I would sigh deeply and respond
“Whatever, let’s just get this over with.”

But not this time, I had full confidence that with my new cards Matt wouldn’t stand a chance!

I pulled out my phone, it read Saturday 12:30 P.M. Matt would be here any minute. As if on cue, Matt and the other Saturday game day participants showed up. Matt sat right across from me, and this time we smirked simultaneously. He noticed.

“That’s it, you’ve even lost your mind now. In what alternate universe could you ever think about even the possibility of beating me!” Matt’s smirk turned into a glare, but I kept smirking.

“I guess you’ll just have to find out.” we placed our decks on the table, shuffled them, and began our duel. I drew a good hand, but Matt had drawn a better hand apparently. I knew it was only a matter of time before I drew my new cards.
“I’ll find out how long it takes to break you since you actually have a spine for once” I just tuned him out, as I drew one of my powerful cards and instantly played it. Matt had instantly countered it as soon as I played it though, I just sat there in shock.

No no no! This can not! Be happening! All that money spent on these cards all for nothing?! Before I knew it the duel was over, Matt had successfully countered all of my new and powerful cards. Then I had an epiphany.
“You know what Matt, It may have taken me all this time, but I realize now that it doesn’t matter what happens in this game. All that matters is that I have fun.”

“Famous last words from a loser, even with new cards you can never be as good as me!” Then, it hit me, I had stolen money from my mom in my obsession to beat him. Man I was going to get grounded so hard.
I placed my deck down on the kitchen counter, and sighed heavily
“So how was the mall?” I took a deep breath, this was not going to be easy

“Same old same old, except I may have stolen $50 from you to buy new cards but even then I wasn’t able to beat Matt and it infuriated me so badly but then I realized that it doesn’t matter as long as I have fun and I’m really sorry mom!” After I catched my breath I looked up and saw my mom changed to a Stern face.
“Looks like someone’s going to be doing the dishes for a long time.”
“Alright mom”