LJ Idol Week 18- Open Topic- The Trouble with Words With Friends
Jeremy was tired of being second best. He’d spent so much of the last twenty five years in the shadow of his older sister that it seemed embedded in his persona. Luckily, he thought he’d finally found a way to “best” her. Recently, he started playing the game “Words with Friends.” It worked much like an online interactive scrabble board, which he could play right from his cell phone. Laura recently had a baby girl, and spent her evening hours relaxing with her laptop while the baby napped, so he relegated his commute home for playing the game.
Admittedly, it was an unproductive work day for Jeremy, who spent the better part of the afternoon researching the best methods to win at Words with Friends. He had a master’s degree in literature and an excellent vocabulary, but he didn’t want to leave anything to chance. He was prepped and ready. His adrenaline was flowing. Never was a board game so seemingly important.
In his rush to get onto the Long Island Railroad, Jeremy missed the announcement that his usual train home had been moved to a different track. He boarded the (wrong) train, and found himself a comfortable window seat before pulling out his iPhone. He chuckled to himself as he texted his sister to make sure she was online.
“How’s baby Cecelia,” he asked.
“Just down for the evening nap,” she answered.
“Yay :) Do you want to play Words with Friends? I sent you an invitation.” Jeremy felt his blood pressure rising as he waited for her response. He carefully reviewed all of the tips and pointers he’d brushed up on earlier in the day.
“OK, your move!”
Jeremy clicked over to his Words application to find that his sister played a three letter word. “Amateur,” he whispered to himself, studying the board carefully. Jeremy was so intent on playing his game, that it wasn’t until fifteen minutes into the commute that he realized he was on the wrong train. Now he’d have to find a place to transfer. He was thirty points up in Words though, so it was worth the extra long commute.
The problem was, Jeremy was so impatient that he kept clicking in and out of the application to see if Laura had made a move yet. Why was she taking so long between moves? Perhaps she just couldn’t keep up with his awesome skills. That had to be it- she was trying to outwit his smooth moves. When he got to the Hicksville station, Jeremy got off the train to make the first of two necessary transfers to get himself back on course to his home. As he stood out on the train platform, Laura made a very good play, giving herself 34 points. Jeremy hadn’t seen this one coming.
“God damnit,” he shouted, throwing his arms in the air. The other passengers waiting on the platform moved slightly away from him and eyed him cautiously. Jeremy bit his lip. He was going to have to try to keep his cool. “It’s just a game, it’s just a game,” he repeated to himself in his head.
He boarded the next train and found himself another window seat. The train was surprisingly empty with just himself and an elderly woman sharing the same car. He fiddled with his letters, trying to find a way to use two “double word” squares without setting up his sister for the “triple word” square. It was then that the iPhone flashed “20% battery remaining.”
“Noooooooooo,” he bellowed. Then he remembered the spare iPhone charger that he had in his briefcase. He fumbled around for what seemed like hours to find the cord. When he finally located it, he looked around the train for the spare electrical socket. Most cars on the train had only one socket, but if he could find it, it would sustain him for the rest of the commute. Of course, the socket was located immediately next to the elderly woman at the end of the car.
Jeremy made the awkward walk to the end of the train car and subtly plugged in his phone. He leaned up against the woman’s seat as a necessity to staying upright and nodded at her. The old woman eyed him carefully. As the commute continued, Jeremy was able to keep himself ahead of his sister, but his phone battery wasn’t gaining any ground. As he neared the next station, he realized that he had to make a command decision. If he wanted to get back to his car, he’d have to disembark the train and wait for his transfer for half an hour. His phone would never last that long without the outlet. His other option was to stay on the train, finish his game, and then take a taxi back to his car. The taxi option was costly, but he’d been waiting to beat his sister for years. He was SO CLOSE. He watched the train doors close, and realized his fate was sealed. It was time to win this game. There was no other option.
Laura pulled almost up to his score, but Jeremy was prepared for such maneuvers. He had some high value letters saved for the end of the game so that he could pull ahead of her in the home stretch. He became increasingly jittery- tapping his phone and looking back and forth from his phone, waiting for Laura to make her moves.
Finally, he reached the end of the game. He was ready to play his last three letters
and finally win. “That’s it,” he said “now I’ve got you! Time to put the nail in your coffin.”
The old woman suddenly screamed in fear. “Aaaaaahhhh, heeeeellllppp, he’s going to kill
me!” A conductor raced forward from the next car. Jeremy looked to his right and left before he realized she was talking about him.
“No, no, I didn’t mean YOU. I was just playing a game.”
The conductor got himself between Jeremy and the old woman, pushing the iPhone out of Jeremy’s grasp. “This man,” stuttered the old woman. “He came right up next to my seat and I couldn’t move, and then he said he was going to kill me.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Jeremy answered. “I wasn’t even talking to her.” The conductor asked to see Jeremy’s ticket, which, of course, was for a totally different train.
“Sir, you don’t even belong on this train.” The conductor used his radio to start calling for back up assistance.
“It’s a mistake! I mean, I missed my stop. It’s hard to explain.”
“Well you’re going to have to explain it to the police at the next station.” The conductor grabbed Jeremy’s arm and pulled him to the exit doors. When they opened, two police officers were waiting for him on the platform.
“Here you go boys,” called the conductor, shoving Jeremy off of the train.
As the officers walked toward him, Jeremy put up his arms in defense. “This is all a mistake, I was just playing a game on my phone…” At that moment, Jeremy realized that he was no longer holding his phone. He motioned toward the train’s doors, but it was too late. The train was already pulling away from the station.
“You’re going to have to come with us, sir.” The officers grabbed his arms and began to cuff him. Jeremy never did get to play that final letter, and boy was Laura going to be upset when she found out she’d have to pick him up from the police station.
Admittedly, it was an unproductive work day for Jeremy, who spent the better part of the afternoon researching the best methods to win at Words with Friends. He had a master’s degree in literature and an excellent vocabulary, but he didn’t want to leave anything to chance. He was prepped and ready. His adrenaline was flowing. Never was a board game so seemingly important.
In his rush to get onto the Long Island Railroad, Jeremy missed the announcement that his usual train home had been moved to a different track. He boarded the (wrong) train, and found himself a comfortable window seat before pulling out his iPhone. He chuckled to himself as he texted his sister to make sure she was online.
“How’s baby Cecelia,” he asked.
“Just down for the evening nap,” she answered.
“Yay :) Do you want to play Words with Friends? I sent you an invitation.” Jeremy felt his blood pressure rising as he waited for her response. He carefully reviewed all of the tips and pointers he’d brushed up on earlier in the day.
“OK, your move!”
Jeremy clicked over to his Words application to find that his sister played a three letter word. “Amateur,” he whispered to himself, studying the board carefully. Jeremy was so intent on playing his game, that it wasn’t until fifteen minutes into the commute that he realized he was on the wrong train. Now he’d have to find a place to transfer. He was thirty points up in Words though, so it was worth the extra long commute.
The problem was, Jeremy was so impatient that he kept clicking in and out of the application to see if Laura had made a move yet. Why was she taking so long between moves? Perhaps she just couldn’t keep up with his awesome skills. That had to be it- she was trying to outwit his smooth moves. When he got to the Hicksville station, Jeremy got off the train to make the first of two necessary transfers to get himself back on course to his home. As he stood out on the train platform, Laura made a very good play, giving herself 34 points. Jeremy hadn’t seen this one coming.
“God damnit,” he shouted, throwing his arms in the air. The other passengers waiting on the platform moved slightly away from him and eyed him cautiously. Jeremy bit his lip. He was going to have to try to keep his cool. “It’s just a game, it’s just a game,” he repeated to himself in his head.
He boarded the next train and found himself another window seat. The train was surprisingly empty with just himself and an elderly woman sharing the same car. He fiddled with his letters, trying to find a way to use two “double word” squares without setting up his sister for the “triple word” square. It was then that the iPhone flashed “20% battery remaining.”
“Noooooooooo,” he bellowed. Then he remembered the spare iPhone charger that he had in his briefcase. He fumbled around for what seemed like hours to find the cord. When he finally located it, he looked around the train for the spare electrical socket. Most cars on the train had only one socket, but if he could find it, it would sustain him for the rest of the commute. Of course, the socket was located immediately next to the elderly woman at the end of the car.
Jeremy made the awkward walk to the end of the train car and subtly plugged in his phone. He leaned up against the woman’s seat as a necessity to staying upright and nodded at her. The old woman eyed him carefully. As the commute continued, Jeremy was able to keep himself ahead of his sister, but his phone battery wasn’t gaining any ground. As he neared the next station, he realized that he had to make a command decision. If he wanted to get back to his car, he’d have to disembark the train and wait for his transfer for half an hour. His phone would never last that long without the outlet. His other option was to stay on the train, finish his game, and then take a taxi back to his car. The taxi option was costly, but he’d been waiting to beat his sister for years. He was SO CLOSE. He watched the train doors close, and realized his fate was sealed. It was time to win this game. There was no other option.
Laura pulled almost up to his score, but Jeremy was prepared for such maneuvers. He had some high value letters saved for the end of the game so that he could pull ahead of her in the home stretch. He became increasingly jittery- tapping his phone and looking back and forth from his phone, waiting for Laura to make her moves.
Finally, he reached the end of the game. He was ready to play his last three letters
and finally win. “That’s it,” he said “now I’ve got you! Time to put the nail in your coffin.”
The old woman suddenly screamed in fear. “Aaaaaahhhh, heeeeellllppp, he’s going to kill
me!” A conductor raced forward from the next car. Jeremy looked to his right and left before he realized she was talking about him.
“No, no, I didn’t mean YOU. I was just playing a game.”
The conductor got himself between Jeremy and the old woman, pushing the iPhone out of Jeremy’s grasp. “This man,” stuttered the old woman. “He came right up next to my seat and I couldn’t move, and then he said he was going to kill me.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Jeremy answered. “I wasn’t even talking to her.” The conductor asked to see Jeremy’s ticket, which, of course, was for a totally different train.
“Sir, you don’t even belong on this train.” The conductor used his radio to start calling for back up assistance.
“It’s a mistake! I mean, I missed my stop. It’s hard to explain.”
“Well you’re going to have to explain it to the police at the next station.” The conductor grabbed Jeremy’s arm and pulled him to the exit doors. When they opened, two police officers were waiting for him on the platform.
“Here you go boys,” called the conductor, shoving Jeremy off of the train.
As the officers walked toward him, Jeremy put up his arms in defense. “This is all a mistake, I was just playing a game on my phone…” At that moment, Jeremy realized that he was no longer holding his phone. He motioned toward the train’s doors, but it was too late. The train was already pulling away from the station.
“You’re going to have to come with us, sir.” The officers grabbed his arms and began to cuff him. Jeremy never did get to play that final letter, and boy was Laura going to be upset when she found out she’d have to pick him up from the police station.