"Game Night"

The board ,though cheap card board, was exceptional quality. Monopoly was a serious game. Everything from the quality of the pieces to the depth of the instructions told the user this. Monopoly was not something to mess around with. In my small town Monopoly was the trade of the town. The best players were often the most popular and most important people. I ,however, was no good at the game. I was often left out of parties and went through all of high-school without a girlfriend. Because of this I spent hours on end practicing. Not with friends of course I didn't have any, but instead with a program I created my self. The program though simple was extremely smart. It learned through trial and error allowing it to get better at the game along with me. Eventually I lost sleep and my perfect 4.0 G.P.A dropped to an average level. I didn't care because I wasn't going through college the same way I went through High-School. So better and better I got until the annual tournament our school held. A tournament sure to be full of girls in short dresses and their matching jock boyfriends, but I would win this time and I would have my revenge. Though putting it that way makes me sound like a super villain. Lets get this straight I am not a villain I just wanted to be treated the same way everyone else was. Clearly, Monopoly was the best and most clear way to do this.

The tournament was simple. Every player would play 5 games. The players will earn points based on their position at the end of the game. 1 point for 4th, 2 for 3rd, 5 for second , and 10 for 1st. The winner of the tournament is the player with the most points. If there is a tie there will be a sudden-death match where all properties cost double.

In my first game I versed a formidable group. one of the cuter girls in school; Amy, two jock twins; Josh and Jack. And then there was me; Nathan. I was in plaid overalls and the wide rimmed cat eye glasses my mother got me last Christmas. I couldn't have looked dumber. I'm sure the determined smirk I gave my crush ,Emily, didn't help either. The game started poorly on my side as I rolled triple doubles on my third turn allowing my opponents to buy up the majority of the properties while I sat in jail. I subsequently went bankrupt early and lost my first game in 4th place.

"The next game will be better," I told my self, and it was. I was paired with significantly worse opponents, because I had lost my first game. The less good looking Amy rolled first followed by stub Andrew; perhaps the only person in the grade less popular than me. I was next. I rolled well my first go, buying ST Charles as my first property. Alabama was next (no not the state) she rolled poorly and landed in the just visiting section of the jail. This was especially good for me as she was my only decent competition this round. On our next roll Andrew made perhaps the dumbest move possible landing State Avenue and opting out allowing a bid that I quickly won, and fro a good price too. Amazingly on my second roll I was given the best luck ever in a tournament of this size. I got double 1's. This allowed me to buy Virginia giving me the quickest ever recorded time to get all of the properties of the same color. Cheering and clapping arose in the large stadium. I smiled ear-to-ear. I was winning. Though, I quickly realized the cheering was not for me but rather for Josh who had just won a close match against his brother Jack. My grin faded instead into a scowl and I was brought back into the game. Alabama rolls a 3 and a 1 landing her on Virginia Avenue. My Virginia Avenue. The rent (which was already high) was now doubled as I had all three pink properties. There was no way I lost this game. The grin returned to my face as the game went on. As one would expect I won game two in a sweeping victory with Alabama in second, Amy in third, and poor Andrew last place in his second game in a row.

My third match was perhaps the closes of the five that I played that day. I played against three Asian exchange students I didn't know the names of. One although extremely tall was quite fat, while the others remained unhealthily skinny. While I didn't have quite the luck I had in my second game the start went well. Immediately I could tell my opponents were serious players. The surpassed the level of skill my program was at and thus I was left in the dust hoping for some stoke of luck as I carefully analyzed the moves of the professional Monopoly players I was currently against. This went on for over an hour until a streak of unluckiness led my first opponent to bankruptcy. Though the loss was in no way his fault he left the table in a calm collected manner I wish I could have copied. Soon after a streak of unluckiness hit me although this time I barely escaped bankruptcy on $120. I stayed this way for quite a while hoping and hoping for some luck, but none would come as I was finally eliminated when I landed on the dreaded Board walk one away from go. I left in a semi-cool semi-collected manner.

My fourth match was not interesting to say the least. It lasted the longest out of any game I had ever played. At the end of the game there was no space without a house or hotel on it. It was only a matter of time until one of us was eliminated and ,unfortunately, I was the first to go.

I needed to win my fifth and final match. I currently had 15 points compared to the 23 of Josh, and as it seemed I would be playing against him in my fifth match. Along with Josh was Amy and one of the Asians I had played with in the third round. This would definitely be my hardest game. It was definitely my most important one. Although, the game was not nearly as long as my fourth the game did last quite the while with everyone being quite equal in money and properties. Although I was lucky enough to get both Boardwalk and Park's Place giving me a slight advantage over the other players. In only a short amount of time I was able to build up a large sum of money and thus by houses and eventually hotels to put on my blue properties. It was soon realized that anyone who landed on either Parks place or Boardwalk would be forced to pay a hefty fine and be quickly eliminated when Amy rolled a 4 and a 3 landing her on board walk and forcing her to pay the $4000 fine. Needless to say she was eliminated giving me a humongous boost over my opponents. Although shortly after the Asian fellow gave poor Josh the loss of his life with a brilliant roll. Now it was just me and him. surely I would win...I did win after an intense stare down, but I did win. I stood up, I screamed, I shouted,"I won, I won, I won!" The crowed booed me, but I didn't care. I had won. Although, at the time I had not yet realized I had not won. I had tied. To my utter surprise I was to play a sudden death match against Josh.

I lied this game would be more important. I went first with a bad roll landing my in just visiting, while Josh got off to a good start. I rolled and rolled occasionally getting a good one, but eventually I lost. There was barely any competition. I moped off forgetting to shake Josh's hand. Although, on my way back I was stopped. Not by some bully looking to be mean but by Emily. Se gently lifted my head with her hand, looking me in the eyes with her beautiful green eyes,"You did great," She told me,"No-one has given Josh any competition in the past 3 years. I mean look Jack only got 18 points," I kept sobbing. I would never be popular. i would never get a girlfriend as beautiful as Emily. My head drooped again as though my shoes were now suddenly more beautiful than Emily's green eyes. Again she lifted my head to look my in the eyes though this time she didn't say anything. She just kissed me.