Phantasos by Robert Barnard Page B

since.
    “You’re the best sister ever,” Alley said.
    Lauren said, “I know.”
    Benji cleared his throat. “You know, Al. You still have one left.”
    Alley sat his new movie down for the first time since he opened it. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Don’t worry.”
    Benji picked up his gift and handed it to Alley. Alley tore through the wrapping paper and found a big, plain cardboard box underneath.
    “What’s this?” Alley said.
    Benji said, “Go on. Open it.”
    Alley opened the box, and inside were some packing peanuts. Alley dug through those until he found another, smaller, wrapped box.
    “Is this some kind of joke?” Alley said.
    The room had gone quiet. Uncle Martin had resumed duties as videographer, and continued to videotape Alley’s birthday party from the bulky camcorder on his shoulder, as he had been doing earlier in the night.
    Alley plucked out the smaller box, unwrapped it, and opened it. Inside was an even smaller box.
    “How long does this go on for, Ben?”
    “Not too much longer.”
    Alley tore through the wrapping paper on that box and right away saw a burst of bright yellow. He squealed. He tore a little further and saw a cartoony, mustachioed man in a red cap smiling back at him.
    “You didn’t,” Alley said.
    “I did,” Benji said.
    Alley tore a little further, and he couldn’t believe the words in front of him: Super Mario Three.
    The birthday party quieted down and one by one each family member left, until the kitchen was an empty wasteland full of tipped over paper cups, semi-deflated balloons, and stale, half-eaten slices of cake.
    Alley’s parents had gone to bed for the night and Alley, Lauren, and Benji were allowed to have the downstairs living room for as long as they wanted, so long as they weren’t too loud.
    Alley spent the night playing as player one (Mario) and Benji and Lauren took turns swapping as player two (Luigi), until Lauren called it quits and handed the controller over to Benji permanently.
    “I’m no good at it,” Lauren said.
    “That’s why you have to keep practicing,” Benji said.
    Alley said, “Yeah, please, don’t give up now.”
    “You two enjoy it,” she said, and she curled up on the couch with a magazine while Benji and Alley continued to play.
    “You are the best friend a guy can ask for,” Alley said, dodging an enemy on screen. “And I’m not just saying that because you got me this game.”
    “Don’t mention it,” Benji said.
    “I mean, how? How did you even—?”
    “Afford it?” Benji said.
    Alley said, “Well, I didn’t want to put it like that.”
    “I had some money saved up. A little bit left over here and there from helping my dad out at the shop. I’ve been saving for a while.”
    “You didn’t have to,” Alley said.
    “Whatever. Like you said, I’m your best friend. I figured it was a good investment—I’d be over here playing it just as much as you are.”
    “Good point,” Alley said.
    And they laughed, and they played video games until deep into the night. Past the time when Lauren fell asleep on the couch, a magazine splayed across her chest, and past the time when the Tonight Show would come on. They played, and laughed, and played some more. They practically conquered the first half of the game in their first sitting with it.
    And Benji didn’t know it then, but he was glad for it, he was glad for every penny he scraped together to buy that game for his best friend, because it would be one of the happiest memories the two would ever have together.

 
     
    Eleven
     
    IT WAS NEARLY 11 PM; CLOSING time at Planet X. Danny hadn’t seen his boss all evening, not since he dropped off the mysterious envelope at his desk. Which was very aggravating, since the first night of summer break was always a busy night at the arcade. On top of having to empty quarter trays by himself, and man the prize cabinet by himself, and dispense snacks and beverages by himself, he had to deal with the unusual number of