They were sitting on the floor. A plate with snacks, two shot glasses and a bottle of tequila between them; Mario Brothers in front of them. It was her turn. “I’m so going to kick your ass,” she said, moving the controller as she jumped on a turtle shell, knocking over a line of goombas.
   “Uh huh, sure,” he said, drawing out the adverb. He looked at her, holding his controller, pushing his buttons; she was gorgeous. Every time he told her though, she’d just say she was the girl next door.
   She finished the level, laughed, a single “ha!”
   He sighed, poured a shot and drank it.
   “Oh come on, it’s not that bad. You should have gotten the salt and lime.”
   “Shush and hand me the controller.” The tequila surged through his blood. He entered her level. Primary colors assaulted his eyes and he manipulated Mario. Just a little poorly, tequila always hit him harder when around her. He scored points for jumping on turtles and getting Yoshi. He misjudged a jump though and fell down a bottomless hole. “God damnit!”
   “Don’t damn God, He didn’t make you fall down the hole. Drink,” she grinned.
   He grumbled but did as she told. “Okay, I am in fact going to get the salt and lime.”
   “Pansy.”
   “Bite me,” and he got up, her “never” following behind him as he went into the kitchen. He came back, saltiness and tanginess in his hands and his eyes went to her exposed panties and ass crack. He tore his eyes away with just one or two extra glances as he walked back to his spot on the floor.
   “I might have died,” she said; took the lime and salt. “Forget a knife, much?”
   He went back for a knife, eyes at friend level, sat down and handed it to her.
   “Nope, I get to go again while you cut the lime.”
   “Unfair!” he said.
   “Uh huh,” and she yelled out as she jumped over lava, “that was close – oh my gosh, a stampy thingy! Sad face. Where’s my lime?” she handed him the controller and took two shots.
   The controller was warm with her evaporating heat, the buttons shiny from the oils of her skin. He passed the level, the place where she had died. But there was no princess, only more game.
   “I want peanut butter cups,” she said.
   “Me too,” and he poured a shot even though he wasn’t dead.