Grabbing a seat next to Milo and Chase, I smiled at Chase who was patiently explaining how to block a two-headed creature to Milo. I turned my attention to my own game, but every so often I spared a glance for them, my insides doing that weird flutter again as Milo fetched some water for Chase. Eventually, Chase declared himself too tired for a rematch.

“Okay, buddy. Another time?”

“Yeah.” Chase’s smile made all the work of talking Milo into cosplaying worth it.

“Come and play with Alexandra and me,” I offered. “We can teach you some tricks for multiplayer style.”

“Thanks.” Milo pulled up a chair, and we were all deep into the game when my mom returned.

“Here you go.” She slipped me a bottle of some organic soda I’d never heard of along with a cryptic look as her eyes darted back and forth between Milo and me. She settled in to talk with Alexandra’s mom on one of the nearby couches. Backing up some of his bragging, Milo turned out to have some good instincts—he was brash, quick to attack, willing to take risks. However, he kept forgetting to plan multiple turns in advance.

“You can’t go all in every time,” I advised, and Alexandra nodded. “Try to visualize your optimal board state a few turns from now.”

“But attacking is fun. I don’t like being on the defensive.”

“I know.” And boy, did I. Less than one game and I could already see Milo hated being exposed and open to attack. In keeping with his personality and our long history, he preferred to make quick, ill-advised attacks to avoid being a sitting duck. “You’re going to lose to Alex three turns from now, though, if you don’t sit tight. Trust me.”

Milo made a pained face like I was asking him to wax his eyebrows. “Nah. I better attack this turn, or I won’t be around in three turns because you’ll take me out.”

“Actually, I won’t. That would leave me open to Alex, and I’d prefer to win this round. Like I said, think ahead. But suit yourself.”

“Fine,” he huffed, then smiled for Alexandra. “You winning wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.”

“I win a lot.” Her eyes sparkled. “What happened to your leg? I’m here because I had surgery on mine. Again.”

Milo was silent for a long moment. “A mistake. A mistake happened. And I had surgery too. More than one. Swear the second was worse than the first.”

“Word.” She gave him an awkward high five. “Anesthesia makes me puke.”

“Me too.”

“Somehow I’m not surprised,” I added.

“Hey, I don’t always hurl.”