deja vu

                                    

                                          
*This is sort of a continuation of Jealousy, Jealousy*
                          
I don't need my phone, by any means. I'm actually secretly happy that Lou took it from me. The week after my birthday was incredible, with no comparisons, no other girls, no jealousy, and a lot less self-hatred. 
                          
My handmade 1st place laser tag trophy is proudly displayed on the kitchen counter, much to the dismay of Debbie. She knocks it over every time she passes by. Sometimes I find it in the trash can. But, I always brush it off and set it back on the counter for everyone to see. 
                          
Debbie can respectfully fuck off. 
                          
Thankfully, I don't have to worry about her right now because she's not here. Her and Lou are out. 
                          
Lou and Debbie go out together a lot, scouting potential heist ideas and confirming logistics, so the rest of us hang at the house. In my free time over the past week, I set up a ping pong tournament to pass the time in between heist plans. 
                          
"Do you think Lou intends to give my phone back anytime soon?" I wonder out loud, casually hitting the ping pong ball back to my opponent. 
                          
"No," says Tammy, sweat glistening on her forehead due to her devoted concentration to the game. 
                          
She hits the ball back to me high in the air, allowing me to take advantage of an opportunity to strike. 
                          
"18-3, Y/N!" Rose, the self-designated ref and scorekeeper, calls out as Tammy misses the ball completely. 
                          
"I forfeit," says Tammy, setting the paddle down on her side of the table.
                          
"Come on, Tam-Tam, you can't just quit!" I whine. 
                          
But Tammy is already gone, off to join Amita and Daphne, who are watching a movie on the couch. Rose stands in front of the huge poster board (where I wrote out a tournament bracket) and scribbles my name down as the winner for the match. 
                          
"I'll play," says Nine Ball, stepping up to Tammy's empty side of the table and grabbing her paddle. 
                          
"Okay, this isn't fair. You're almost as good at ping pong as you are at pool. There's no way anyone would beat you," I say, pointing to the bracket. "That's why you're not included in the tournament. You're the honorary winner." 
                          
"Chill, little sis. I'll play you for fun, and just to make it easier on you, I'll play left handed."
                          
I agree to play on those terms and the game commences after a drawn out speech from Rose. 
                          
A few minutes into the game, I'm ready to forfeit. Even with her non-dominant hand, Nine Ball is easily skunking me 16-0. 
                          
"Ready to give up?" asks Nine Ball lazily. She brought her laptop over to the ping pong table and has been typing something with her right hand for the last couple of points. 
                          
"Never," I say, then yell across the room, "I'm not a quitter like some people!"
                          
"Shut up, Y/N!" Tammy yells back.
                          
I manage to win a single point during the entire match (when Nine Ball needed both hands on her computer) and the game ends with a final score of 21-1. 
                          
"Good game." Nine Ball shakes my hand and then retreats back into an office with her laptop. 
                          
"Do you want to play, Rose?" I offer her a paddle. 
                          
"Oh no, sweetheart. Absolutely not," says Rose, trembling. "I know better than to make a fool of myself."
                          
"Take a break, Y/N! Come join us!" exclaims Daphne, patting the empty couch cushion next to her.