Now, I'll Get Serious.

Hugo sat there staring at his controller like it had personally wronged him. His eyes narrowed, and he squeezed the controller so tightly his knuckles turned white.

'Come on, come on, just give me something!' he thought desperately. He wasn't about to let this slip-up happen again.

He had to keep his cool. 'I can do this. I am a gamer. I have the skills... just focus!'

But no matter how hard he tried to concentrate, his hands felt like they were made of jelly.

His fingers fumbled over the buttons, and his focus started to slip away. 'I'm doomed. I'm absolutely doomed,' he realized, his heart sinking.

The match ended.

The scoreboard flashed up on the screen—14-0.

Hugo stared at the controller in his hands like it had betrayed him, squinting at it as though it would suddenly reveal some hidden cheat code that could fix everything.