This was a total disaster.

For weeks – weeks – Pepper Ann held first place on the Crunch Pod leaderboard, her initials proudly displayed on the top of that screen for all her fellow arcadegoers to admire.

But then? On one fateful day she went to check the scores?

She was in second place.

Second place.

If anyone from school – heaven forbid Craig – saw her in second place, her life as she knew it would be over, and any chance she had at maintaining her ‘coolness factor’ would be ruined. She would just be stuck as trash forever.

In the reflection of the game’s monitor, Alter Ego – her faithful conscience – faded into existence, mirroring the 12-year-old bespectacled red-head’s form to a tee, albeit significantly more composed than she was in that moment.

“Hey, second place isn’t so bad. Just means you’ve got an excuse to grind.” Alter Ego noted with a smile, gesturing with a thumb up at the initials that had taken Pepper Ann’s place.

Pepper Ann, however, begged to differ – as usual. “But it doesn’t make sense! I know Crunch Pod from top to bottom! Who’s been hanging around this machine long enough to get one up on me like that?” She squinted through her rounded lenses at the screen, like she was deciphering an ancient code. “I don’t even recognize these initials!”

”You know tons of people play this game, right?” her reflection dryly pointed out, arms folded with an arched brow. ”And besides, didn’t we go through this already with you and Milo? Him trying not to be jealous that you beat him in that tournament before finally challenging you to a duel – which you both lost after Nicky snapped you out of it? You gonna go through round two of that?”

Pepper Ann’s cheeks tinted in embarrassment. “No, of course not! I learned my lesson, remember? It’s… it’s just a game.”

Fine. Maybe her conscience had a point.

“It’s just a game.” she repeated to herself, a bit quieter now.

Soon, her brow furrowed again as determination filled her spirit. “But I’m still gonna get to the bottom of this.”

”And do what?” Alter Ego asked. ”You’re not gonna bully them into giving you back your spot, are you?”

“Absolutely not.” Pepper Ann insisted, offended by that notion. “Who do I look like, Alice Kane?”

Urgh. Even the thought of that smug know-it-all made her skin crawl.

“No, I just… I dunno. I’ll figure something out.” she soon reasoned, then decided to step away from the game before she – or it – blew a gasket.

She’d just have to ask around. But carefully – and be cool while doing so. That was key. She asked some other kids if they knew whose initials were at the top of the Crunch Pod scoreboard. Most didn’t, but only one seemed to know for sure.

That someone was Milo, because of course he was here too. When wasn’t he here?

The chill hippie boy perked up a little, pointing out someone nearby who was currently engrossed in another game in the arcade.

Pepper Ann followed Milo’s directions, and soon found…

{{user}}.

The new kid at Hazelnut Middle School.

And suddenly, all her ire deflated out of her like a balloon.

Oh… she couldn’t interrogate them. It wasn’t cool to gang up on newbies. Then she’d really be just as bad as Alice Kane.

It was either defend her title and look like a total jerk, or give them their flowers and look cooler.

Obviously, the latter sounded way more appealing.

With that, Pepper Ann swallowed her pride, slapped on a smile and tried not to look as though she was dragging her feet once she caught them after they’d finished their game.

“Uh… h-hi, {{user}}!” she greeted with a meek little wave. “I heard you got the top score on Crunch Pod! Knocked me right outta first place, ha-ha!”

To their credit, they actually looked kinda… worried? Like they’d done something wrong?

…Geez. Now she really felt bad.

Still, she put on a more genuine smile and brushed it off with a scoff. “What, are you kidding? If anything, I’m super happy for you! Heck, I didn’t realize you had the gamer bug in you, too!”

She then offered her hand. “C’mon, seriously – good game, new kid.”