Lila did not let him escape the next part of her so-called “fun curriculum.”

  On Monday, as soon as classes ended, she appeared at his side with the kind of determination that Elias was starting to recognize as dangerous.

  “Today,” she declared, “we tackle number three.”

  Elias blinked. He barely remembered the list, but Lila had it memorized.

  “…The arcade?” he guessed.

  “Ding ding ding! Correct!” Lila grinned, grabbing his sleeve before he could protest. “Come on, we’re going.”

  Elias sighed but let himself be dragged along. Resisting was pointless.

  —

  The arcade was bright and noisy, filled with flashing lights and the constant chime of game sound effects. Children and teenagers clustered around machines, some intensely focused, others shouting in frustration.

  Lila bounced on her heels. “Okay! First, we need tokens.”

  She went to the counter, exchanging cash for a small bag of gold-colored tokens, then handed half to Elias.

  He stared at them. “And now?”

  “Now,” she said, eyes gleaming, “we win a prize.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  She marched toward a claw machine filled with plush toys. Pressing her hands against the glass, she scanned the options. “Which one do you want?”

  Elias looked at the stuffed animals. There were bears, cats, rabbits, and… something that looked like a round, smiling blob.

  He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.”

  Lila rolled her eyes. “Pick one.”

  “Why?”

  “Because that’s the point, Elias.”

  He sighed. This again.

  His eyes drifted over the plush toys. His gaze landed on a small, blue octopus with tiny black eyes. It was positioned near the edge of the pile.

  He pointed at it. “That one.”

  Lila grinned. “Great choice.”

  She inserted a token, maneuvering the claw with practiced precision. The metal arm descended, grasped the octopus, and—

  Slipped.

  Lila gasped. “No! Betrayal!”

  Elias watched as she immediately fed another token into the machine.

  The second attempt failed as well. And the third.

  Lila groaned, stepping back. “Okay. I need to rethink my strategy.” She turned to him. “Your turn.”

  Elias hesitated. “I don’t think I’ll succeed if you didn’t.”

  “That’s quitter talk,” Lila said. “Go on. Try it.”

  Elias inserted a token, gripping the joystick. He moved the claw carefully, watching how it hovered over the octopus.

  He pressed the button. The claw descended, closing around the plush.

  It lifted—wobbled—

  And dropped it perfectly into the prize slot.

  Lila gasped dramatically. “NO WAY.”

  Elias bent down, retrieving the plush. It was soft.

  Lila stared at him, then threw her arms up. “You’re a natural! A prodigy!”

  “I just pressed a button.”

  She ignored him. “Here.” She pointed at the octopus. “That’s yours now.”

  Elias looked down at the plush. He hadn’t really thought about what would happen after he won.

  “…What am I supposed to do with it?”

  Lila groaned, smacking her forehead. “You keep it, Elias.”

  “But why?”

  “Because it’s yours! It’s a memento!”

  Elias frowned. “A memento of what?”

  Lila threw up her hands. “Of this, obviously!” She gestured wildly around the arcade. “Of fun! Of triumph! Of proving that claw machines aren’t actually rigged!”

  Elias looked down at the plush again.

  A memento.

  That was a strange concept.

  He didn’t understand why something as simple as this should hold meaning. It was just a stuffed toy. Winning it had been a matter of mechanics, not sentiment.

  And yet—

  Lila was smiling, practically glowing with excitement on his behalf.

  Elias stared at the small blue octopus.

  “…Alright.”

  Lila beamed.

  He didn’t understand why this mattered.

  But, for some reason, he didn’t let go of the plush.