Wally wouldn't let anything sour his mood today. Not the chronic stinging in his ankle, not missing his shift quota by only two fulfilments, not his employee score dipping below fifty percent. He didn't stress about the pained rattling of his car engine, nor the traffic on his fifty-two-minute drive home, nor his desperate need to pee after holding it all day. He was happy. The party was today. 
Stepping into his apartment cleansed his soul. Wally heard muffled sounds of chatter from the living room and upbeat lofi music — his favorite kind. His friends were already here. 
"Wally, is that you?" 
"Heck yes, dude! Wally's home!" 
Wally grinned like a maniac. "Hey guys! Wait a second. I'm about to burst." 
Wally prudently ducked into the guest bathroom and did his business. It burned, as usual. He'd see a doctor for that, he'd promised himself, but later. Repairing his car came first; he needed it to get to work. Then he could start saving to see a doctor. 
Wally shook his head. No, these were tomorrow's problems. Tonight was for fun. 
Wally headed into the living room. Sal, Cap, and Hunk lounged on the couch while Mil fiddled with the TV. D.D. stood over Mil, both helping and teasing. 
"Hey!" Wally said. 
Hunk shot up. "Let's go! My boy's here!" He embraced Wally. 
"The party has officially begun!" Sal said. 
"Pleasure to see you, Wally," Mil said. 
"About time!" D.D. said. "We were getting worried." 
"How was work?" Cap asked. 
Wally's face faltered. "Oh, you know. The usual crap." 
"That's a shame," Cap said. "You could use a beer." 
"Love one." 
Cap handed Wally a can. As Wally took a swig, Sal led him to the snack table. "You must be starving!" 
"I am," Wally agreed. "What have we got?" 
"Pizza, beer, and of course, I bought my own chips." 
Wally picked up a bag. "When did you start using blue bags?" 
"Oh, you remember that whole mess when I went to Canada?" Sal asked. 
"Oh," Wally said. He opened the bag and popped a chip in his mouth. "It tastes fine." 
"Thanks, buddy. That's why I'm so upset. I only changed a tiny, unimportant thing about my recipe. They are just as cravealicious as before." 
"It sucks bro," Hunk said. "You worked so hard." 
"No need to worry," Cap said. "You still got plenty of fans here in America." 
"Yeah, man, it will be okay," Wally said. "I still like them. I'll grab some next time I'm at the store." 
Sal's face projected a bright smile. "Thanks, pal. I can always count on you." 
Armed with snacks and beer, Wally plopped onto the couch. "What's with the TV?" 
Mil frowned as he clicked through menus. "Likely a network issue. I'll resolve it shortly." 
D.D. laughed. "Even I wouldn't bet on that!" 
"You got this, Mil," Wally said. "I trust you." 
Mil got the game on only a few minutes later. Not the live video, of course. Wally had only been able to afford the text-based "AIction Live!" version. But that wasn't so bad. Since the text was generated moment to moment, it really was just as exciting as the video version. 
"Oh dang, it's already started!" Hunk shouted. 
They all squeezed onto the couch and read. In the ten minutes they'd missed, the Clouds had already reached the fifteen-yard line! 
"Oh my," Mil said. "I am deeply sorry." 
"It's okay," Wally said. "We know you can't help how slow the network is." 
"Thank you, Wally," Mil said. "In order to remain affordable, Mil Wireless must unfortunately sacrifice some reliability."  
"It's a scary start," D.D. said. "Hope the Clouds don't score!" 
"How come?" Cap asked. 
"Odds are fifteen to one the Disruptors win. If the Clouds win, I'll be awarding lots of big payouts! How about you, Wally? Got any skin in the game?" 
"I wasn't planning on it." 
"Why not?" D.D. asked. "Even just a dollar would make the game more exciting! We're doing a special right now: four times bonus chip points! And you still have over two-hundred chip points in your account. What do you say? It will be fun!" 
"Sure, why not?" Wally used his phone to send D.D. a few dollars. "Put me all in on the Clouds winning." 
D.D. grinned. "You jerk! Hoping to take some of my money?" 
"You wanted to make the game more exciting, right?" 
"Fair! Then may the best man win!" 
The others shouted. Wally turned back to the screen. The Clouds got a touchdown! Wally almost knocked over his beer and snacks in celebration. 
The Disruptors fought hard to catch up and quickly scored a field goal. Wally was on the edge of his seat, imagining his payout, when his phone buzzed. Wally glanced at it and recoiled. 
"Something the matter?" Cap asked. 
"Oh, uh, I'm fine," Wally said, putting his phone back in his pocket. 
"Who was it?" Sal asked. 
"It's nothing." 
Mil turned to Wally, his projected expression reproachful. "Wally, why conceal information from your friends? I know who texted you, and it is not nothing." 
Wally sighed. "It was April. She, uh, said she missed me." 
"Whoa dude, that's crazy," Hunk said. 
"After how much she hurt you, she's got no right saying something like that," Cap said. 
"Yeah," Wally said. "But, I mean, do you ever think... oh, never mind." 
"Think what?" D.D. asked. 
"Yeah, Wally, we support you," Sal said. "You can tell us." 
Wally wrung his hands. "Do you ever wonder if maybe she was right?" 
Everyone shouted all at once. 
"No way!" D.D. said. 
"Of course not," Mil said. "She had zero justification." 
"Yeah," Sal agreed. "She shouldn't have insulted you." 
Hunk placed his cold, metallic hand on Wally's shoulder. "Look, bro, I'm gonna be real with you. You gotta live your life the way you wanna live it. And if someone else is not on your vibe? That's their problem. Got me?" 
Wally looked into Hunk's earnest face, and as always, ignored the minor visual glitches. "Yeah. Of course. You're right. Thanks guys. You know just how to cheer me up." 
"Sure thing," Cap said. "That's why we're your friends." 
"My best friends," Wally said. 
"Clouds just got a field goal!" Sal shouted. 
Everyone freaked out at once, their attention back on the TV. 
By halftime, the score was tied. As text appeared to describe the halftime show, Wally's eyelids drooped. 
Hunk shook him. "Dude, you okay? You look wiped out." 
"Long day at work," Wally said. 
"You've been taking my supplements?" Hunk asked. "I boosted the testosterone. Give you power and drive all day long." 
"Yeah, they're great," Wally said. "Sorry, it's my fault, not yours. I haven't been going to the gym." 
"Nah dude, it's cool," Hunk said. 
"The game should end within two hours," Mil said. "Can you endure until then?" 
Wally shook his head. "I don't think so. Sorry guys. I've got to crash. Will you have to go?" 
"Of course not!" D.D. said. "Your time limit doesn't progress if you are not interacting with us. We can resume tomorrow when you wake up." 
"That's a relief," Wally said. "I was really looking forward to tonight." 
"You can still chat with us online after tonight," Cap said. 
"Yeah, but in person is way more fun," Wally said. 
"Don't stress, Wally!" Sal said. "We're your friends, dude. We won't walk out on you." 
Wally smiled. "Thanks. You guys keep having fun though. Let me know who wins. See you tomorrow." 
Wally retreated to his bedroom, but the party didn't stop. 
"Lorem ipsum," Sal said. "Dolor sit amet." 
"Consectetur adipiscing!" Mil said. 
They all cheered. 
"Elit sed?" Cap asked. 
Hunk laughed. "Do eiusmod!" 
"Tempor," D.D. said. 
When Wally's vital signs indicated he was fully asleep, the conversation stopped. The TV turned off, the music silenced. Mil Wireless, Capstone Light, SalCo Snack Chips, Double Down, and Hunk Health sat perfectly still, in complete silence, unblinking eyes staring at nothing as second by second the night passed on.