Victory

INT. JACK'S LIVING ROOM - DAY

ROBERT, JACK, LILY, and BILL are playing monopoly.

ROBERT: Park place, huh. I don't think I'll buy that.

JACK: Are you sure, Robert? If you buy it, you'll have a monopoly.

ROBERT: Yes, I'm sure. Don't try to second guess my own decision. I know it'll get me a monopoly. The same monopoly I got last game, and the same one that you skipped every time around the board.

LILY (giggling): And I stayed in jail just to avoid you over there.

ROBERT: Exactly. The Boardwalk-Park Place combo is the worst monopoly in the game. I never have enough money to build on them, and no one but I ever land on them.

JACK: You sure land on them a lot, though. So, if you don't buy it, I will, and you'll be paying me for the rest of the game.

ROBERT: I won't be paying you much, though. I've got the other property.

JACK: You'll really let that property go to waste in your hands? You know you'll trade it to me eventually, when you get into hot water with Bill over there at Indiana and Kentucky.

BILL (excitedly): Yeah, I've already got houses on them.

LILY: You're always so lucky, Bill.

ROBERT: I'm sure the money from free parking will help me out when I need it. No deal, I ain't buyin'.

JACK: Okay, your loss. I'm buying it, though, and you're going to be sorry.

CUT TO: TWENTY MINUTES LATER

They are still sitting around the board playing monopoly. Robert rolls the dice and moves his playpiece.

JACK: Oh, that's Bill's property! You owe him two hundred dollars more than you've got!

BILL (excitedly): And it doesn't look like you had any luck with free parking all day!

Robert holds up his boardwalk deed, already mortgaged.

ROBERT: Will you take this instead?

BILL: An old mortgaged piece of junk, this late in the game? (pause) Throw in a railroad and you've got a deal.

CUT TO: TWENTY MINUTES LATER

Lily is sitting on the sofa, eating popcorn. The rest of the players are still at the game.

LILY: Aren't you guys finished yet?

JACK: Just about, Lily. Robert's going to land on his beloved Park Place this turn, on which I now own a hotel, and he'll be out.

ROBERT: I am not! I haven't landed on it since you told me I would.

JACK: All the more reason for you to do so now.

ROBERT: That's absurd. I'd have to roll a three. What are the odds of that?

BILL: Three out of, um, twelve, I'd say.

ROBERT: What? Really?

BILL: Sure, there's twelve numbers possible, and so take the three divided by the twelve, oh, right, so, um, one in four.

ROBERT: One in four? That's not right.

LILY: Are you really trying to do math right now? Isn't this supposed to be a game? Fun? You know, relaxation?

JACK: Not relaxation for anyone playing against me. It's a struggle not to lose to my supreme skill, as you well know.

LILY: Yeah, well, at least I get to eat popcorn. Maybe I lost on purpose.

JACK: Just roll the dice, Robert. Let's get this over with.

ROBERT: Okay, no three, here we go.

Robert rolls the dice. Three.

ROBERT: Crap!

LILY: As if you didn't see that one coming.

JACK (enthusiastically): Ha ha! Victory!

LILY: What about Bill? You haven't one till he goes out.

BILL: I think I've lost.

LILY: You can't give up! You have to play till the game is over.

ROBERT: I thought you just said that playing was more stupid than winning.

LILY: I may have meant that, but I didn't say that.

Robert walks over and grabs a handful of popcorn.

ROBERT: It sucks to lose. Well, go ahead and roll, Jack.

JACK: It's Bill's turn.

ROBERT: Okay, then, Bill. What do you need to roll to get this game over with? I need to go home soon.

BILL: Um, I need a seven to survive. Anything else, and I'm going to be dead in the water.

LILY: Roll Bill, you have a seven in twelve chance of survival, by your calculation.

BILL: I haven't calculated a thing.

Jack hands the dice over to Bill.

JACK: Just roll, Bill. I want to see all that money of yours come my way finally.

Bill rolls. Seven.

BILL: Hooray, a seven!

Robert and Lily groan. Bill moves his piece, carefully counting seven spaces. He lands on Park Place.

JACK: Ho ho! Give me all your money! Victory!!

ROBERT: What? It's over?

LILY: Finally.

ROBERT: I thought you said a seven would be a good thing for you?

BILL: I just said that so not to jinx it.

LILY: That worked well, didn't it.

ROBERT: I should've tried that. Good thinking, Bill.

Jack continues to count his money and be in very high spirits.

ROBERT: Well, I've got to get going. It's been fun.

LILY: You know, I should go to. Thanks for having us over, Jack.

Jack is too busy counting his victory money to listen. Bill gets up from the floor.

BILL: I don't really have to go, but I'm going to. See you later, Jack. Good game.

Jack doesn't look up from his money.

JACK: Victory is mine! I've defeated you all. Come again soon for another speedy defeat, if you dare.

Robert, Lily, and Bill all say their final goodbyes at the door before they leave. As soon as they are gone, Jack stands up abruptly.

JACK: Victory feels so good.

THE END

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This post is part of the Blue-Beta Blog Coordination, a continuing series of content coordinated by theme or motif with posts from Confuzzled of I Keep Wondering, Gromit of The Dancing Newt, Redoubt of Redoubt Redux, Third Mango of Funkadelic Freestylings of Another Sort, and Xanthippe of Let’s Save Our Hallmark Moment. This week's theme: 'Victory'.