Aggravation -

"Six!" Maya chirped, sliding her red marble out of the starting gate. "Watch out, Eli. I’m coming for that shortcut."

But the peace lasted exactly ten seconds. Maya rolled a five, landed squarely on Elias’s second marble near the center, and with a delighted clack , sent it tumbling back to the Base. "Aggravation!" she cheered. aggravation

"It’s frustrating to start over," Elias said quietly, looking at his lone marble back at the start. Maya rolled a five, landed squarely on Elias’s

Elias looked at the dice. He realized he’d been spending more energy being annoyed at the "clack" of the marble than he had on the next move. He picked up the cup, gave it a single, sharp shake, and let the dice fly. Elias looked at the dice

Maya stopped laughing, her hand hovering over the board. "Eli, it’s the name of the game. If I don’t bump you, you win. If I bump you, we both keep playing."

He moved back onto the board, a small smile tugging at his mouth. "Okay," he said. "Your turn. But don't get too comfortable—I'm eyeing that shortcut now."