Does anyone know how to make a more efficient character select screen

I have this really long and annoying way of doing it but it's knida of long and bit annoying and glitchy. The extra "[Y,X,A"] are for touchscreen.

   if keyboard.1 then
     mode = "painterplay"
   end
   if keyboard.2 then
     mode = "shielderplay"
   end
   if keyboard.3 then
     mode = "sprinterplay"
end
   if keyboard.Y then
     mode = "painterplay"
   end
   if keyboard.X then
     mode = "shielderplay"
   end
   if keyboard.A then
     mode = "sprinterplay"
end
 end
 drawSelectCharacterScreen = function()
   screen.drawMap("map2",0,0,400,400)
   screen.drawSprite("select",0,35,256)
  screen.drawSprite("button1",-100,-50,42,42)
  screen.drawSprite("button2",0,-50,42,42)
  screen.drawSprite("button3",100,-50,42,42)
  screen.drawText("To fire press E",-100,-80,10,"rgb(255,255,255)")
   screen.drawText("To fire press Q",0,-80,10,"rgb(255,255,255)")
    screen.drawText("To fire press R",100,-80,10,"rgb(255,255,255)")
   end

I'm not sure how to fix your character selection. however I would like to say to make your game more clean don't draw the arrow keys during the title screen. if your drawing that for mobile players then I suggest you make a start button on the screen instead.

the best way I can think of to fix this, could be by either doing it the super smash bros does it and have you place something on a character image out of a group. another way is that you could do it like street fighter and use the wasd or arrow keys to move a selector over characters