It was hard enough sitting through class as a senior, but with Lover’s Quest on my mind, I could hardly pay attention. I wanted to badly to get back home and explore the world with Melani, and battle some river monsters to gain higher levels. I wondered how old Lee was—if he was a student, or had a job, or had all the time in the world to play and level infinitely faster than someone like me. I could just picture his smug little face.
The more you think about him, the more the game will think you like him…
I furiously shook my head.
Melani was just teasing. The game couldn’t be so advanced and intrusive as to monitor our thoughts like that...could it? Well...maybe a normal game wouldn’t, but a game that was also a dating platform…
That’s so not okay, I thought. I frowned at the thought of a game telling me who my perfect match was. Not that I knew it myself, but still.
I sighed, resting my head on my hand. I could play any VMMORPG on the market. There were even some decent-quality free-to-play games out there. Why did I want to play Lover’s Quest out of all of them?
When the bell rang, I shot up out of my desk, not only because I wanted to get the hell out of class, but because my next class was straight across campus. However, when I turned to exit the aisle, I bumped into something solid and hard. The next thing I knew, my head was throbbing and the books I’d hastily swept into my hands were now on the dirt-smudged floor.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, looking up at the brick wall that turned out to be a tall guy with messy brown hair and freckles. He was also wearing red, so the brick wall analogy wasn’t entirely off. It seemed I’d run into his back, because he had just turned slightly with a concerned look on his face.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Y-Yeah,” I said.
“Mondays, huh?” he smiled.
That is so corny, I thought, but I also couldn’t help but smile. The boy was so awkward. And he had dimples.
After I didn’t say anything for a good minute, he just turned around and left without saying goodbye. Not that he owed me a goodbye. I was just some random girl in his class who bumped into him like a moron.
Ugh, he really was cute…
Before I could dwell on it any longer, I noticed the influx of students filing into the class, and it was then I realized—
Crap, I’m late!
***
Once my last class was over, I dragged myself home, popped open the freezer, and stuck a hot pocket in the toaster oven. These were the moments I cherished. When the house wasn’t yet full with my mother, sister, and their conversations.
Don’t get me wrong. I was more than grateful that my Mom allowed me to stay with her while I went to college so I wouldn’t be sinking my measly paycheck into rent. But it was her house and her rules. And if I were to break them, I’d be getting the silent treatment and you-are-no-daughter-of-mine looks. Some of the rules were reasonable, like no tracking mud into the house with your filthy boy’s shoes. Others, not so much. For example, Rule #39: no hot pockets before dinner.
As I sat at the kitchen table, anxiously waiting for my my hot pocket to reach peak crispiness, my phone vibrated.
Carrie: u wanna go to a party tonight?
It’s a Monday.
Carrie: yea the first Monday of your last year of classes.
Carrie: when’s the last time you went to a party?
Your birthday.
Carrie: w/e sis. you’re such a partypooper
Does Mom know you’re going out?
Carrie: i don’t need to check in with her. not like i live with her
That’s right. When Carrie was in college, she’d lived with Mom for a whole two months before deciding to crash at her friend’s apartment. Though Carrie had found a decent work-study job soon after, Mom couldn’t stand the thought of Carrie having to live paycheck to paycheck while also going to school. Worried that Carrie would drop out, she paid for the apartment. But she couldn’t pay for both Carrie and me when I started attending the same university a year later, so I stayed home. Emphasis on stayed.
What’re you doing still going to parties anyway? Isn’t that what creepy graduates who can’t let go of their old college lives do?
Carrie: don’t act like a kno-it-all when u never been to a party in ur entire life
Carrie: it’s my little’s birthday, she’s having a house party
I’ll pass. I have a lot of homework to do.
Carrie: rly? on the FIRST day?
I don’t make the rules, I just follow them.
Carrie: well, alright emmy. good luck then
I had to hand it to my sister for letting me go without much of a fight. Or maybe she just had to go pre-game and didn’t want to waste any more time talking to me. Either way, I was off the hook.
And the victory goes to Emmy once again!
But why did victory smell like smoke?
…
“God dammit, why?”
***
I didn’t end up breaking Rule #39 because the last hot pocket sadly died in the oven, so it was all for the best. After discarding the empty box and opening up the windows to air out the kitchen before Mom got home, I retired to my room.
Burning hot pockets sure made me exhausted.
Sprawled out on my bed, I turned my head slightly to get a glimpse of the VR helmet sitting upright on my side table. It was true that I did have a bit of homework for some of my classes, but they wouldn’t be due until Wednesday. It wouldn’t hurt to play a little today.
***
I spawned in the exact spot I’d initially logged off: outside the cafe. Checking my friends list, I noticed Melani wasn’t online, nor was Lee. According to my soulmate indicator, Ray419 was also offline. Suddenly, I felt a bit lonely.
“You came back!” Blue cried, appearing out of nowhere. “I thought you’d be gone forever!”
“Gone for—what? I told you i’d be back,” I said.
Geez, these NPC dialogues are ridiculous sometimes.
“Do you want your daily login reward?” Blue asked.
“Daily login reward?”
“Yes! Every day you log back in, you can retrieve a reward at the nearest gift shop!” Blue informed. “Which is...thataway!” He pointed towards a small shop across the street with a ribbon carved into a hanging wooden sign.
“I do like free things.”
“Then let’s goooo!”
I followed the overexcited Blue into the gift shop, a ringing bell announcing our entrance. The little old lady behind the counter smiled, her eyes a pair of happy crescent moons.
“Hello,” I said. “I’m here for the daily login reward?”
“Then step right up, missy!” the lady chirped as she pulled out a colorful wheel that was nearly as big as her from beneath the counter. On each section of the wheel was a different symbol: coins, vials, weapons, books, animals—there had to be at least thirty skinny sections on that wheel.
“Er, okay,” I said hesitantly before giving the wheel the strongest spin I could.
Together, Blue and I focused on the spinning wheel, as if our stares would will it to stop on—what did I need right now? Money would be useful. Or maybe a stronger weapon.
“Today, your reward is…”
The wheel stopped on the green blob symbol.
“...a sack of slime!” the old lady cheered. She instantly pulled out a sack of what could only be the green goopy slime that could easily be found in the beginner areas of the wild. “Better luck next time!”
So even she knows it’s a useless reward, I thought bitterly as I tossed the sack into my bag.
“Now, now, beggars can’t be choosers,” the lady said, to my surprise. “It’s not nice to make such a face after receiving a free gift.”
“S-Sorry,” I apologized, bowing repeatedly for forgiveness as I backed out of the store.
“Ohoho, it’s fine, my dear!” the old lady smiled. Then she opened her eyes ever so slightly. “Just don’t do it again. I can’t stand rude children.”
“Y-Yes ma’am.”
Her pleasant expression returned. “Have a nice day, dear! You come back again, you hear~?”
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