Playing Her Secret Crush

by Casey Griffin

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Discover more of Entangled Teen Crush’s books… Keeping Her Secret

  Just One of the Boys

  Pieces of You and Me

  Saving It

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2018 by Casey Griffin. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.

  Entangled Publishing, LLC

  2614 South Timberline Road

  Suite 105, PMB 159

  Fort Collins, CO 80525

  rights@entangledpublishing.com

  Crush is an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC.

  Edited by Lydia Sharp

  Cover design by Cora Graphics

  Cover photography from Shutterstock

  ISBN 978-1-64063-587-6

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  First Edition July 2018

  Dedicated to all my fellow geeks.

  Never stop playing.

  Chapter One

  Fairy_gurl hovered before the enemy, her iridescent wings beating in a blur. She nocked another arrow and murmured the words to a spell that would ensure it hit its mark: the fierce red dragon the size of a Wal-Mart. The tip began glowing with her power. She held her breath and let it fly. It hit, all right, but it ricocheted off the beast’s scales, clanging with failure. This baddie was going to be as tough as calculus.

  In response to her pathetic attack, the dragon snorted, almost laughing at her like she was a mere orchard gnome. A cloud of smoke puffed out its nostrils, sending heat waves shifting in the air between them. Its maw spread wide, giving a clear look at the fire glowing deep inside the creature.

  Katie gritted her teeth and tapped the keyboard buttons so hard her fingers hurt. “Come on, Fairy_gurl. Go, go, go!”

  Wide eyes fixed on the computer screen, she urged her avatar to fly away, wings kicking into overdrive. And whoosh, the fairy was engulfed in flames.

  Delicate wings sizzled. An orange glow tinted the screen. The health meter in the corner drained of color, causing Katie’s heart to skip a beat.

  “Fairy_gurl!” an anxious voice rang through her headphones. It was Dark_Prince, a.k.a. her best friend, Alex.

  Katie’s fingers moved in a blur over the keyboard, and her avatar dove through the smoke. When the screen cleared, she spotted Dark_Prince below with his tall, lean body and handsome elven face. But not nearly as handsome as Alex was in real life.

  Her fairy must have appeared on his screen, because he let out a slow breath. “Oh, there you are. Are you all right?”

  The relief in his voice made her heart skip for a whole new reason, but she tried to keep her voice cool when she spoke into the mic on her headset.

  “Nothing a little healing spell won’t cure.” She dropped her avatar lightly to the ground next to his. With a click of her mouse, the fairy on screen waggled her fingers. A burst of glitter fell over her head, landing on her smoldering wings and healing them instantly. “There. Good as new.”

  “Perfect as always,” he said.

  She snorted but said nothing. Two years ago, that kind of comment would have made her blush, but he said that kind of stuff all the time. He didn’t mean it that way. At least, that’s what she had to tell herself. If he really meant it, they’d be together, right?

  That was just part of the Alex Masse charm, something every girl got a piece of. Besides, if she were really perfect, she’d have had a boyfriend by now—and Kyle Jacobs in ninth grade didn’t count. But that was why she had The Plan.

  Senior year was about to begin. It meant a fresh start, a chance to really come out of her shell. This year, Katie would be confident, sexier, funnier. She’d be a better version of herself, someone who things happened for. She’d come first in life and not dead last like she was used to. Last picked out of line for Red Rover in elementary school, last when it came to her father splitting without fighting for custody, and definitely last picked by boys.

  It was time Katie came first.

  On her screen, the dark sorceress of their group glided into view—the mysterious Pizzalover. As she joined Katie and Alex’s avatars, an invisible wind blew her cloak open. The voluptuous, scantily clad female figure hidden beneath always made Katie question the game’s T rating for teens.

  Pizzalover slid her hood back and slipped the tiara of dead souls over her sleek, black locks, arming herself for the battle. Her eyes flashed red as the accessory powered her up. She was beautiful and feminine, but the voice that came through Katie’s headphones was anything but that of a seductive sorceress.

  “Less talky talky. More stabby stabby,” said a deep voice belonging to twenty-five-year-old Trevor. On screen, his sorceress jabbed her staff at the empty air in demonstration. “We need to get past this overgrown lizard if we’re going to enter the Dwarf Mountains and search for the God Sword.”

  At that moment, the dragon spun, whipping its tail. It swept over the ground in a deadly circle toward them, rustling the tall grass like a whispered promise: you’re dead.

  “Look out!” Katie hit the button for her leaf shield and braced for the skull-crushing force, but it never came. When she changed the camera angle, she saw a pair of thick arms wrapped around the tail, holding it back to protect them.

  Those arms belonged to the fourth member of their group. A great, purple ogre from the Porcupine Hills, one with a strength Katie had never seen the likes of before in a level forty-six. He was known throughout the lands as the mighty, the terrible…Sugarplum.

  Dark_Prince whoo-hooed. “Nice work, Sugarplum!”

  The giggle of a ten-year-old girl bubbled through Katie’s headphones. “Thanks,” Penny said.

  The dragon released an ear-piercing screech as it tried to flick its tail out of Sugarplum’s tight grasp. The ogre ground his brick-like teeth and held tight, muscles twitching, bare heels digging into the ground. “I can’t hold on for much…longer…”

  With a violent twist, the scaled beast finally won the tug of war, flinging Sugarplum aside. The ogre soared through the air and landed in front of Katie’s avatar. After she doused him with a small healing spell, he got up and dusted himself off.

  Alex groaned. “This is so frustrating. Hold on a second, guys. I’m going to equip different armor and weapons.”

  “Me, too,” Penny said. “I need my mace.”

  “Let’s fall back and regroup,” Trevor suggested.

  The warriors retreated to a safe distance beyond the dragon’s reach. It seemed reluctant to abandon its post in front of the Dwarf Mountains, making Katie certain it was protecting the rumored secret entrance.

  While waiting for the others to search their inventory, swapping leather tunics for chainmail and wool leggings for fireproof ones, Katie leaned back in her desk chair
. She blinked at her surroundings. As the grassy Eternal Plains gave way to her small bedroom wallpapered with anime posters, the world of Caroon shrunk until it was just an image on the computer screen in front of her.

  It always amazed her how the game sucked her in. How real it felt. Not like she was seeing it play out online, but like she was actually there, living it, breathing it, experiencing it. Like she became Fairy_gurl.

  As she stretched, Katie caught sight of herself in the dresser mirror. Turning her head this way and that, she checked her freshly applied eye shadow.

  She didn’t know much about makeup, but it seemed like her practice was paying off. At least she didn’t look like a clown school dropout anymore, which was good, since there were only two days left to prepare, two days until the start of senior year and the launch of The Plan.

  But something was still missing… Lipstick, she realized.

  Keeping her cordless headphones on, she rushed to the mirror. She grabbed a ruby-red lip liner and consulted the magazine on her dresser already opened to “How to get Kissable Lips.”

  Although she wasn’t used to wearing so much makeup, she’d read that giving yourself a makeover gave you a boost of confidence. When she walked through the doors into Porterville High, she wanted heads to turn.

  “Is that Katie Warner?” the other students would ask in shock. It would be just like that Katy Perry song, “One of the Boys.” Over the summer, something had definitely changed for Katie.

  Once her lips were lined, to finish off the look, she smeared on Bodaciously Bold lipstick. She puckered up in the mirror. Yup, she was ready. Totally kissable. Or at least, she thought so. However, there was only one way to really know. Only one person experienced enough with girls and dating who could tell her for sure: Alex. After all, who else would know what a “kissable” girl looked like other than the guy who’d kissed them all?

  He’d been away for the last week visiting family in San Jose with his parents, and he’d only just returned. Since they’d met during the summer after freshman year, this was the longest they’d gone without seeing each other. Katie had been practicing her New Look the whole time. No one had seen it. She wanted Alex to be the first, so she could get a true reaction from him: the expert.

  Before she could chicken out, she typed Alex a direct message in the game so the others couldn’t see it.

  Hey, can you come over? There’s something I want to ask you.

  With a shaking finger, she clicked on send.

  She wasn’t sure why his opinion meant so much to her. Sure, he was her best friend, but if she were honest with herself, she supposed a little piece of her hoped Alex would see her the way he saw other girls. The way she’d wanted him to see her when they’d first met. She wanted to show him what he’d be missing out on.

  When they’d first become friends, they’d grown close quickly. Being with him had felt so natural. She’d assumed it was only a matter of time before things heated up. But everything changed when his brother, Jason, died of cancer.

  With so many things happening in Alex’s life, what he’d needed was a friend, so that’s exactly what Katie had been. And that’s what she remained, because Alex’s feelings for her seemed to shift—to the cheerleading squad, and the girl’s swim team, and the gymnastics club…

  But she was over the disappointment now. Totally over it. Ready to move on. It was all part of The Plan.

  A trumpet blast in her headphones announced a response from Alex. Lunging for the mouse again, she clicked on the message to open it.

  Sure, I’ll head over once we finish playing. There’s actually something I want to talk to you about, too.

  What could that be about? They talked at least once a day. Sometimes it felt like she already knew everything about him.

  While she waited for Alex and Penny to resume the game, she grabbed a magazine from her dresser. She flipped to the dog-eared page in the middle and scanned it like she was cramming for a test. But this was way more important than a test.

  How to Hook Your Guy:

  1. Look your best

  2. Act confident

  3. Be flirty

  4. Stand out

  5. Show your sexy side

  6. Try new things

  A car door slammed outside, startling Katie. She peered between her curtains and down to the driveway. It was a moving van next door. The house had been up for sale since spring. A Sold sign appeared only a few weeks before.

  Katie spied for a while, watching a couple around her mom’s age begin unloading the van. She was about to turn away when a thunderous roar erupted outside.

  She squished her face against the windowpane to get a better look. After a moment, the noise transitioned into an aggressive rumble and a motorcycle appeared. It rolled down the neighbors’ driveway, the identity of its mysterious leather-clad rider hidden beneath a full helmet.

  The tires chirped as the bike cut onto the road. Another growl and it sped off, leaving the couple shaking their heads. Katie, too. She scowled, pushing away from the window. Idiot.

  Sure, she felt like she defied death on a regular basis by joining Alex on his adrenaline junkie adventures—part of his new lease on life—but they were always in a controlled environment. Totally safe. Messing around on motorcycles? The guy must have a death wish.

  The deep purr of the engine faded into the distance just as Penny’s voice came through her headphones. “Okay. I’m all set.”

  “I’m ready, too,” Alex said. “Let’s get into those mountains. Anyone happen to know how to kill a dragon?”

  Katie blew out a breath and plopped into her desk chair. “The only way we’re going to beat it is if we focus our efforts. Trevor, do you think you can paralyze this guy before he takes flight again?”

  “I can hold him down,” he said, “but for something his size, that’s about all I can handle.”

  “Good enough.”

  Pizzalover’s aura began buzzing with energy. Her eyes turned inky black. As she laid her hands on the earth, a pulse shook the ground beneath Fairy_gurl’s feet.

  Dark walls rose up around them, shifting and swirling like oil on water. When they joined at the top, it formed an orb, trapping them inside with the dragon. Their fates were entwined.

  With a few taps on her keyboard, Katie’s fairy took to the air. “I’ll draw the dragon’s firepower. Penny, get ready for a game of piñata.”

  “Already playing!” she said as the ogre charged the dragon and gave it a couple of shots to the belly with his mace. “Gimme some candy!”

  “Alex, can you help her?” Katie asked. “We need to find its weakness by trial and error.”

  “That’s why you’re the idea girl.” The dark elf drew his curved dual blades before racing toward the creature.

  While the others searched for a weakness, Katie flew Fairy_gurl around the dragon’s head. She zapped the beast with a barrage of spells, keeping the enemy’s focus—and occasional blast of flames—on her.

  As she raced around the dragon, it stretched its swan-like neck to snap at her. That’s when Katie saw it. The light flicker beneath its jaw, quivering down the length of the neck, pulsating: a heartbeat.

  Opening her weapon inventory, Katie equipped a bow. Steadily, she nocked an arrow, held her breath, and hit the button to fire. It struck the center of the beating pulse and sank into scaly flesh.

  The dragon choked. The constant glow of fire sputtered and died in its throat.

  “There!” Katie cried out, pointing for the others to see. Then she realized they couldn’t see her pointing at the computer screen. “The scales are thinner on the neck, just below its jaw.”

  Katie gave a little whoop of success, but it was cut short when the dragon darted forward, razor teeth chomping down on the fairy’s wings. Her avatar cried out. The beast whipped its head back and forth, shaking her like a ragdoll. The Eternal Plains spun on the computer screen, making Katie dizzy.

  Alex gasped. “Fairy_gurl!”


  She tried everything, space bar, Ctrl, shift, W, A, S, D, but her avatar didn’t budge. “I can’t get free.”

  “Sugarplum, time for a Combo Attack.” Dark_Prince sprinted across the screen. “Slingshot me up there.”

  Katie saw the ogre grab Dark_Prince in a meaty hand and throw him like a javelin straight at the dragon. Alex’s grunt came through her headphones like it was really him sailing through the air.

  It sent shivers down Katie’s spine. He was coming to save her. Or, if he didn’t make it in time, at least he’d avenge her.

  The dragon responded with a snort that said bring it on. Smoke obscured Katie’s screen, threatening the hellfire to come. Hanging before the entrance to the inferno, she feared that wasn’t something she’d bounce back from.

  She was going to die. Everything she’d worked so hard for would be lost. Over two years of gameplay, of painstakingly leveling up, of honing her skills, all gone. She’d have to start over again from level one!

  A second later, Dark_Prince appeared, leaping toward her through the smoggy air. As he fell, he twisted and slashed his sword downward, stabbing it through the dragon’s neck. It sank into the soft flesh over its throbbing heartbeat.

  Black blood sprayed out in a gross sloshing sound. As the elf dropped to the ground, he dragged the blade down the dragon’s neck, filleting its throat.

  The beast coughed, like Katie’s uncle Doug choking on his own cigarette. It convulsed and shook as smoke puffed out in dark, billowing clouds. The violent shudders shook her fairy free, and she flew to safety.

  Their target now obvious, together they made quick work of the dragon. When it finally fell, it cleared the way to a cave that led deep inside of the Dwarf Mountains. They’d done it!

  Sugarplum did a happy dance, shaking his pelt-covered booty. Pizzalover downed her mana potion like a celebratory drink to recover her powers, and Dark_Prince wasted no time picking through the loot dropped by the dragon: priceless scales, rusty armor from fallen knights, rubies, and gold.

  With a few clicks of her mouse, Katie cast a healing spell. It fell over her and the team in a sparkle of pink.

  “Do you guys want to keep going?” Trevor asked. “I don’t want to stop now that we’ve opened up the new area. The God Sword is somewhere in these mountains. I just know it.”