Playing Her Secret Crush

by Casey Griffin

  The team tried to meet up once a month just to have some face-to-face game time. Since they all lived within an hour of Bakersfield, it was the most convenient place for everyone to gather.

  At the computer next to him, Katie was focused on her screen, as though waiting for some trap door to open up or spiked ceiling to descend. Lexi and Trevor sat across from them at their own computer stations. Lexi’s gaze was fixed on her screen, too, but there was a smirk on her lips like she was hoping something would happen.

  Trevor hit a few keys, causing Pizzalover’s staff to blast light to the farthest nooks and crannies of the cavern. Her cloak flew open, flashing everyone an abundance of bare skin.

  Lexi giggled. “You know, you’re totally not what I’d expected,” she told Trevor.

  “As in…amazing?” he inquired.

  “I mean, just look at your avatar. For one, she’s a white female, and you’re—”

  “Incredibly handsome, I know. Stop talking about it. You’ll make the others jealous.”

  Alex laughed, but he knew what Lexi meant. He’d been surprised to meet Trevor for the first time, too. In fact, when they’d met up, all he knew about him was his avatar’s name and what she looked like, so he wasn’t expecting a six foot three, slightly overweight, black dude.

  “The dark sorceress has the best magic of all the characters,” Trevor explained. “The flesh melting, the blood boiling. And don’t get me started on the spell that makes intestines explode. Besides, her character has the biggest boobs,” he said simply.

  Lexi snorted. “Okay, now it makes sense.”

  But Alex was nodding. “Fair enough. I totally get it.”

  Katie whacked him on the arm.

  “Oww. What?” He rubbed the spot, laughing.

  When all remained peaceful in the caves, Penny’s sigh came through the headphones. “Well, that was anticlimactic.”

  “You’re just grumpy because your mom couldn’t drive you to meet us today,” Trevor said.

  Sugarplum smashed a nearby stalactite like he was having a giant ogre tantrum. “She’s always working.”

  “We could always give you a ride, you know,” Katie said. “You’re on our way here.”

  Penny groaned. “I wish. But Mom says she has to come with me.”

  “Well, let us know if she changes her mind,” Alex said. “We’d be happy to do it.” Turning his avatar, he headed back out of the cavern. Before he’d gone ten paces, a rumble vibrated through his headphones, and he could see everyone stiffen in their leather chairs.

  “What was that?” Lexi asked.

  No one answered. Their eyes were glued to their screens. Alex squinted as though that would help him see through the gloom of the caves.

  A yellow light flickered, reflecting off the slimy rock walls. Slowly, it grew brighter, the distant rumbling louder, until it was like a storm blowing in, thunder rolling, lightning flashing. Something rounded the bend in the tunnel. It was an orc carrying a flaming torch.

  Alex frowned. Just one orc? Then what was making all that noise? A moment later, it became obvious. Orcs, dozens of them, their stomping feet mingling with primitive grunts and howls that echoed through the tunnels.

  Trevor tapped a few keys, and Pizzalover’s staff pulsated as she powered up. “I think we may have sounded some kind of alarm.”

  “Must have been a stone you stepped on that triggered it,” Katie told Alex.

  “You’ve been watching too much Indiana Jones,” Alex said.

  “I marathoned all of them over the weekend.”

  Alex put the God Sword in his weapon inventory and unsheathed Dark_Prince’s dual swords. “Everyone get ready.”

  They met the creatures in a clash of weapons. They came hard and fast, unrelenting in their ferociousness. Health meters dropped, and orcs began to litter the floor. Just when Alex thought they had them beat, more arrived, larger and meaner than the last.

  Alex leapt his elf avatar into the air, arcing backward and over an enemy. He twisted in midair and crossed his blades like a giant pair of scissors. When his feet hit the ground, it was next to the orc’s severed head.

  Kicking the body aside, Alex assessed the mayhem around him. His eyes automatically locked on the newest member of their group: Lady_L.

  She was as pretty in Caroon as she was in reality and just as tall. Lexi had chosen the female barbarian. Clad in leather, her avatar reminded him of when they’d first met. He watched her take down an orc with a slice of her battle-axe. When she spun, her long, delicate braids swung like golden chains around her fur-covered shoulders.

  Since the day Alex had asked for Lexi’s number, he hadn’t tried again. Instead, he’d spent the last three weeks getting to know her better in Caroon. And surprisingly, his interest hadn’t faded like it normally did. Everything he’d learned about her so far—like how she loved sushi and eighties movies, that she wanted to backpack around Europe after graduation—just made him want to learn more.

  He found himself sharing more about himself, too. Normally, he only talked about his brother and things at home with Katie—and his therapist, he supposed, but only because he had to. Lexi was easy to talk to.

  Two orcs tried to corner Lady_L from behind. Alex charged his avatar in to the rescue, but there was no need. She kicked off the cave wall and used the momentum to drive her axe through one orc’s gray, fleshy torso. After the creature fell, she braced a foot on its still chest and yanked out her weapon before beheading her other attacker.

  Alex laughed in surprise, and Lexi looked away from her screen to find him watching her.

  “What?” she asked.

  “I’m impressed,” he said. “Only three weeks of playing and you’ve already come a long way.”

  She dipped her head a little. “Thanks to you and Katie practicing with me. I seem stronger than when I first started.”

  “That’s because by fighting with us, you’ve been fighting baddies beyond your abilities as a beginner,” Katie explained as she stuck an arrow in an orc’s eye. “The badder they are, the more points we all share by defeating them. Since it takes less points to level up when you’re a newbie, that means you’ve been leveling up faster.”

  “But you guys have been doing most of the work,” she said. “I just avoid getting killed and then steal points I don’t earn.”

  Trevor chuckled. “You’ve been helping, too. Besides, you’re just learning. By the time we’ve made it into the tournament, you’ll be strong enough and experienced enough to help us win.”

  “I think I’m about to get more practice now. Look.” She nodded back to her screen. “There’s another onslaught of orcs coming.”

  Her fingers danced across the keyboard with confidence as she went to Sugarplum’s aid. The ogre was barely able to defend himself in the cramped space. The narrow passageways hidden beneath the Dwarf Mountains were designed for dwarves. Not giant purple ogres.

  “There are too many,” Trevor said. “I think we might have accidentally disturbed the horde.”

  “Is it a horde or a swarm?” Alex wondered.

  “Maybe it’s more of a nest,” Lexi suggested.

  “Either way,” Trevor interrupted, “I think we should make a run for it.”

  Sugarplum performed a body slam to dislodge an enemy clinging to his back. “I second that!”

  “Pizzalover, give us some cover,” Alex said.

  Casting a spell, Pizzalover conjured a dark fog that filled the cave. The orcs’ murderous threats turned into confused grunts as they lost sight of their prey.

  “Now’s our chance. Run!” Alex hit the forward key, racing his avatar through the caves and leading the group to safety.

  They sprinted blindly past confused orcs and through the endless tunnels. After backtracking from dead ends, taking a few wrong turns, and going around in circles for half an hour, the caves finally spat them out right at the base of the Dwarf Mountains where the Dark Forest began.

  Lady_L slid her battle-axe int
o the leather holder on her back and in real life, Lexi leaned back in her chair. “Wow. That was intense.”

  “That quest took longer than expected,” Trevor said. “Who knew the sword would be so hard to find?”

  “And that the mountains were so infested with orcs,” Alex said. “But at least now we have the God Sword.”

  He equipped it and pulled the mighty blade from its ruby-encrusted sheath. It seemed to hum in his headset and glowed on the screen as though it contained a piece of the moon.

  Alex gave it a swipe, testing the weight and speed before dropping it on the ground at Lady_L’s feet. “Here. Try this on for size.”

  Lexi’s mouth opened as she stared at her screen. “I can’t take the sword. You’ve all worked so hard to find it.”

  “We’ve worked hard. I already chatted with the others through private message, and they agree.” When she still seemed uncertain, he added, “Besides, a team is only as strong as its weakest link. We just want to make sure you can hold your own. Something this powerful will give you an edge to get into the tournament.”

  “Cool, thanks, guys.” With a click of a button, she picked it up and swapped it for her battle-axe.

  “You know,” Alex said, “the one good thing about finding more enemies in the Dwarf Mountains was it gave us a chance to get you leveled up.”

  “Yeah but it’s been three weeks already,” Penny said. “We’re running out of time to enter the tournament.”

  Trevor leaned back in his chair and sighed. “She’s right. We don’t have a clue where they’ve hidden the entry challenge in the game.”

  Alex frowned. “You still haven’t heard about any clues?”

  “There have been a few leads, but they’ve all turned out to be dead ends. I’m about to meet an old wizard friend of mine at Swamp’s End Tavern. He’s been playing the game for five years now. Hopefully he’ll have some good news for us.”

  But by the way he said it, Alex wasn’t about to hold his breath.

  “Do you guys want to come with?” Trevor asked, like he was physically going somewhere.

  “No thanks,” Penny said. “Mom says I’m not allowed in the taverns. She says they’re too ‘old’ for me, whatever that means.”

  “Good luck,” Alex said.

  “I’ll be back shortly.” The dark sorceress on screen waved goodbye before disappearing in a puff of smoke. A message popped up on Alex’s screen to say Pizzalover had left their party.

  “So do you really think we have a chance at winning this thing?” Lexi asked.

  “Sure,” Alex said. “We used to play a lot with my brother, and he was amazing. Good enough to compete in Major League Gaming. If we could keep up with him, then we have a shot.”

  She gave him a look over her screen and her nose wrinkled. “Major League? Like as in sports?”

  He laughed at the incredulity in her tone, but he understood. He’d never heard of it either before he began playing. “Exactly. Just like how professional athletes get sponsored to play sports, pro gamers make huge money to play e-sports.”

  “I can’t believe that’s a thing,” she said. “That’s the coolest job ever.”

  “It’s a huge thing,” Katie said, leaning forward in her chair. “It’s still a job, though. They have to practice for hours every day to keep their sponsorship.”

  “Alex’s brother could have been a competitor,” Penny’s voice cut in. “He was that good.”

  Alex huffed. “At least, he could have been if his teammate hadn’t betrayed him.”

  “Betrayed him how?” Lexi asked.

  “The guy’s name was SonicWarrior,” he said. “They were on the same team. One day they were playing together in the Lost Cavern, and out of the blue, he turned on Jason. He killed him right before the tournament qualifiers. Jason had to start from level one again, so obviously he couldn’t compete.”

  Lexi made a disgusted sound. “That’s terrible.”

  “After he killed my brother’s character in the game, their team dispersed, and SonicWarrior found a new one. He went on to be a Major League Gaming pro. He’s now sponsored by Charged energy drink. That’s who’s helping Maxware Studios to put on the tournament this year.”

  He felt Katie lay a hand on his knee. He slid his own under the table to hold it as he continued to control his avatar with his free hand. Being with Katie always made it easier to talk about his brother, because he could almost hear her words of support in his head even when she was silent.

  “At least it gave my brother and me the chance to start playing together,” he told Lexi, remembering all their time spent together in Caroon. The betrayal had been a blessing for their relationship, really. “When he wasn’t resting, Jason was playing Conqueror’s, and then once I got off school, we’d play together for hours.”

  “That must have been fun,” Lexi said.

  “It was. I think it was an escape for him, a way to imagine himself in a different life, a different world. He could leave the hospital behind and disappear into Caroon. Sometimes I thought he was happier there. Like really happy, despite everything.”

  Alex studied his avatar’s surroundings on the screen and tried to imagine, as he often did, what it must have been like for Jason. He was glad he’d been a part of those last months, could spend so much time with his brother in Caroon.

  “Just imagine it,” he told Lexi. “Imagine you can hear the birds, that you can feel the weight of your weapon as you swing it, that the quest you’re on is really life or death and the fate of Caroon rests on your shoulders. When I do, I can forget for a while about how hard the last two years have been. That I’ve even lost Jason at all.”

  Penny’s huff blew through his headset. “When I play, I forget that my mom is too busy for me.”

  “I could stop worrying about my dad fighting overseas,” Lexi said.

  “When I play,” Katie said, “I forget my dad left and doesn’t care enough to call for my birthdays.”

  Alex squeezed her hand, and she gave him a grateful smile, holding his tighter.

  She often said she didn’t care about her dad, that it was better he’d left. But he could see the truth in her face when she talked about it, the hurt in her eyes. It often made him wonder if that was where her insecurities came from, making her too shy, too unsure of herself, like “what could there possibly be to like?” “Everything,” he’d always tell her, and he wished she would believe it.

  Lexi’s gaze was distant as she stared at her screen. “That feeling of escape could be dangerous,” she said. “Like you might forget to live real life.”

  “True.” Alex laughed. “It’s a lot less unhealthy than most addictions, though.”

  Sometimes Alex wondered if he was allowing himself to become distracted by the game, just like his therapist tried to warn him about with his extreme sports and dating life. Was he distracting himself instead of dealing with his feelings over Jason’s death, “emotionally isolating” himself? But that was why he wanted to date Lexi, to connect again. To prove there was nothing wrong with him.

  The word “isolation” echoed inside his brain, and he felt that pressure in his chest again, like a nudge from his brother telling him “Do something about it, already!” His fingers grew still over his keyboard as he glanced at Lexi, wondering if dating her would really mean he was “fixed.”

  He wasn’t aware he was still staring at Lexi until Katie suddenly stood, dragging his attention away. “I’m going to grab another coffee,” she mumbled before heading to the counter.

  She wasn’t gone long before Alex heard her light giggle across the room. He sat up in his seat and peered over his screen to see her talking to Barista Ben. She was leaning on the counter. So was Ben. Their heads were kind of close, and she giggled again at something he said. She reached out and laid her hand on his forearm. It was only for a second, but it was enough to tell Alex that she wasn’t just talking. She was flirting.

  His Katie didn’t flirt. She was awkward and swe
et and blushed adorably when anyone even so much as gave her a compliment, but she definitely didn’t flirt. Then he remembered all her magazines, her “new look,” and figured she must have been studying up by reading an article called “Flirting 101” or something stupid like that.

  But that was good, right? She was doing it to be happy. She’d even grown more outgoing at school. Maybe it even meant that the little girl who was abandoned by her father was moving past her insecurities. And Alex needed to move on, too. To prove he wasn’t emotionally damaged.

  Grabbing his mouse, he brought up a text box on the screen. The keys tapped loudly as he private messaged Katie with a new determination.

  I think it’s time to take things to the next level with Lexi. Step three.

  …

  Katie hovered around the counter, waiting for her coffee. She was tired of watching Alex and Lexi Step two: Spend time together, tired of watching him flirt. While Alex had been gazing longingly at Lexi, Katie’s own gaze had shifted to the cash register, and she’d seen an opportunity to take The Plan to the next step. Step three: Be flirty.

  Ben smiled at her over the espresso machine. His eyes were extra bright today. Maybe because the rings around them were a bit darker, like he’d had no sleep. She thought it was cute because it went with the whole bed head thing he had going on.

  The barista had worked at the café for as long as the team had used it as a hangout. She’d always thought he was cute, so naturally, she usually made Alex order because she was too nervous to speak to him. All summer, she’d been building up her nerve to talk to him, but now that she was here, she didn’t know what to say.

  “I haven’t seen you much lately,” Ben said. “Where have you been hiding?”

  “School mostly. Team meetups are now limited to weekends.” Good answer, she told herself, but not very interesting. Take it up a notch.

  “That’s too bad.”

  “Yeah, totally. You make a mean cup o’ joe.” Cup o’ joe? Who even says that? Clearly she was in dire need of practice.