Playing Her Secret Crush

by Casey Griffin

  Out of the corner of his eye, he tried to spy the two girls on the bench seat next to him. Lexi had gone from staring out the side window to staring down at her phone, reading up on Conquerors of Caroon stats for the tournament contestants.

  Stuck between them, Katie held a magazine in her lap, eyes determinedly fixed on it—like she had been since she’d bought it at the gas station a couple hours before. He was sure she’d read that article twice already.

  Things had been a little off since their kiss. Or maybe it was since he’d texted her, asking her to forget about it. At the time, it had seemed like the only way to stop himself from hurting her, from potentially losing his Katie. He worried she was still dwelling on it. Maybe she was thinking about it as much as he was, wishing they could do it again. Then he remembered her text and knew he was being stupid.

  It was a mistake.

  As they approached the city limits, billboards spattered the sides of the highway. One in particular drew his eye. It was a red Ferrari being waved on by a black-and-white checkered flag. The rest of the picture was blurred, like it was going so fast that the rest of the world faded away.

  Supercar Speedway, the sign said. Spend your vacation in the fast lane.

  “Hey, look!” Alex pointed at it. “I’ve heard of that place. You can rent some pretty crazy cars there, like Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Porsches, and take them for a spin around a private racetrack.”

  Katie didn’t even look up from her magazine. “Lambos are ostentatious.”

  “I doubt they’d rent a car to a teenager,” Lexi added, before he could reply to Katie.

  Alex frowned. “You don’t know that for sure. Besides, I’m eighteen now.” He’d just had his birthday two weeks earlier. He was technically an adult now—not that he suddenly felt like it. But she was probably right.

  Admiring the Ferrari until they passed it, he returned his attention to counting down the miles. Not soon enough, the GPS on his phone directed them onto the Strip where they were surrounded by flashing lights and huge casinos. Excitement cut through his mood, and he tried to take in all the new sights. When their hotel came into view, like everything else in Vegas, it was big and bright and totally nonsensical. It was a medieval stone castle.

  Alex leaned forward in his seat to get a better look at the fifty-story building. His eyes roved over the roughly hewn stones, gray except where colorful lights shone from arrow slits cut into the rock walls. Katie put her magazine down and gasped at the sight. Lexi rolled down her side window to snap off photos with her phone.

  Arched, leaded glass windows broke up the facade, one for each room. Battlements lined the top of the building like jagged teeth with cannon muzzles facing out at the surrounding Strip. It was the coolest building Alex had ever seen.

  “Now that’s a hotel,” Lexi said.

  They pulled around a circular drive lined with suits of armor and parked in front of the lowered drawbridge. A man with a feather in his hat and tights beneath his fluffy tunic approached the truck.

  Alex assumed this was the valet, and since the instructions that came with the Ultra Con invitation said this service was included in the covered expenses, he hopped out of the truck and tossed him the keys. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of the regal valet taking off in his rusty truck.

  Together, the three of them crossed the drawbridge and walked beneath the portcullis. Flaming torches lined the arched hallway that stretched before them, glinting off metal swords and shields on the walls. Suits of armor stood guard in the lobby, and brightly woven tapestries enlivened the stone walls. However, the whole effect was kind of interrupted when Spock and Captain Kirk walked by.

  Alex grinned as he checked out all the other guests dressed in costumes who were relaxing in the lobby. Since Ultra Con was being held in the convention center attached to the hotel, and the tournament was playing out in a stadium only a couple blocks away, most of the rooms were probably booked by people attending the weekend-long event.

  Lexi laughed. “This place is perfect.”

  “It could be a Caroonian Castle,” Katie said.

  Alex walked up to the front desk, his footsteps hushed by the rustic carpet rolled across the flagstones. They were immediately waved over to an available computer.

  “G’day milord and ladies. Welcome to Castle Vegas.” A damsel in a silk dress dipped into a curtsy. Her wide sleeves flowed as she grabbed her mouse. “Checking in?”

  “Yeah,” Alex said. “My reservation might be under Masse. Our rooms were booked for us by Maxware Studios.”

  Recognition lit her face. “Oh, you must be competing in Saturday’s Conquerors of Caroon tournament.”

  “Yeah, how did you know?” he asked.

  “Well, they’ve reserved some of the best rooms in the hotel for the competitors.” She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Plus, I’m a huge Conquerors fan.” She said this all while her fingers worked the keyboard, checking them in. “I’m a level twenty-four hell beast.”

  While they chatted, Alex could have sworn the guest at the next computer tilted his head like he was listening in. Since he didn’t say anything, Alex just ignored him. Within a few moments, the fair maiden was handing them their room keycards.

  “You’re all set,” she said. “Don’t worry about your bags. We’ll take care of those.” She gestured to a court jester already loading their bags onto a trolley before handing them each a manila envelope. “These are welcome packages from Maxware Studios with more information about the tournament. Good luck this weekend.”

  They thanked her and headed for the lobby couches arranged next to a giant medieval hearth. A roaring fire glowed within the depths of it. They were about to sit down when Alex heard an “Excuse me,” behind him.

  He turned to see the nosey guy from the check-in counter walking up to them. He looked older than they did, maybe around thirty. However, he dressed younger than most thirty-year-olds Alex knew—backwards hat, sloppy shirt, and skate shoes.

  “I couldn’t help but overhear you before,” he said to Alex. “Did you say you were a competitor in the Conquerors tournament?”

  “Yeah, that’s right,” Alex said. “We all are.”

  “Me, too. I’m Julian from Washington.” He held out a hand.

  “Alex Masse, California,” he said, shaking his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  Julian’s grip went limp, and a strange look passed over his face. “Masse? You aren’t related to Jason Masse, are you?”

  Alex flinched in surprise. His brain scrambled to make a connection, so it was a moment before he answered. “He was my brother.”

  Julian frowned, nodding at the “was.” “I was sorry to hear about his passing. He was a great player,” he said earnestly. He took in all three of them. “So that must mean you’re team MegaByte.”

  “Umm, yeah,” Alex said, the initial surprise wearing off.

  Of course, thought Alex. They were going to a Conquerors tournament, after all. Jason had been an up-and-coming name among e-sports enthusiasts. People were bound to have known him. But it was the way the guy had said it that made it seem like he’d known him personally. His skin prickled as a suspicion formed.

  Alex narrowed his eyes. “How did you know him?”

  “Your brother and I used to play together,” Julian said a bit carefully, like he wasn’t sure if he should say anything. Alex suddenly knew why. There was only one other team that Jason had played with.

  His jaw clenched. He’d never known his real name, but he knew his gaming one. “SonicWarrior.”

  Alex’s mind was reeling, shocked that he’d run into him. Of course, he’d known his team, CrushU, was competing, but he’d hoped he wouldn’t have to speak to him—in case he accidentally punched him in the face.

  “The one and only,” Julian said cheerfully, like this would be welcome news.

  Katie gasped. “You’re the one? You’re the guy who betrayed Jason?”

  Julian huffed at the acid in her
voice and held up his hands. “Betray is a bit much, don’t you think? I mean, it’s just a game, right?” He smiled congenially like he was gunning for most sportsmanlike that weekend.

  “Betrayal is exactly how I’d describe it.” Alex crossed his arms. “He trusted you and you killed him. He had to start over from level one.”

  Alex remembered just how upset Jason had been. When it was all he had to look forward to during his long days of chemo, painkillers, and examinations, it was more than “just a game.”

  “It’s all part of the game.” Julian waved it off. “Look, we were working toward Major League status. It’s not for the faint-hearted. When you get to the level I’m at, it’s something to be taken seriously,” he said, like he was talking to a bunch of elementary schoolers on career day. “I’ve worked very hard to be where I am, and I won’t apologize for my success. I was the better player. Simple as that.”

  Lexi scoffed. “Better player or better cheat?”

  He held an offended hand to his chest. “I didn’t break any rules.”

  “Because of you, Jason never got to compete,” Katie said. “He would have made it to the tournament that year. He was good enough.”

  “Oh he was,” Julian said, probably sincerely, too, but Alex thought he sounded patronizing. “And he might have qualified, but he wouldn’t have won. Because I was here. And I was always going to win.”

  Alex was tired of Julian’s arrogance. He probably only came over to intimidate the competition. He stepped forward, not about to let a weasel intimidate his team.

  “Well, you’re not going to win this year, because we’re here now. And everything I know, I learned from the best: my brother.”

  Julian snorted, closing the distance until he was nose to nose with Alex. “So you learned how to lose, then? Not really a skill you want to brag about.”

  Alex’s fists clenched by his side, feeling that accidental face-punching coming on. Anger rushed through him like a dose of adrenaline. However, unlike with adrenaline, it scared him. Feeling it take over, he was unable to control it. Nobody talked about his brother like that.

  Katie wrapped her hand around his fist, and it relaxed beneath her touch. “Let’s not waste our time on this loser,” she said with a glare at Julian. “We’ll beat him in Caroon.”

  When Alex still didn’t back off, he felt Lexi on his other side wrap an arm through his. She gave him a firm tug. “Come on. Let’s go.”

  Finally, Alex relented. He was being stupid, letting this guy get under his skin. It’s not like Julian had known who he was before coming over. He was just trying to stir up trouble between competitors. But if winning the tournament wasn’t personal before, it was now.

  “Don’t let him get to you,” Lexi told him.

  “Yeah, don’t let me get to you,” he heard Julian call out as they walked away, a laugh in his tone. “It’s just a game!”

  Alex grit his teeth but kept moving. Julian wasn’t worth the effort. He’d prove who the better player was at the tournament. And once they won, he felt like it would vindicate Jason, like they were going to avenge his digital death.

  “That guy is a jerk,” Katie said, glancing over her shoulder at Julian.

  She hadn’t removed her hand from his, and he could feel her shake with anger. Her loyalty made him smile, despite the confrontation.

  “No kidding,” Lexi said.

  Alex rubbed a hand over his face, trying to shake off the unfortunate meeting. He wasn’t about to let SonicWarrior ruin his weekend. “Let’s just forget about him and enjoy the rest of the day.”

  Opening his manila envelope, he flicked through the weekend package until he found the schedule. “What should we do first? Check out the artist stalls? Maybe catch a few panels before dinner?”

  “Actually, I’m kind of tired,” Katie said. “And I told Mom I’d call her as soon as we got in.”

  He glanced at her, taking in her expression. Was that really the reason? He could see her initial excitement about their arrival fade as the awkwardness between them returned.

  “Yeah. I think I’ll check out my room,” Lexi said. “Maybe take a nap. Six hours is a long drive.”

  Alex sighed, slipping the schedule back into the envelope. This wasn’t a good start to the weekend. He’d been so excited. He’d hoped it would be an experience to honor his brother’s memory. Katie and Lexi were two of the funnest people he knew. Who better to spend the weekend with than them? And yet, they were being complete downers.

  “Well, the dance is tonight,” he said. “We’re definitely still going to that, right? Trevor is meeting us around nine.”

  They both said sure and nodded but were less enthusiastic than he’d hoped.

  As he watched them walk away, he rubbed his chest, which suddenly felt tight, like his skin was shrinking, suffocating him. Every cell in his body practically vibrated with anticipation, but he had no release, nothing to focus his energy on. Some of that he knew was the lingering hostility after their run-in with SonicWarrior, but the rest was anxiousness. Over what?

  He felt it wash over him, urging him to do something. He could practically hear his brother yelling at him from above. Life is too short!

  The same thing always happened right before he decided to do something crazy, like zip-lining or cliff-jumping. With restless legs, he got into the elevator and headed up after Katie.

  …

  Katie pulled her Pikachu onesie out of her suitcase and made a face. She tossed it aside, and it landed in a heap on the floor of her executive suite. It wasn’t like she planned on wearing the costume. She’d only packed it because her mom dug it out and reminded her not to forget it.

  There was a knock at the door. Katie glanced up from her suitcase and frowned, wondering who it could be. She crossed the expansive room and cracked the door open. Alex stood on the other side.

  Her heart did a nervous flip. It was a strange feeling to have. They’d seen each other practically every day for the past two years, and he was usually the person she felt most comfortable around. However, things had been changing between them recently. She wanted it to be for the better, but she wasn’t sure.

  Her hands ached to touch him, to hug him, but it was like someone had cast a barrier spell between them.

  “Can I come in?” he asked.

  “Sure.” She held the door open for him and gestured to one of the sofas. “Do you want to sit? These rooms are incredible. I’ve never seen one with a living room before.”

  He glanced around, taking in the chandelier glittering from the ceiling, the twenty silk throw pillows that crowded the bed, the massive flat screen on the wall, and the plush living room furniture. He laughed. “Wow.”

  “Haven’t you been to your room?” she asked, taking a seat on the couch.

  “No. I can’t relax.” He wandered over to the floor-to-ceiling windows of her forty-ninth-floor room and stared down at the hot Vegas streets. In the glow of the setting sun, his tanned skin burned, and she thought he looked so perfect in that moment.

  “SonicWarrior got to you, didn’t he?”

  He turned to face her, and he didn’t have to say anything. She knew by his expression that she was right. She patted the seat next to her. After a moment, Alex flopped down beside her. He sprawled across the couch, laying his head on her lap.

  The touch seemed to break that awkward feeling. She reached out to play with his hair distractedly, feeling their usual easiness settle over them, like nothing had changed in the last few months.

  Alex kind of melted, sinking into the couch, his head growing heavy on her lap. They fell into a comfortable silence, and they watched the room grow darker as the sun sank behind the Vegas hotels. However, it wasn’t long before Alex was back on his feet again, pacing the room. It had to be more than just thoughts of his brother or meeting SonicWarrior that was bugging him.

  “You don’t want to just sit here all weekend, do you?” he asked. “Let’s go do something.”

  “
Like what?”

  He paced a little longer while she watched him from the couch. Finally, he turned back, an idea in his eyes.

  “Remember that advertisement we saw on the way in for the Supercar Speedway? Well, I looked it up, and they’ll even rent to minors, so you can do it, too. All you need is a driver’s license and to sign a release form.” He brought the website up on his phone and passed it to her. “We have all that spending money from Maxware Studios. We might as well enjoy ourselves while we’re here.

  She flipped through the website pages. “Is it safe?”

  “Of course it’s safe.” Which is what he always said when convincing her to do something borderline dangerous. “It’s a popular tourist attraction. It’s a closed course with an ambulance on standby and everything. They’ve got great insurance coverage to purchase, too.”

  She sighed, handing him back the phone. “It’s not your insurance I’m worried about.”

  When she just stared at him with a worried look, he held up his hands. “What?”

  She pursed her lips. “Sometimes it feels like you take risks just because you’re trying to prove something. Can’t we enjoy the weekend sans adrenaline for once? For you to have fun, does your life always need to be in danger? And mine,” she muttered.

  He scowled, shoving his phone back in his pocket. “God, you sound like my therapist.”

  “I sound like someone who loves you.” She bit her lip as she heard the emotion behind it, wondering if he’d noticed it, too.

  Of course, she’d always known she loved him, but only ever as a best friend. For the first time, she realized that love had changed, despite her best efforts to ignore it. She loved Alex…romantically. She loved him loved him. Holding her breath, she waited for his reaction.

  Alex’s face softened, and he sat next to her again. “I love you, too.”