by Ann Craven
Diego turned to scan the crowd at the coffee shop. He spotted Peyton sporting an MIT sweatshirt, looking out of place among the more fashionable Defiance Academy girls. He liked her already.
Grabbing his coffee, he went to join her. He wasn’t exactly nervous with new people. He just wasn’t good at small talk, and most people either thought he was weird or rude.
“Peyton?” He moved to sit opposite her.
“Diego, it’s so nice to meet you,” she gushed.
Ah, crap, she’s a talker.
“Your headmistress has told me so much about you and your app. I designed my first app when I was in high school, and it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever tried to do. It didn’t really start to come together until I realized there was only so far I could take it on my own. Once I knew I didn’t have the skill set to see it through to the end, it became more about what No Bs needed and less about whether or not I did all the things or someone else did some of the things.”
Peyton beamed a beautiful, happy, energetic smile at him, and Diego wondered what it was like to be friends with someone like her. She looked at him like it was his turn to talk.
“Oh, right.” Diego fidgeted in his chair and glanced at his phone. He was better through email and text messages. “I guess that’s where I am now with my app. I’m still making progress, but it’s slow.”
“What’s it called?” Peyton leaned across the table, sipping her latte.
“No idea. I can’t seem to land on a name I like.”
“Tell me about it. Mrs. Jones told me a little, but I want to hear more about your vision and what needs to happen to get it there.”
“It’s a habit trainer disguised as an adventure game. Players do small things to help the environment, and they earn diamonds to purchase key components to the game, which they’ll need to level up. There are even real-world prizes they can win based on the player’s overall points. The more beneficial an act is to the environment, the more diamonds they’ll earn.”
“I love it.” Peyton grinned. “I would totally play that game. So, what kinds of tasks do players need to do?”
“Little things like opting to have your morning latte in a reusable cup rather than a disposable one. Switching from plastic straws to stainless steel. Those kinds of tasks are worth ten to twenty-five diamonds and can add up over time when done daily. Bigger tasks like participating in a community cleanup or a recycling drive are worth tons of diamonds. Making real donations to climate change studies can earn a player huge in game rewards.”
“How do gamers prove they’ve actually done these tasks?”
“I’m working on a system that involves checking in on Facebook and uploading a selfie of gamers performing a task.”
“Wow, that’s impressive. Is it working?”
“Sort of.” Diego smiled. “I still have some bugs to work out before it will be ready to beta test.”
“What are the most challenging parts for you?” Peyton sat back, crossing her arms over her chest.
“The pretty stuff.” Diego shrugged. “I have the game set up with a rudimentary layout while I finish mapping out the levels of gameplay, but it’s not cute.”
“I can help you with that. I can meet with you several times over the holidays to work out a basic visual plan, and then we can keep working on it after I head back to school. We can have this thing in beta before spring break.”
“That would be amazing, Peyton. But are you sure? MIT is no joke. I don’t want to take up too much of your time.”
Peyton waved his concerns away. “I’m happy to mentor you and help with the visual stuff. That’s the easy part for me, and it’s the part I enjoy the most. Really, it’ll be like a break.”
“Sounds incredible. Thank you so much.” Diego didn’t really know how to respond to such kindness. Peyton wouldn’t really get anything out of this arrangement.
“Now, the important question.” Peyton eyed him with a serious look. “MIT or CalTech?”
Diego laughed. “MIT all the way, and not just because it’s not California.”
“Good answer. I’m looking forward to working with you, Diego.”
“When do you have time to meet again?”
“Thursday, and I have homework for you.” She slid a sheet of paper across the table.
“Homework?” He tried not to smile. Diego had a small tribe of nerds and geeks who spoke his language, and they typically got him. Peyton was not like any of them, but he sensed she would still fit into his tribe. He skimmed the list of questions and to-do items she wanted from him. It was quite a list, and she wanted it in less than two days. But after reading her notes, one thing was clear. Peyton spoke his language.
“All right, let’s do this.”
Get your copy here!
About Ann Maree
Ann Maree Craven is an Amazon bestselling author of Young Adult Contemporary Fiction and YA Fantasy (her Fantasy fans will know her as Melissa A. Craven). Her books focus on strong female protagonists who aren’t always perfect, but they find their inner strength along the way. Ann Maree’s novels will appeal to audiences of all ages and fans of almost any genre. She believes in stories that make you think and she loves playing with foreshadowing, leaving clues and hints for the careful reader.
Ann Maree draws inspiration from her background in architecture and interior design to help her with the small details in world building and scene settings. (Her degree in fine art also comes in handy.) She is a diehard introvert with a wicked sense of humor and a tendency for hermit-like behavior. (Seriously, she gets cranky if she has to put on anything other than yoga pants and t-shirts!)
Ann Maree enjoys editing almost as much as she enjoys writing, which makes her an absolute weirdo among her peers. Her favorite pastime is sitting on her porch when the weather is nice with her two dogs, Fynlee and Nahla, reading from her massive TBR pile and dreaming up new stories.
Visit me at Melissaacraven.com for more information about the series and discover exclusive content.
Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest
Also By Ann Maree Craven
Redefining Me:
Dating My Best Friend
Dating the Boy Next Door
Dating My Nemesis
Discovering Me:
Dating Nashville
Dating Washington
Dating Texas
Emerge Series (Written as Melissa A. Craven):
Emerge: The Awakening (Book 1)
Emerge: The Edge (Book 1.5)
Emerge: The Scholar (Illustrated Character Journal)
Emerge: The Volunteer (An Emerge Short Story)
Emerge: The Judgment (Book 2)
Emerge: The Catalyst (An Emerge Short Story)
Emerge: The Captive (Book 3)
Emerge: The Assignment (An Emerge Novella)
Emerge: The Heir (Book 4)
Emerge: The Betrayal
About Michelle
Michelle MacQueen is a USA Today bestselling author of love. Yes, love. Whether it be YA romance, NA romance, or fantasy romance (Under M. Lynn), she loves to make readers swoon.
The great loves of her life to this point are two tiny blond creatures who call her “aunt” and proclaim her books to be “boring books” for their lack of pictures. Yet, somehow, she still manages to love them more than chocolate.
When she’s not sharing her inexhaustible wisdom with her niece and nephew, Michelle is usually lounging in her ridiculously large bean bag chair creating worlds and characters that remind her to smile every day - even when a feisty five-year-old is telling her just how much she doesn’t know.
See more from Michelle MacQueen and sign up to receive updates and deals!
www.michellelynnauthor.com
Also by Michelle MacQueen
Redefining Me:
Dating My Best Friend
Dating the Boy Next Door
Dating My Nemesis
The Invincible series:
We Thou
ght We Were Invincible
We Thought We Knew It All
Discovering Me:
Dating Nashville
Dating Washington
Dating Texas
The New Beginnings series
Choices
Promises
Dreams
Confessions
Fantasy and Fairytales (Written as M. Lynn)
Golden Curse
Golden Chains
Golden Crown
Glass Kingdom
Glass Princess
Noble Thief
Cursed Beauty
Legacy of Light (Written as M. Lynn)
A War For Magic
A War For Truth
A War For Love