With a swoosh, the door opened. Bright light flooded the room. Blinking repeatedly, Ari glimpsed rows and rows of padded reclined chairs with computer terminals, hooked up next to them. The VRs held an infinite world of possibilities and places to go, if only she could let herself relax.
“You ready?” He startled her out of her thoughts, standing close enough for her to smell the coffee on his breath. He teasingly traced a path down her arm, which brought her back to the present.
Pull yourself together. Standing here, alone with a cute boy, a third-year at that, who was trying to help her, overwhelmed her a bit. She stepped back and tried to force a smile.
“Come sit down.” Garrett took her hand and led her to a nearby chair. His casual touch surprised Ari. She assumed it probably didn’t mean as much to him as it did to her.
He booted up the system. Staring at her from above, he connected the data port in the back of her neck. She shuddered at the feel of cold steel connecting to her brain.
“You’re okay.” His free hand swept her hair off her shoulders. “Think of this as a first date. I want to take you out.”
She should have been flattered. Her gut twisted in so many knots that she didn’t know what to think. He quietly took a seat next to her, plugged himself in, and reached for her hand.
“I am in control of this virtual. I am the main user and you are set up as a participating spectator. You can always get out on your own, but I can force you out at any time. You’ll be safe.”
Ari swallowed once and nodded.
He put pressure on her hand. “The real question is: do you trust me?”
She hadn’t known Garrett long, but at that moment she was drowning in school and he was the only life preserver. She gripped his hand in return.
Squeezing her eyes shut amid the darkness, she focused on Garrett’s hand to keep her grounded.
“Open up, Ari. Come on,” Garret’s playful voice drifted around her, carried on a cool breeze.
A warm light greeted her. Blinking several times, it took a minute for her vision to adjust. The smell of salt water carried past her on a cool breeze. She glanced down. Garrett’s grip remained tight, tethering her to reality.
“Look, Ari.” He tugged her forward like a little kid anxious for a surprise.
Lifting her gaze, an endless expanse of water filled her view. The ocean, but nothing like the ocean she saw before with its cold gray waves. Instead, an exquisite aquamarine sea rose and fell, lapping towards flawless white sand. Palms trees stood to her side, with a netted hammock hanging in between them. Down the beach, a small white house stood with open windows. She turned to find more palm trees and green plants dotting the landscape.
Its perfect beauty pricked against her neck, where her port should be. “Where are we?”
He pulled her into the ocean. Garrett had on gray trunks that fell low on his hips, and his chest was bare with lean muscles built into his thin frame. “A small island. I can’t remember the name anymore.”
The warm water lapped at her ankles, her feet melting into the cool sand. “Wait, I’m not dressed for the—” Before she could finish, she glanced down, and realized she wore a short white sundress with a teal bikini underneath.
She shivered at the idea of the VR accessing her subconscious to dress her appropriately. Most VRs had a program that allowed the player to choose or change their attire. Pushing down the frantic voice in the back of her mind, she continued to let Garrett guide her out to sea.
“Did you make this virtual?”
“No, just an upperclassman I know. I’m only the techie who gets to play with all the fun toys.”
The warm waves crept up her legs. Despite the beauty, her nerves unsettled her. She pulled her hand free and crossed her arms.
He stepped closer. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, everything, this place ... it’s so real, so perfect. Don’t you ever worry that one day you won’t be able to tell reality from fiction? That one day you’ll wake up but not be really sure if you’re awake?”
“This virtual isn’t that good.” He glanced at Ari. “You must have covered it in your classes, the errors in programming? You have to see them?”
Ari remembered visiting the carnival with her brother, and how the clown glitched, static covering its face. “I haven’t stayed in one long enough to get a good look.”
“Well, look.” He pointed to the fish. “See the fish and how they swim, so symmetrical and perfectly timed. Step into their path.”
As she stepped forward, the fish blinked out of existence for a brief moment, with a short burst of static, then appeared again and continued along their path past her leg.
He stepped closer to her, blocking the path to several others. “See?”
She watched for several moments the fish blinking in and out of existence. It was so bizarre when considering they looked so genuine. Reaching down, she stirred the water, watching the fish scatter and the program restart in the same spot.
“With the obvious errors in this cheap VR, I don’t think you could ever get lost in it.” He rubbed a hand through his hair which stood on end. “Granted, it’s a bit of a buzzkill when I focus on those things. Most of us want to get lost here and be oblivious.”
A nervous chuckle escaped her lips as she turned in a slow circle, searching deeper into the program. The trees swayed, but the corresponding shadows in the sand didn’t move. The clouds had a similar precision, timed with a warm breeze. Even the sand where they once stood on the beach was smoothed over as if with an air brush. A student must have written this, and not as a sightseeing program.
With every error, a bit of the stress and anxiety peeled off. She still itched to get out of her virtual skin and take a real breath, but it helped to look at things differently. She had never lasted more than a few minutes in the VR and nobody really cared to help her work through it. One of the disadvantages of attending a poor school had been that her problem was brushed under the rug. With every error, she realized she couldn’t get lost in this fabricated reality. And wasn’t this what her teacher wanted her to do, find the errors?
She turned to asked Garrett another question. But before she could say anything, he splashed her, soaking the front of her dress. She sucked in a breath, and then lowered her brows, giving him a narrow glare. “You started a war, buddy.” She slapped the water and nailed him right in the face.
It was on. For a few moments, Ari forgot about the fear and panic and just enjoyed being with Garrett. They ran and played in the low waves. At one point, Garrett picked her up, threatening to dump her all the way under.
“No, no, no,” she begged as he headed into deeper waters. Of course, laughing while telling him to stop didn’t help her case. Finally, he threw himself in the water with her in his arms.
Thoroughly exhausted and soaking wet, they returned to the shore. Ari took off the wet dress to ring it out, but then realized how exposed she was in her bikini.
Relaxing into the sand, she wrapped her arms around her knees. Unease gathered in her stomach, but she was unsure if it was due to the VR or being alone with Garrett while wearing so little. Garrett plopped down next to her, shaking out his hair. They faced forward, watching the low waves, but close enough for their shoulders to touch.
“You haven’t left yet?” He nudged her with his shoulder, a sly grin on his face. He hadn’t shaved in a couple days, and despite her generally liking boys clean-shaven, she had to admit it looked good on him.
“Nope.” She rubbed a hand over her arm. Her emotions revved up a notch, playing pinball inside her head. “It’s amazing. Too bad it’s not real.”
“It’s real in our minds. When we come out won’t we remember this conversation or our water fight?”
“I suppose ...” She straightened, his words not settling quite right.
“A VR is a set built for whatever our imagination wants.” His hand reached over to brush sand off her arm.
A shiver crawled up her s
kin, despite the sun. “I wish I could dry off my dress.”
“Now why would you want to do that when you look so great?”
Ari shoved his shoulder making him tip over in the sand. Her face suddenly grew hot, like the warm sand beneath her feet.
“Hey, I was only asking why you would want to. Only a warper could do that, anyway.” He dusted off the sand.
“A warper? I didn’t think those were real.” Ari had heard the old wives’ tales about people who could manipulate or create VRs with a wave of their hands, but no one really believed in them. If one believed the conspiracy theories online, warpers were responsible for everything from government hacks to alien landings.
“I knew a buddy online that claimed to be a warper. He supposedly made millions but disappeared. I haven’t heard from him since.”
“Then how do you know he was telling the truth?”
“I guess I don’t. He just didn’t seem like the type to brag or lie about stuff. He was something else.” He shrugged. “I’m glad you’re sticking around.”
Ari took another breath. “I’m surprised I’m actually able to stick around in here.”
“Most phobias just take constant exposure to overcome.”
She looked at him sideways, narrowing her eyes. “When did you become an expert?”
He smiled. “The school has a fabulous computerized counselor.”
She cringed in embarrassment. She was the crazy girl. But part of it made sense. She tried a virtual at the beginning of every school year, and when she freaked out, the teacher let her opt out for the year. She learned to loathe the first day of school.
He reached for her hand. “I think I’ve been a nice distraction too.”
Taking his hand sent her heart racing. Her other hand restlessly adjusted her swimsuit. While she definitely was improving, she was far from comfortable here. The fabricated world could hold anything or nothing. After being held at bay for so long, her panic pushed to the forefront of her mind.
Sensing her panic, Garrett turned her head with a gentle hand. “Hey, Ari, look at me. I’m real. You’re real. That’s all that matters.” He cupped her face with his hands. “Look at me.” His dark eyes were calm and his breathing even.
She tried to mimic it.
“I’m real. You’re real,” he slowly leaned forward. “This is real.”
His salty lips pressed against hers, and she lost all focus. This wasn’t real. None of it. In a second, her world blackened.
Ari stared at the ceiling, struggling to catch her breath. Garrett’s hand hung open and empty by his side as his eyes fluttered open.
Her hands reached behind and slowly unplugged herself. Now awake, Garrett unplugged himself, and then came over to help her. She knew how to do it, but without years of experience like everyone else, it took her longer.
Even the dim lights couldn’t hide the disappointment in Garrett’s heavy eyes.
“Thanks Garett,” she said. “I’m sorry, I just ...”
“Don’t worry about it.” He spoke in a brisk manner. “It’ll take a while. I get it.”
She stood, and they both headed outside. The cool wind brushed against her skin, and for the briefest moment, she wished she was back on that beach. Instead, she tugged her cardigan around her body to block the chill. They walked back, an awkward silence settling between them. He stopped at the door to her building. She kept the distance between them, not ready to relive that moment in the VR. Not that he wasn’t cute or nice for helping her. It just messed with her mind, having reality and the virtuals mix so closely. Her feeling swirled in her mind, unsure of how she felt about him. He was a great friend, but as a boyfriend? Maybe that was her answer right there.
Chapter Nine
Tessa shoved Ari’s shoulder repeatedly. “Hey, are you going to class? You slept through both of our alarms.”
“What?” Ari bolted upright, though her mind took a bit longer to catch up.
“You slept through breakfast and have about ten minutes until class.”
“Damn.” Ari stumbled to her desk, shoved her tablet in her bag, and slung it over her shoulder.
“Your clothes?” Tessa watched her in disbelief.
Looking down, Ari realized she still wore her pajamas, gray sweatpants and a purple tee. “Ugh!” Ari headed to her dresser.
“Don’t mention it. Here’s a coffee, you’re going to need it more than me.” Tessa placed the drink on her desk and headed out the door.
Ari made a mental note that she owed Tessa big time and rushed to finish getting ready.
Ari slipped into class a few minutes late. Wake and his friends snickered in the back as Professor Speltman reprimanded her. Warmth flooded her face as she mumbled her apologies and took her seat.
The caffeine had not hit Ari’s system effectively enough for her to comprehend Professor Speltman’s lecture on the common templates for coding. Although she’d better figure it out by that afternoon, since she had to create a template herself. By the time she found her seat in programming, she had wiped the sleep from her eyes and the caffeine had kicked in. With thoughts of the previous night, a nervous energy kept her sitting up straight in her chair as Professor Tollingston lectured on the seven basic plots in storytelling. He claimed that there were only seven stories ever told in history, and those were retold with different variations.
Despite her interest in the topic, Ari’s mind wandered back to her night with Garrett. Part of her found hope in remaining in the VR for as long as she did. Yet leaving mid-kiss had made things a bit awkward in the lab with Garrett. Though, as they texted through the day, he had guaranteed her that he didn’t take offense at her fast departure.
While trying to keep up with her notes, thoughts of Garrett and his almost-kiss twirled around her mind. He was cute, nice, and ready to help when no one else seemed to care, but something was off. Maybe it was his objectionable methods of helping by slipping a tab in her drink or sneaking into school property in the middle of the night? That kiss wasn’t anything like she imagined her first kiss. Did that even count as a kiss if it was electronic?
She shoved the memories of the night away and focused on the lecture. Professor Tollingston was giving examples of stories told throughout history.
The red-headed kid, Rand, raised his hand. “Why does it matter if history falls into the regular stock stories?”
Gutsy to ask, Ari thought, or just stupid.
“There is a high demand for periodic pieces amongst educational institutions, and the study of military strategy and wars is extremely important to our country. Yet people want to be constantly entertained, so you must follow the plots given to you. You students are storytellers, every single one of you, and virtuals are a story taken to the ultimate platform.”
As her professor assigned homework, Ari realized why she might have been chosen for the scholarship. She loved stories, relishing the characters and intricate plots. The only problem was she preferred them on her tablet where she had more control over the experience.
The bell rang, and Ari headed to lunch. Her shoes hit the warm pavement, and she welcomed the sun as she continued on her way to grab a bite to eat.
She was surprised to find Reed approaching and wondered what he was doing near the Virtuals building. It was on the other side of the campus for him.
“Hey, Ari.” He looked good with his perfectly mussed hair and hazel eyes. She nervously touched her hair, currently wrapped in a messy bun, and wished she’d fixed it after class.
“Whatcha doing on this side of the world?”
“Not much. I had to run a couple of errands.” He looked around for a moment.
She wondered if he was meeting someone, maybe the blonde she remembered from his dorm.
“Can I talk to you for a second?” He moved to the grassy area next to the Virtual building, and Ari followed, a bit curious as why he would need to talk to her.
“Is this about Marco? I haven’t seen him for a week, and I thought he
might be avoiding hanging out with his first-year sister.”
“No, it’s not about Marco.”
“Then why hasn’t he called or returned my texts?”
“He’s busy lately, studying, and he’s been in the virtual lab a lot this semester.” A chill ran up Ari’s spine at the mention of virtuals. She still needed to get used to the fact that they were a part of her daily life.
“You better tell him to text me soon.” Ari’s stomach grumbled, signaling time to go. “I’m heading to lunch.”
“No, wait.” He stopped her.
She glanced at his hand on her arm. She’s known Reed for a long time, and his touch shouldn’t affect her so much. Looking back up, she noticed color flooding his face. She’d never seen him flustered before.
“What is it?”
“It’s Garrett.”
She pulled back slightly. How could he know?
He must have seen the surprise on her face. “I saw the both of you the other day and I was a little worried.”
“What about Garrett?”
“I know Garrett. We work together.”
“Where?”
“We do a side business together to make some extra money.” Reed dropped his hand and his eyes. “It’s just that I know what kind of guy he is, and I don’t think you should be hanging out, especially with you being a first-year and all. He has a reputation with girls.”
“Really?” She bit back her frustration at being left in the dark. Why didn’t anyone tell her? She waited until Reed met her eyes before she continued. “Garrett has been the only one in this whole school to help me out and even care what’s happening to me. I can’t even get my own brother to text me back, never mind give a damn about how I’m doing.”
“I give a damn.”
“Until the next pretty blonde comes along.” Ari didn’t mean to say it. The words slipped out. She had no reason to be jealous, and she didn’t think she really was. It just felt like ammunition.
A momentary flash of surprise crossed his eyes. “What are you talking about?”
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