Hooked

by DeAnna Browne

  Thursday night, Ari and Tessa were knee deep in homework when a knock sounded. Not surprisingly, Tessa ignored it. Ari jumped up to answer it. They didn’t have many visitors, other than other students wanting to borrow notes or something lame.

  When she opened the door, Reed stood there. His dirty blond hair was styled up in front and his shirt looked crisp and clean.

  “What’s up?” She tried not to be too obvious as she checked out his cute jeans that hung just right on his slender hips.

  “I wanted to ask you something.” He glanced down at his shoes and nervously kicked at the carpet.

  “Okay ...” She wondered why he didn’t just message her.

  “Do you want to go out this weekend, like on a date?” He glanced up, his cheeks flushed.

  Her lips curled up in a smile. She had never seen Reed nervous before. Her stomach did happy flips. “Sure. You could have just messaged me.”

  He shook his head. “My mom gave me some rules about girls. I never bothered following them before, but they sounded like a good idea.”

  “I’m interested in hearing about these rules.”

  He glanced into her room where her computer was up and running. “Another time when you’re not busy.” He stepped towards her and planted a light kiss on her cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”

  She stayed in the doorway watching him walk away. Her cheek tingled where his lips touched her skin, and her heart pooled in a puddle at her feet.

  By the time the weekend came, even the mountains of homework couldn’t ruin her mood. Reed had asked Ari on a date, an official date. Their school sat on the edge of a small town with only a few restaurants and stores, but Ari didn’t care if he took her to a swamp. To spend time alone with Reed, outside of school, sounded amazing.

  Ari changed into a pair of black pants and a green top. She was straightening her long black hair when Tessa walked in.

  “Getting ready for your date, I see. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Tessa grinned.

  “We’re going into town to eat or something.”

  “Cool.” Tessa settled into her chair, drink in hand.

  “What are you doing tonight?”

  “You’re looking at it. I’ll maybe order some pizza and crush some guys online whose egos have been getting too big.” Tessa pushed back a stray of long hair and turned to her computer.

  “Okay. I’m heading out then. Smash some egos for me.” Ari grabbed her bag. She was supposed to meet Reed downstairs.

  Tessa put on her headset and the look of determination that often accompanied it. “Will do.”

  By the time Ari made it down to the lobby, Reed was already there by the front door, watching the sky. With one hand in his pocket, he stared outside. The falling sun cast a gold glow to his hair and outlined his features. He looked ... beautiful. And not just in the “I want to kiss your face off” kind of way, but truly beautiful. She hated to disturb him.

  As she approached, he turned to greet her. His face lit up in a smile. “Ready?”

  Unable to help herself, she just stared.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah.” Ari took his hand, shaking herself out of her stupor. This was Reed who she had known forever. Get a hold of yourself, Ari. “This is a bit surreal. You and me, going on a date together.”

  “I know what you mean.” He reached for her hand, and they left her dorm. “I feel like I should be asking your mother’s permission or something.”

  “Don’t worry. I actually talked to her about it.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, last night. She says she couldn’t think of a better boy she could trust me with. I’m glad that I never told her about Garrett.”

  “Don’t remind me,” he growled. “When I saw you two together—”

  Thankfully, security interrupted him. Several guards stood by the gate. Ari and Reed approached the officer at the gate and scanned their identity bracelets. Several others walked back and forth along the fence. The electric fence wasn’t enough? Extra guards have been stationed since the intruders.

  “Curfew is at ten tonight. No exceptions,” said a tall, pale officer that Ari didn’t recognize.

  “Really?” At the beginning of the year it was midnight on the weekends.

  “The gates are closing early due to Monday’s incident. If you want to stay out later, you have to sign out an extended pass.” The officer’s pressed lips didn’t offer any room to debate.

  “We’ll be back.” Reed pulled Ari along.

  Ari was used to guards at her old school, but they were friendly and more relaxed. These men weren’t security guards but soldiers. “How often do things like Monday happen?”

  “Not that often, but there are enough attempts that security is kept pretty tight. Some fanatics think the VR and the computer age are detrimental to evolution or something.”

  “Some days I wonder that myself,” Ari replied. She had witnessed the ill effects of VR first hand.

  “Come on.” Reed grasped her hand tighter. “We’re supposed to be having fun. Forget about the guards.”

  Alone with Reed, it was easy for Ari to forget about everything else. He took her to a small restaurant with fresh food that tasted of home. She got lost in his eyes more than once, and he had to remind her to keep eating. Over hot salsa and spicy meat, they talked of home and even of the future. Reed was in his last year of school. After finals he would be assigned as an intern, anywhere in the country. He’d requested to stay in the Southwest, close to his mother and Ari.

  “Want dessert?” He scanned the small screen that displayed the menu.

  “I’m actually stuffed.” Ari hadn’t eaten that much in a while, but it was so worth it.

  He paid on the screen and then turned back to Ari. “Okay, well I have another surprise for you.”

  “Surprise?” She raised a brow as her lips pulled up in a smile.

  “It’s nothing too exciting, but I thought you’d like it.” He reached for her hand as they left the restaurant.

  As they walked by various outdoor restaurants, stores, and VR bars, she relished having Reed at her side. They held hands or lightly touched, both of them like magnets, constantly drawn back to each other. Ari wondered if this feeling of wanting to touch him or be next to him would ever fade.

  At the next block, an older store sat squished in the corner. Large green letters flashed overhead that spelled “GAMING” and then underneath it read “BUY, SELL, TRADE.” Reed headed towards the store.

  “This is it?” Ari worried for a moment that he was taking her to a VR, a popular date for most people. And while she could stomach a VR date, she would much rather have Reed in reality next to her.

  “Trust me.” Reed continued through the automatic door.

  From a screen on their right a mechanical voice welcomed them to the store and offered to locate specific products for them. Reed ignored the prompt and continued inside. “Hey, Pete.”

  “Good to see ya.” Pete was a slim man with brown hair pulled back into a short ponytail.

  They didn’t stop to chat, but instead headed to the back. The store held a random array of multi-dimensional games, sensory games, and even some VRs. Ari noticed a sign for screening rooms in the back. The store wasn’t packed but had several people browsing the merchandise.

  Tucked away in one little corner, there were some books, real physical books. She hadn’t held a book since her part-time job cataloging and scanning old novels. It had been the only time she had touched books. Books you knew didn’t change with a slight tap of your finger.

  She picked up a yellowed book with a cowboy on the front. Though paperback, the cover was coated with some sort of plastic. As she opened the book, the smell of mothballs and old paper wafted up. The fragile paper had browned on the edges. It was the epitome of the older generation, when stories were only one-dimensional.

  “You like them?” Reed leaned over, resting his chin on her shoulder, and wrapping his arms around her waist
. “How much is it?”

  “Probably worth more than I am.” Ari looked for a price on the back.

  “Doubt it. Pete is trying to sell off all his books. These antiques don’t sell as well as they used to.”

  She turned the book over but didn’t see anything.

  “Here.” He reached for the book. “I’ll go ask him. Stay and check out the others.”

  She picked up another book, this one a cheesy romance of some kind. Another customer approached to peruse the books. The man was older, but with strong, broad shoulders. His friendly smile and goatee softened his muscular features. “Do you happen to know much about these antiques?”

  “Some, but not much.” Ari shrugged, not able to shake the feeling that she had seen him before somewhere.

  His caramel eyes blended well with his tanned skin. “Do you study ancient text in school?”

  “No, I’m in the VR program here.”

  “Very cool. I work in VRs. I’m Dave, by the way.” He reached out a hand to shake.

  Ari hesitated for a moment, assuming he must work at the VR bar they passed. This was a busy store, though, and he appeared friendly enough. She returned the handshake. “Ari.”

  The man glanced briefly at the front desk to where Reed was, and Ari followed his gaze. Reed was talking to his friend, engrossed in conversation.

  “Ari, have you ever thought about going into the corporate VR market?”

  “No, not really. I’m just trying to make it through school. I have another year or so before I begin thinking about careers.”

  Dave’s face fell a bit, his eyes looking older and more serious. “I’m sorry to say, you don’t have that long.”

  “That long for what?” Instinctively, Ari took a step back.

  “I work for VisionTech. We know about your trip in the game over break. We know what you can do.”

  Ari shook her head and started to walk away.

  He set the book down but didn’t try to follow her. “Changing a character in the middle of a busy game is not the way to stay discreet.”

  She froze, not out of fear but curiosity. How did he know about Garrett and the game? She was still trying to figure out what happened herself, and she wanted to know more despite this man being a stranger.

  “Don’t be afraid, Ari. We have no reason to let others know. They are our competition.”

  “Competition?” The word escaped Ari’s lips, as her mind spun with what was happening.

  “Recruiters. There are only so many warpers, and everyone wants one.”

  “I’m not a warper.” Ari thought back to her lessons and the game with Garrett.

  “You’re telling me you don’t see code inside the VR? And what about all those unexplainable incidences with Garrett or the glitches you see? There is a reason they happen, and the reason is you.”

  Ari swallowed and found her voice. “I’m not sure what’s going on. I’m not whatever you think I am.”

  “We won’t tell anyone, but it won’t be long before the government finds out through your school. I’m amazed you’ve lasted this long. You’re definitely the oldest untrained warper there is.” He let the last statement sit for a moment before continuing. “And let me tell you, of all the companies, VisionTech, is one of the best. Many places won’t have any perks or spending accounts. If the government snatches you up first, you’ll be working for the military torturing people, and training soldiers. Something a little girl should know nothing about.”

  “I’m not a little girl.” She sounded absurd, like a three-year-old stomping their foot. Ari didn’t care.

  “True. But you’re not a soldier either. Are you?”

  She didn’t answer him. The Never-Ending War had stretched into another decade. With so many countries involved, Ari couldn’t even tell you who her country was fighting anymore. She wasn’t a soldier and didn’t want to become one.

  The man slid a card into her hand and leaned in, his breath uncomfortably close. “Contact me if you have any questions or change your mind. Trust me. The pay alone can take your mother off the assembly line and into a private estate.”

  How does he know about my mother? Ari tensed at the idea that this man, this stranger, had researched her mother. What about the rest of her family?

  “Hey,” Reed said, walking up behind them.

  Dave gave her one final look and walked away.

  “Are you alright? I saw that old guy hitting on you, and I thought I better come to the rescue.” Reed slid his arm around her. “Man, you’re cold. Did he spook you?”

  “No, no, I’m fine. Just creeped out a bit.”

  “I understand. There was this girl who graduated last year. She was on the strip with a guy that could have been my grandpa if he was still alive. Seriously. Sick.”

  “Yeah.” Ari needed to leave, to find some fresh air and think. She didn’t want to tell Reed anything until she knew for herself what was going on.

  “Pete will give me a good deal on the book, if you still want it.” Reed watched her, his brow tightening in concern.

  Ari pasted on a smile. She never really did have a poker face. “Thanks, but I’m okay. I enjoyed looking at them though.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah. I’m good.”

  “Okay. Up for dessert?”

  “Sure.” She slipped her hand into his.

  “Great.” Reed turned and led her towards the door. With her free hand, Ari tucked the card in her back pocket.

  CHAPTER 21

  Another long week passed. A week full of sleepless nights. A week full of Ari telling herself lies, trying to convince herself that contacting Dave was a mistake. That if she kept everything to herself, nothing would change.

  Saturday, Ari woke early to a dark and cloudy sky. Tessa snored softly, her rumpled purple hair strewn all over her pillow made her look like she’d had a wild night—even though Ari knew it was spent in front of her computer screen.

  Ari headed out the door, hoping for an early start on studying. She grabbed a coffee from the vending machine and headed to the student VR lab on the sixth floor. She swiped her bracelet and the large metallic door slid open for her.

  She checked in with the groggy aide who assigned a room for her to work in. “Call me if you need anything.” He took another drink of his coffee.

  “I got it.” Sometimes Ari struggled hooking herself in, but she managed to do it by herself. It felt too intimate, too close for a stranger.

  Ari walked down the maroon and silver corridor, with large screens mounted on the walls flashing various announcements. “Tutoring help offered Saturday afternoons 12-5” one screen displayed. The screen flipped images then, “Career day January 18th.” Ari paused at the monitor. She tapped on it and swiped her bracelet to send herself a reminder.

  Her thoughts drifted back to the recruiter from VisionTech, Dave. Could she trust him? She didn’t know. Ari wasn’t sure if she was really a warper, but she could see the code. She wasn’t sure what happened in the game with Garrett, but she needed to figure it out. Dave’s promises about her mother lingered with her all morning.

  For the first time in her life she wanted to go back in the VR. She wanted to see if she really was what Dave had said, a warper. She remembered his warning though and had second thoughts as she waited outside her assigned door. Her student card hung precariously over the scanner. Should she chance it? She didn’t quite believe Dave. If he really was a recruiter, his only goal would be for her to sign a contract. There had to be other companies to work with. Maybe even working with the government wouldn’t be that bad. The card shook in her hand, and her gut turned with unease.

  Unsure of who to trust or what to do, she turned and left the lab. The student aide at the desk had nodded off next to a cup of coffee. Ari left her dorm and zipped up her jacket as the freezing wind cut against her face. She headed towards Reed’s dorm thinking he might be able to sneak her into a virtual that wasn’t being watched, but then remembered Reed handle
d security. He didn’t have the keys for an offline VR. But Garrett did.

  The pit of her stomach sank, and her pace slowed as she realized she had to ask Garrett for a favor, to face a conversation she had been avoiding for weeks. She walked into the tech center. The same place she had visited on the first day of school with the same trepidation rising but for different reasons.

  Ari spun the ring on her finger, the one that Garrett had given her. Tessa had told her the real cost of the ring that turned into an earpiece along with other cool tricks. Ari couldn’t afford another one of her own. Practicality won out. Besides, she didn’t blame Garrett for what happened between them, not really. He was who he was. It was Ari who wasn’t ready for that type of physical relationship with someone she’d just met.

  With wide eyes, Garrett couldn’t hide his surprise when Ari entered the room. Self-consciously Ari tugged at her messy ponytail. But she found solace in his wrinkly shirt and messy hair. His hair jet black looked a little shorter.

  A condescending smile curled on his lips. “To what do I owe this great pleasure? Your HUB broke or something?”

  “You got a haircut.” Ari regretted the remark as soon as it left her lips.

  “Huh? So that’s how we’re going to do this?” He played with a pen in his fingers. “Yes, I did get a haircut. How nice of you to notice.” His tone was much sharper than his words.

  “Can we talk? In private?”

  He arched an eyebrow and turned back into that mischievous, cute little boy again. “Sure, let’s go for a walk.” He typed something into the computer and then hollered to the back. “Keyton, I’m going on break. Listen for the door.”

  He shoved something in his pocket and walked around the tall silver counter. After you, he motioned, and Ari led the way through the door. Ari headed towards the lake, hoping the shore would be empty this early. Garrett maintained a forced distance but kept up with Ari. She bit the inside of her lip trying to figure out a way to begin.

  Once the lake was in sight, Garrett stopped walking. “So is this all about my grooming habits?”

  “I’m sorry,” Ari blurted out.

  Garrett’s face froze with no emotion, and then he continued on the path around the lake without a word.