Feyland: The Dark Realm

Chapter Five

Tam headed across the scabby grass outside school. He needed to do something about his system, and soon. Yesterday it had made a horrible grinding vibration when he powered up. The noise finally faded, but it had been bad.

“Tam!” a voice called behind him. His steps slowed.

Not just any voice, but hers. Jennet Carter. She had a faint accent. He’d noticed it in class, the way her answers were inflected with a lilt that Crestview didn’t have.

“Tam Linn!” she called again. “Hey, could I talk to you?”

He turned around. She was standing on the steps outside the school doors, her blond hair shining in the afternoon sunlight.

“What?” he said. Why would Jennet Carter want to talk to him?

She moved toward him, her expression cautious.

“Hi.” She tried a smile. It faded when he didn’t smile back. “Right. Well. I hear you’re a simmer.”

“Yeah.”

His tournament win was common knowledge. The fact that his prize system was tapped into the ‘net - that was secret. He wasn’t about to get all chatty with anyone about his gaming, let alone a Viewer.

“So… you’re a pretty good player, right?” she asked.

He narrowed his eyes. “How am I supposed to answer that?”

If he told the truth, he’d come across as bragging. If he didn’t, he’d sound like a loser.

“Honestly.” She gave him a measuring look and he tried not to notice how having her gaze on him made that restless feeling start up again under his skin.

Ok then. “Yeah, I’m good.”

She hitched her bag up on her shoulder. “Best simmer in town?”

“What is this?” Annoyance heated his words. “You have some assignment to interview another student or something?”

“No. I was just… wondering.” She pressed her lips together.

Nosy rich girl. Still, a part of him - a stupid, doglike part - was flattered that she was interested. That part was sitting up, wagging its tail and ready to do anything for a word of praise from those soft lips.

So he turned his back on her and started walking away.

“Wait!” She came after him and caught his arm. “Please tell me.”

The vulnerability in her expression made him pause. Made him answer, despite himself.

“I’m the best in the tri-states, actually. Happy? Now let go.”

She did, and he felt the absence of her touch almost as keenly as he’d felt the warmth of it.

“Could I….” She looked down at her hands, then back up at him. “Could I watch you game sometime?”

He pushed his hair out of his face, so he could see every nuance of her expression. “You’ve seen people sim before, haven’t you?” The high-tech world she was from, she must have.

“Of course!” She looked offended for a second, and it made him smile a little bit inside, to see emotion blazing like that from her eyes. “I play, too, you know.”

On equipment that he didn’t even want to try and imagine, or jealousy would eat right through him.

“I don’t doubt it. Are you trying to ask me out or something?”