Extra Ordinary

2.

"This guy has been here for nearly every big strategy game in the past five years. One thing's for sure: extra ordinary is anything but ordinary. He's known to go for risky and innovative tactics that may lose him some games, but that also makes his stream interesting and as big as it is today."

"Actually, we don't know if it's a he, Brad. We don't know anything about, him, her? Just that they, whoever they are, don't like giving any personal info. No voice, no picture, no social media. They never joined any big tournament, despite being invited. There's just the stream the amazing games played-- mostly Starcraft and Starcraft 2-- but they're branching out, too."

"You are, of course, right, Jolene. We don't really know anything about this mystery player. It could be anyone. It could be me."

Jolene laughed. "You certainly are an extraordinary guy, Brad. But--"

My headphone roughly got yanked down to my neck, and Mom was in my face.

"Gabriel, you're going to be late for school. Stop playing video games and get your clothes on."

"I wasn't playing games - I don't play games on my laptop. I was just watching a review," I protested.

Mom raised an eyebrow as if to say 'same difference.'

"Breakfast is ready, I'm expecting you down in five," she said, before picking a discarded sweater from yesterday up from the floor and leaving my room.

I closed my laptop with a sigh and placed my headphone on the desk.

She and Dad believed video games were a waste of time. Many hobbies were, if you asked me, but all we need to do something for fun. I was fairly sure their sceptical tone would change to boasting if they knew I made money with my stream, but I wasn't about to tell them or anyone for that matter.

I just wanted to play. Anonymously, without complications. Unfortunately, money always had a way of complicating things.

On my way to school, I figured the money I gave Asa Jennings last Friday was probably wasted. I'd given him a free fifty, without any assurance he'd actually show up at my lunch table. And him not showing wasn't even the worst case scenario. By giving him money, I'd told him I had money. What if he'd demand a fifty every day now, just to not beat me up? It'd be just my luck.

By the time I entered the cafeteria for lunch, I was fully convinced I'd gotten myself in deep shit by talking to Asa in the first place. He was the threatening guy at the train station your mom warned you not to make eye contact with. The loan shark who forever indebted people.

He was exactly the kind of guy to... actually come sauntering into the cafeteria, take a seat opposite you and do exactly as promised.

I barely kept my mouth from dropping while Asa casually lounged in the chair, taking out his phone.

The people surrounding me weren't as composed. I felt stares, eyes pricking in my back and giving me goosebumps. It wasn't every day a guy like Asa sat at the misfit table.

That's truly what this table was: the misfit table. We joked about it ourselves, because we were all somehow rejects from our own class. There was obnoxiously loud Landon, who shouted to hide his insecurities, making them more prominent. Quiet Camilla, who was his polar opposite and didn't talk at all. And lastly, Randall who didn't believe in being 'politically correct' but that honestly just meant he had no social grace whatsoever.

Maybe we weren't exactly friends either, but we protected each other from a terribly lonely high school existence by sitting together. There was strength in numbers, too.

I should've warned the others Asa was going to sit at our table today.

I realised it when I saw the three of them lingering at the cafeteria entrance, huddled together and whispering. Landon glanced at Asa and I every two seconds and Randall made wild gestures.

Finally, the three of them, still huddled close together, made their way over to the table. They all tentatively sat on my side of the table, nobody daring to take the chair next to Asa.  It looked utterly ridiculous and only Landon said 'hi!' to greet me.

Asa's presence in the cafeteria, at the misfit table, disrupted everything normal. Both inside my friend circle (I'd never ever seen Landon and Randall this silent), and outside of it. The murmurs and stares continued.

Asa was the silence in the storm, not blinking twice at the attention or the disruption in the universe he had caused.

I saw Rolf and his friends looking, but they didn't approach to give us a hard time. At least the fifty was well spent money.

Landon cleared his throat. "So, uh, Gabe, you watched Blizzcon this weekend?"

I cleared my throat too. "Uh, yeah, I did."

"Man I wish I was as good as those guys," Randall said.

I shifted and looked down at my hands. "Yeah, me too."

Another silence followed, in which Landon nervously glanced in Asa's direction, undoubtedly wondering what the hell was going on.

This was going to be a long, long break.

Correction: this was going to be a long, long day.

I knew as much when Rolf called out to me on the parking lot after school.

"Yo, Gay-briel," he greeted me, smiling as if that joke hadn't stopped being funny after -- oh wait, it'd never been funny in the first place.

"Hello Rolf," I replied through gritted teeth.

He swung an arm around my shoulder, and my back went rigid. It must've looked like a friendly gesture on the outside, but his arm was around me so tight I knew it wasn't at all. I couldn't lean away from him, and he forced me to a halt.

"You and psycho Jennings are friends now?" he asked.

I wanted to dare him to say that to Asa's face, see how tough he is then. Instead, I bit my tongue.

"We are," I lied.

I hoped with a fiery passion that lie wouldn't come to haunt me. Of course, it immediately did as Asa chose that exact moment to exit the school building. Rolf immediately took his arm off of me and stepped back, a flash of panic in his eyes.

For a moment I thought he was going to actually apologise to me. Then, Asa brushed us like we didn't exist.

Rolf gaze darted from Asa to me, and to Asa again to double check. The pink bike wasn't here today. He'd arrived at school on his usual motorcycle, which he now rode out of the stalling.

"That doesn't look friendly to me," he remarked.

"Yeah, well, we are," I blabbered, slowly inching away from Rolf. "And I should uh probably go."

I wasn't quick enough. Rolf had a hold on my arm, nearly dislocating it as he yanked me back to him. "Not so fast, Gay-briel."

I breathed fast, scanning the parking lot for any teacher I could call out to, but they were nowhere to be found. Only students who didn't care and wouldn't interfere with whatever Rolf did. And Asa.

"Jennings! I double the rate! I double it!" I called out hastily.

Asa had his motorcycle against the wall within seconds. Rolf's fingernails dug into my arm. He froze like a deer in the headlights as Asa approached us.

"Let go," Asa calmly told Rolf.

Rolf immediately obeyed. The grip on my arm loosened.

"And walk away," Asa added.

Rolf didn't obey this time. He didn't walk away. He ran.