Love's Reality 【H2OVanoss】

Ch. 1 - Chasing Dreams

Evan~POV:

I cover my arm over my face a bit more as the sun creeps its way in. I scrunched my face and sighed at the realization of what seemed like no sleep. I probably passed out here and there, but I still felt sluggish and bleary. I have an awful addiction with Virtual Reality games. Especially, MMORPG's (Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games.) which I usually play with Lui and the others. Lui, Craig, and Brock say I'm quite different from the virtual world to the real world. I don't exactly know what they mean by that, but I can at the same time. But in my own perspective.

In the virtual world, I have no worries of being lonely, I'm more confident, I feel.. free.
In the real world, I am quiet and shy, lonely - other than the guys - I have no friends, I'm picked on, bullied. And I always have this odd feeling in my chest, it feels..empty.

I slowly get up and shield my eyes once again. The sun must really love it when I'm miserable. I feel the cold, wooden floor beneath my feet as I walk over to the blinds to close. I slump back on the bed and rub my eyes. I hunch over and jump at my brother's booming voice,
"Evan, time for school! Get up!"

I shake my head and look at the time. Another school day to nap at. I stretch and stand up. I roll my eyes at the uniforms we have to wear to school. Ever since late 2022, they made it official to make all schools around the world - every country - wear uniforms, because it is "professional," professional my ass.

I strip down from my sweat pants and long-sleeve, grey shirt and dress in my uniform. I adjust my tie. I remember struggling for a long time with it, but finally got the hang of it. I mess with my hair a bit in the mirror and sigh at how difficult it is to try and make a good impression. It's not the first day, but it feels like it every day. Since we can't wear what we want anymore, expressing yourself can only be in your personality, talent, or the way your hair is styled and your face. We do have the choice to add suspenders and stuff close to that but I personally choose not to. Just doesn't fit me.

After spiffing up, I glance over at my SOD (Sensory Operating Device) before leaving. It was still on. I walk over to my bed side table and shut it down, leaving it to charge.

I enter the dinning area and see my brother and father. You may ask, how come your brother and father don't strict you on how long you always play on that thing, isn't it bad for your health. It can be bad, but not exactly, but my father doesn't really care. My brother seems to ignore it, he mentions it, but not often in a bad way per say.

I sit down at the bar island and stare at my plate. Eggs, sliced bananas, toast, and peanut butter to spread on my toast. I do just that and eat in a fast manner to brush my teeth and a last minute freshen up before I leave.

"Bye everyone, I'm off to the campus!" My brother hollers. My father and I, synchronically answer back, "Bye, love you."

My brother goes to a small college, he studies animation on video games. I hope to study technological who's and whats it's when it comes time. The room was filled with awkward silence. My father and I have a more acquainted relationship. We hardly have conversations. The reason, unknown. My father and I don't really.. click, or have the same opinion on things. Like I said before about the video games, my father used to pester me and lecture me and ground me about that in the past, but I suppose he's given up. I suppose he's mad at me or hates me. He does blame me for the reason of..-

I finish my food and freshen up in the bathroom. I then grab my book bag and exit the house, and begin walking to the school. The sky was a light blue, pink and purple here and there from the rising sun. It shined over the roofs of the nearby houses.
I pull out my phone and earbuds and put on some music, some remixes of songs. I walk and breathe in the crisp morning hair and glance at the dew on the ground from the cold and instant change of it to heat.

--

I walk through the gates of the school and see many students chatting and walking about. School doesn't start for another ten minutes, but students are allowed to roam around and do what they need to before then.

I take out my earbuds and adjust my eyes to the familiar scenery. The school being three stories high. I never really wanted to attend such a big school, but it just happened. My dad does get paid mad money, but at the same time we don't have much.

I'm interrupted from my thoughts when three familiar faces walk up with smiles and giggles.
"Hey, Evan! Last night was awesome!" Lui giggled about last night.
I smiled, softly and chuckled, lightly.
"That was hilarious! I can't wait for this game to come out fully. You think they'll have the same bugs?!" Brock exclaimed.

They were all referring to last night when a monster we were fighting glitched out everywhere. It was "derpy."

I shrugged, "Well, of course it'll have bugs, it's still Beta. It will still probably have some even when the full game comes out Saturday."

"Yeah, I can't wait! Who's staying up!?" Lui pointed to the air.

"Me!" Brock and Craig said simultaneously.
"Heh, me..!" I laughed.

"Alright, whoever gets theirs first wins! Haha!"
"Why do we have to make everything a competition?" Craig asked.
"Because I say so, now come on. We better get a move on, school's gonna start and our first class is on the third floor!" Lui swayed his hips, then grabbed my arm when he finished, dragging me to our first period.

"See ya!" The two behind us yelled, they had their classes first and second floor for first period.

I waved to them and we continued on.

--
Jonathan~POV:

I shot up out of bed. My breathing uncontrollable. I blinked a few times and gulped, scanning my surroundings. I'm here, home, in my bedroom, I'm okay, no one's here. I'm home, alone.. I lean on my elbows in relief and rub my face. I look over at the time..-
8:30! I jump up again in a hurry.
I'm late.. Again..

I quickly dress in my uniform and run my fingers through my hair, in the mirror. It's a routine now, I wake up late - from playing VR games - and get to school late, get a lecture from the principal and teacher, then go in class and barely pay attention to the lesson. I sigh at the mess I see. This apartment is a mess. I barely have money to keep it, just because I save my money for VR games. Some would say I have a problem, but it's the only way to make me happy, and not feel.. Alone.
It's a weird feeling being in the two different worlds. What I can common them in is trust, and which is good or bad.

I look at myself in the mirror and frown in disgust of myself. I shake my head and leave the apartment. I breathe in the fresh, damp air. It has rained last night, I believe. I run down the sidewalk to make it to school.

-

I enter the classroom and place the tardy slip on the teachers desk. I walk to my seat, shunning myself from everyone. Everyone stares, but I don't care. I'm tired, besides, I'm used to it. I slouch in my chair and the class was still in its silence. I sighed to myself and stared out the window. The once beautiful sky turns grey. It begins to rain again. First a sprinkle, then a downpour. I didn't pay attention to the lesson that was being given. I just went into my own world. A happy world. A world that was never to exist, only in a virtual world.

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