The Monitor Masquerade

Level 9

GraceKelli's POV

I got home and went straight to my computer. Prince was still offline so I went into the call my party already had going. "Yo yo yo!"

"Oh look who's in a good mood. Didn't have to talk to anyone today I assume?" Ryan the token asshole said.

"Nope. Also Taylor smiled at me today at lunch so that just made my life a lot more bearable."

"You know Kel, Prince is right you just need to talk to him." Andy said through a mouth full of food.

"I'm getting there. First it was a look, and now it's a smile. I am moving up in the world."

"All I'm saying is it wouldn't hurt to smile back."

"Kelli you really need to get over this whole thing." Ryan started but Zach cut in.

"Let her just do what she wants okay?"

"Are you really still mad?" Ryan sounded confused. Zach left the call and Ryan did too soon after.

"Alright well." Jordan said. "I came in on the wrong time."

"Yeah you did. What was that about?" I asked.

"I told you something was going on between them!"

"What happened?" I was way too eager.

"Well Ryan asked me if I knew any romantic places and-"

"Hold up a sec guys," Jordan said, "Someone is at my door. I wanna here this." We waited in silence until Jordan came back on the mic. "Hey I'll just call back later my cousin got himself in trouble again."

He hung up and then it was just Andy and I.

"What's up with his cousin?"

"I don't know some gang stuff. He was staying with Jordan a while and so every time he does something they always go to Jordan first."

"Man that sucks. Oh well back to this. So Ryan texted me if I knew any good date spots and I was like no girls don't talk to me and he was like not for a girl and I was like dude for the last time I'm not gay. So anyways, the next day Zach and I were talking and he had to go because he was going out with someone...boom. They totally smashed on that date."

"Oh gosh. Wasn't there a rule that we didn't date each other??"

"That was so that we wouldn't date since you were jailbait to everyone else. Well me too but less so."

"Fair point."

"You know I'm pretty sure the guys are planning a get together at the comic shop. You should come."

"I don't know..."

"Kel, it's been two years. You know us. You know we aren't going to kidnap and or kill you. You have to trust us right?"

"No I do trust you guys it's just that...I don't know. I feel like all the hype will be gone. I feel like a disappointment."

"How could you ever be a disappointment to us? Kelli you are literally my best friend. Literally. I have no friends you are kind of the bottom of the barrel." He joked.

"Wow thanks that really boast my self esteem." I laughed. There was a knock on my door and Anya walked in.

"Hey awesome nerd. Jason needed help with science homework." She put air quotes around the word help.

"Kelli. Kelli who is that? She sounds hot and likes science."

"Anya say hi to Andy he's on headset."

"Oh my gosh I get to meet one of your gamer friends!" She grabbed my headset off me and put in on her. "Hi Andy! I'm Anya neighbor and only irl friend of Kelli's." she teased. "Oh not really. It's just physical science you know just basic stuff but I am in Bio II now and I am loving all the talk about genetics...Oh my gosh really? That would be so amazing! Yeah I'll get it from Kelli! Okay I gotta run but it was nice talking to you!" She took off the headset and tossed it to me. "Time to go entertain Jason the science wiz." We both laughed as she left.

"Hey Andy-"

"Quick tell me everything you know about genetics."

"What?"

"I told her I knew everything about genetics. I took physics not bio two."

"You know she's dating like the star football player of the school right?"

"I've seen enough movies to know that that never works out. I'm the nerdy hero she needs."

"She isn't a gamer."

"I can still love her."

"Andy-"

"As long as I can put a Nuka Cola poster in our kitchen I can live."

"Oh she does know about Fallout."

"I will marry her if it is the death of me."

"And you say I'm hopeless." Prince started calling me. "Hey I'm jetting, Prince is calling me."

"Oh sure leave me alone while you talking to Charming."

"That gross."

"Better not fall for him." Andy sung. I rolled my eyes and switched calls.

"Hello Ungraceful."

"Prince I have the best news ever!!!"

"Yeeeesss?"

"He smiled at me today!!!!"

"Grace what?"

"That guy I like! He smiled at me!!"

"Grace I smile at people all the time. Smiles don't mean anything."

"This one did I can feel it."

"Look you just need to go up and say hi. If he smiles, smile back. Let him know you know who he is. That way you two will connect on some base level of humanness and you will be one step closer to this biker Romeo letting you down after you don't want to give up the cookie."

"Please try to refrain from talking about sex."

"You know that's what's going to happen right?"

"No it won't. I know it won't. I know he's a sweetheart in there."

"Yeah most of the time there isn't. Just take me for example. You thought I was an asshole. I still am an asshole. Nothing will ever change that. No amount of love or pure intentions will change that. I'm not a pure dude. I'm a down and dirty kind of guy."

"Yeah sorry Prince that doesn't effect me since I would never find you attractive enough to date, and I don't date for looks."

"Have you ever dated anyone before?"

"No."

I could hear him sighing over the mic. "Oh my God Grace he is going to use you!"

"No he won't-"

"Yes he will! Why aren't you going after someone you already know? One of the guys. Andy? I don't know. Why are you going after this jerk?"

"Why do you care so much Prince?"

"I just don't want to see you waste your time on some dude that will just leave you high and dry. You are too good for that."

"Prince why are you angry?"

"Because I-" I heard something that sounded like a phone vibrating. "Girlfriend is here I'll talk to you later." He ended the call as soon as he finished talking. Maybe Prince's kingdom is falling apart.