The world shifted, swooping out from under me. My stomach flipped; my head ached. And the second I felt my feet back on land, I thought I'd be sick.
But then the sunlight hit my face and the mystical music of Love or Nothing's fantasy soundtrack returned. I realized I was back in town, just as Luis requested.
He stood next to me as though he had done nothing wrong.
"Why?" I pushed him because it was the only thing I could think of doing. A dagger fell from his thief's guard. He stumbled back on impact. But he didn't move far. He was confused when he looked at me.
I pushed him again. "I didn't want to come back," I shouted. "I was ready to fight and do cool shit! And yet you, you—"
"What?" Luis lifted his hands defensively. "Chari, you said you didn't play Healing Cloud, so I assumed—"
One more push. And another. I felt the eyes of the players in town; gazes stuck to us like glue. They followed our every move as I pushed him back towards the merchant tents. But the NPCs didn't budge. Neither did I.
"Because I didn't play a game you played, you assumed I don't know how to play?" I huffed. "Healing Cloud is just like any other stupid fucking fantasy game. Playing that one doesn't make you an expert." I pressed my finger against his chest, roughly poking him. "And it doesn't mean you're better than me!"
"Chari, wait, I didn't mean to—"
"You didn't mean to what, hm?" My hands sat on my hips as I grumbled under my breath.
His brows furrowed. His mouth dipped into a frown. "I thought I was helping you. You were so naïve to think a—"
"A fucking rabbit would eat my face?" My hands shot up over my head as I shouted my question. "Are you serious right now?"
"Chari..." he sighed.
"You are serious, huh?" Angrily, I turned around, showing my back to him. I couldn't wait anymore and frantically swiped my hand up between the space in front of me, retrieving my in-game menu. My finger tapped the button at the top; to summon my NPC.
I can't stay logged in anymore. I watched as pixels emerged before me, swishing together with pinks and golds. When Anna One's image appeared and she smiled, I frowned. I don't even know if I can keep playing with him anymore.
"Chari, look, again, I made a mistake." Luis grabbed my wrist, but I snapped my hand away. "I thought I was doing a good thing."
Anna One looked at the both of us, confused. Her brows lifted. "I received quest confirmation?" Anna One asked, looking at me. "Seventy percent is a nice size, congratulations to the both of you."
Seventy percent? That's it?
"Well, I didn't want to confirm the quest, but here I am." I crossed my arms in front of my chest. "Give me my experience points."
"Of course." Anna One bowed. I heard the confirmation chime over my head. When I looked up at the menu still pulled up in front of me, my level changed. One step closer to free roam. And seven levels away from being free of this freaking guy.
But until then, based on what Anna One had previously explained, I was stuck with him. Yet that didn't mean I had to look at him.
"How many times do I have to apologize?" he asked, almost desperate. "It's like that's all I've done today."
With my arms still folded, I faced him but purposely looked behind him. "Well, if that's all you're doing, that sounds like a you problem."
Even without trying to, I saw his pout. "A problem I am trying to fix, yes..."
"Then fix it." I batted my lashes and turned back towards Anna One. "Is my cousin around or is he still playing his quest?"
"Manny logged out of the game ten minutes ago. He expressed some discomfort and wanted to log out. Nothing severe." Anna One gave me a small smile. "But he completed his quest today."
Discomfort? I frowned and looked down at my feet. You and me both, cuzzo.
"I will make it up to you," Luis said, not leaving my side. "As we're a team, I will be a better player, a better teammate. I'll be a—"
Don't say friend. I looked at him and gave him my fakest smile. "I'm going to log out now. Need to check on my cousin. We will play tomorrow, even if I don't want to."
His frown deepened.
"But, until then, have a good night." I turned back to Anna One. "I would like to log out, now."
Anna One silently acknowledged my request. With a wave of her hand, my menu changed. Log out was available; ready and glowing. And like the night before, I couldn't wait.
|||
My bedroom came into view. The light from my open laptop illuminated the white of my ceiling. And Manny's, still open next to mine. But when I lowered my head to focus on the space around me, I didn't see him. Just his computer, a pillow, and a tossed blanket dangling off the side of my bed.
I frowned as I pulled the VR spheres off my head. "Manny?" I called out quietly as to not wake the house. I wasn't sure of the time, but we had played late. For all I knew it was three in the morning and the demonios stole him to dance with them during their witching hour. If was the case, Manny was cool at parties, and they would've gotten a kick out of him.
I slipped out from under my purple blanket and let my legs hang off the side of the bed. "Manny?" I called out again.
Instead of a response from my cousin, a meow sounded near my feet. Looking down, I found Beba cuddled up in Manny's house slippers. She looked up at me with her bright yellow eyes and meowed again.
I couldn't help but meow back. She blinked.
"Do you know where Manny went?" I whispered to her. I wasn't sure how I expected a cat to meow back in response, but when she didn't, I laughed and shook my head. "Of course, you don't."
My feet pushed into my slippers. Beba didn't like me standing next to her face, so when I took a step forward, she swiped at my ankles with a quiet hiss. Laughing, I stumbled out of my room and into the hall; dealing with my cat's mini tantrums wasn't a concern.
Manny was.
"Hey." With my hands pressed against my door, I glanced out into the dark hallway. There was nothing to my right by my grandmother's bedroom and the bathroom. That door was wide open with the lights off; Manny couldn't be in there.
So, I looked towards my left and quietly called again, "Manny?"
Again, silence. At least from the second floor.
I heard noises in the kitchen; a little rummaging, doors opening. Quietly tiptoeing downstairs, I passed the dark living room and stepped into the only room with light. I found Manny standing in front of the open refrigerator. There was a bottle of coffee creamer in one hand, bread dangling from his mouth as he held it with his teeth. When we locked eyes, he nodded his head towards the counter; at the coffee machine quietly brewing a fresh pot.
"'Sup, cuzzo," he said, the piece of bread shaking as he talked.
"'Sup." I walked towards the small kitchen table to lean against one chair. "Why did you log out of the game? What happened? Are you okay?"
Manny didn't answer me. He moved out of the fridge's way as he shut its door with his elbow. With the creamer in one hand, he used it to point towards the coffee. His other hand grabbed at the bread in his mouth. "Café con leche, want some?" he asked.
I blinked. "That's..." I pointed at the creamer in his hand as he walked toward the coffee machine and turned it off before it beeped. "That's not milk, though."
Manny took a bite of his bread. He turned away from me to grab two mugs from the dish rack. "So?" Holding both in one hand, he placed them on the table. "Call me boujee then, I like the fancy shit in my coffee."
I watched as Manny put a spoon of sugar in each cup before turning back towards the pot of coffee. In one motion, effortlessly done because we'd had coffee since we were kids, he filled the cups to just below the rim, leaving room for the creamer next.
But before he could add it to each of the cups, I chuckled and shook my head. "But that's French vanilla flavored creamer."
He slowly poured, eyeing me with an irritated stare. When the first cup was done, he pushed it in my direction. I took it without argument and sat across from him as he made his cup.
"Sorry, sorry," I said, bringing the cup to my lips. Just the right amount of cream and sugar. It was like heaven in my mouth as I sipped.
"Better say sorry," Manny mumbled as he made himself comfortable in his seat. He drank from his cup, holding his half-eaten piece of bread in his other hand. "Rude."
"Sorry," I said again, laughing. "You know how I am."
"Oh, I know." Manny dipped the corner of his bread in the coffee before taking a bite of it.
"Right, and I know you." I pointed at him with my pinky. "You wouldn't just leave without saying anything, so why'd you log out? Anna One said you weren't feeling good? Are you okay?"
Manny slowly chewed before answering my question. "It was just weird," he said, shrugging. "The game got fuzzy. I sort of felt nauseous. Didn't think that'd happen in a game, but you know, I don't play this shit, so..." He took another sip, another bite. "I thought I'd log out and make myself feel better."
I smiled. "With some coffee?"
He laughed, winking. "Café con pan, you know it."
It was my grandmother's go-to. Morning snack? Café con pan. Afternoon? Café con pan. Can't sleep and need something to munch on at midnight? Café con pan. And I could never say no to a little bread and coffee, especially if I had the butter to go with it.
"My partner was cool, though." Manny leaned back in his seat as he finished his bread. "Told him I'd play tomorrow, just wasn't feeling it tonight."
"Maybe it's because the game is in its beta stage. Fully immersive VR is still new, so feeling sick would have to be a side effect. I'll add it to my notes for when I have to go in and report to Bio-Lab." Putting my cup down, I balanced my chin on my hands. "But that aside," I smiled, "who's your partner?"
Manny lifted just his eyes to look at me as he grinned. "A guy who took three of my mirrors the other day."
"Oh, three?" My brows shot up. "And here I thought you were a good player and made five new friends."
"Nah." Manny laughed. "I mean, I could've but he was insistent. Not like I was gon' tell him no, so." He shrugged, smiling still. "I let him."
Leave it up to Manny to be too cool over all of this. I lifted my coffee and took another sip from it. "What's his name?" I asked, curiously.
"Malcolm. But enough about me." Manny cocked a brow as he grabbed his coffee. "What about your partner, though? He do anything else?"
I let coffee settle in my mouth, heat burning the sides of my cheeks and the tip of my tongue. My mind wandered to Luis and his personality. As much as I hated it, there was that moment when I saw through him. Like me, he was awkward and unsure of how to deal. He just does it all wrong.
"You're quiet." Manny put his cup down and lifted his chin, annoyed. "What he do?"
I shifted my gaze to my cousin. But I told myself I couldn't lean on him. This game was my chance to break that need, to fight for myself. It could teach me to do that. Because as much as I loved my cousin, appreciated everything he did for me, he wouldn't be there forever.
"Nothing." I forced a smile, my fingers sliding across the sides of my mug. "He's just... ugh, that's all."
Manny's brows shot up. "That's it? He's just naturally an asshole?"
"Yeah," I agreed. And technically, the description wasn't far from the truth. Despite Luis' obvious insecurities, he was an asshole.
"Besides, this is exactly what Love or Nothing is trying to teach me, right? Dealing with jerks and the realities of the world." I slid a finger over the mug's top, spreading the sugar residue around the edge. "So, if I have to be partnered with some guy who'll probably make my life hell, then," I shrugged, "bring it on."
There had to have been a firm look of determination on my face because Manny smiled, then laughed before standing from his seat. He scooped his coffee cup up in his hands. "Shit, if you got it, you got it. What's his name?"
I watched as Manny poured himself another cup of coffee, steam rising towards his face. I cleared my throat. "His name is Luis."
"Luis." Manny looked up at the ceiling for a moment before shrugging. "I ain't ever met a Luis I liked."
Sometimes I liked Manny's judgment of people. It came in handy. Helped me see the truths beneath the masks people wore in public.
As he turned back towards the table, ready to pour more cream and sugar into his fresh cup, I lifted my brows. He may have been good at seeing people, but I was confused about his personal judgment. I pointed at the cup, pursing my lips. "So, you ain't going to sleep tonight?" I asked him.
He eyed me, slowly pouring creamer into the cup. "Don't judge me."
Wasn't going to, cuzzo. I leaned back against my seat, laughing. Do you.