CHAPTER 9 : MASON
1069 Words
MASON.
Earlier today, I had reluctantly removed myself from the group, and closed the game. I didn’t like the way I had been feeling.
So I left.
I hadn’t gone back in the game since then. It had been 7 hours, and it was late in the night now.
If I was going to get back in the game, then I had to make sure my mom was sound asleep first.
It was just a few minutes after ten.
I rinsed my hands after successfully washing all the dishes my mom and I had used that night. Then I slowly and carefully tiptoed to her room. It had become a habit.
One I had already mastered.
When I got there, I stood right outside the door and pressed my ear against it a little, but there was no sound.
She was still awake.
I sighed in defeat and carefully walked to my room. I picked up my phone from my bed and checked my notifications.
Darla had sent multiple texts.
Three of them.
Which was funny.
Three weeks of silence.
Yet somehow seven hours was enough for her to start looking for me.
That’s if the texts are actually because I had left the game without saying anything.
I contemplated ignoring her texts for a while. I didn’t want to open it, because if I did, I’d want to reply immediately.
Wait… what am I even thinking?
I laughed at my own thoughts.
What is delaying my response going to achieve anyways?
With that, I unlocked my phone and went straight to Darla’s chat.
{Hiiii.}
{ Mason has been asking questions about you.}
Disappointment.
So this was why she texted? Why did I even expect anything?
Then the third one came thirty minutes after the first two.
{Where are you, guy?!}
All because I hadn’t replied her text after thirty minutes.
I laughed.
{Hey.} I replied, ignoring the other texts she had sent.
Two minutes.
Then her reply came in:
{Where have you been bruhhh?!!}
{I was busy.} a schedule which you should be aware of…
I won’t let my thoughts linger on Darla anymore.
Darla is just Darla.
Now…
Mason!!!
{Sucks to be you.} she texts back, and I knew what she meant.
I replied with a laughing emoji.
{Mason asked for your socials btw.}
{Should I give him?}
I stared at the text, then my thoughts drifted back to the sound of Mason’s voice.
{Have you seen what he looks like?} I asked.
{Yeah.}
{Is he cute?}
{Why don’t you find out yourself…}
Then my phone buzzed.
A notification.
[Hi.] ~ from unknown.
Is it what I am thinking? I smiled.
{I gave him one of your socials already.} Then I stared at Darla’s last text.
I’m sure she could tell I was interested the moment I asked if he was cute.
Excitedly, I replied to Darla with a funny sticker and left the chat, then I tapped on the unknown number that had just texted me.
{Hey.} I texted back.
{It’s Mason.}
{Bread from the game.}
I knew that already. Did he think I would forget?
I giggled and replied his text, letting him know I remembered him.
Then we started chatting.
Mason was kind and polite, asking the question I expected my best friend to ask.
Why did I leave?
I couldn’t possibly tell him I was jealous of his sister’s friendship with my best friend and I lowkey kept on comparing it with ours… or tell him it was a bit annoying watching them interact.
I didn’t know whether my feelings were even justified enough to be voiced out so I just lied through my teeth.
{I was scared of getting my bot ass whooped so I left.}
Then he responded with a laughing emoji. I’m sure he had no reason to disbelieve my excuse. He went ahead to advise me to play more so I would get better.
I laughed.
Oh how these people took the game so serious. I had watched how they scolded each other when one didn’t play well. I didn’t think I could handle that. I was already a very insecure person, I wouldn’t be able to bear it if I started feeling bad because I couldn’t play a game well.
I told him I’d try. The only reason I was playing the game anyway was because of this unbearable long holiday. I am usually very busy in school. I let him know so he doesn’t expect too much from me.
{So…are you in college or still in high school?} he asked.
{College. You?}
{I’m in high school. Grade seven} he joked.
{oh good. I have a thing for kids anyways.} I replied with a laughing emoji.
I didn’t need to ask, I knew he was in college. Darla had told me Mason and Mia are the same school she attended. I just wanted to keep the conversation going. And now…
{Can’t get your voice outta my head, yunno?}
Yes I did that. I sent that text.
God knows what came over me. But it was the truth. I had thought about how cool and smooth he had sounded a few times today.
The fact that he was reading my texts immediately didn’t help matters. I couldn’t even think of my actions and delete the text.
{Can’t get you out of my head.}
A blush crept on my face.
Oh my Goodness, he flirted back!!!
Now I so badly wanted to see what he looked like. Take my breath away Mason.
{lies.} I texted back.
Then curiosity got the better of me.
{The first time we met, why didn’t you talk?}
He read it, but he took a while before he started typing.
{I wasn’t in the mood to talk, that’s all. Sorry if I offended you.} he replied.
That’s all? I sighed.
Then he sent another text.
{I wanna see what you look like. Would you do the honors of gracing me with your pretty face?} he asked.
I blushed and typed back:
{what makes you think I am pretty?}
{I don’t think. I know you’re pretty.}
{No. Then you send yours first.}
{Alright bet. I ain’t all that though.}
I eagerly waited for his picture, I was ready to be wowed or swooned in fact.
Then it dropped, a video.
It was blurry cause I hadn’t downloaded it yet.
So I clicked on download.
And…
Pressed play.
- Writer
