Chapter Three: Glitches and Games
1145 Words
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The school week dragged on, one slow class after another, and yet something about it felt... different. Maybe it was the subtle way Jake had started waiting for Mia after class, or how Chloe always smirked whenever she caught them in conversation. Or maybe it was the way Mia was starting to notice things—like how Jake always tapped his pen twice before answering a question, or how he didn’t smile often, but when he did, it was quiet and real.
Still, Mia told herself it was nothing. He was just her project partner. A friend. Sort of.
By Thursday afternoon, their algebra project was nearly done. Mia had stayed up late the night before adding graphics to their slides while Jake handled the real-world examples. Mrs. Taylor would be impressed. Or so Mia hoped.
As she closed her locker that morning, Jake appeared at her side like clockwork. “Hey,” he said, slinging his bag over one shoulder.
“Hey. Don’t forget—we’re rehearsing the presentation at lunch.”
“I remember,” he said with a faint grin. “I even practiced. In the mirror.”
Mia laughed. “I doubt that.”
“You’re right. I didn’t. But I did read through it again.”
They walked together to class, and for the first time, Mia noticed a few people watching them. Not in a mean way—just curious. Jake, the new guy, and Mia, the usually reserved bookworm, suddenly showing up together almost everywhere.
She didn’t care, but she noticed.
During lunch, they found an empty corner table in the library again, rehearsing their parts while Jake stole Mia’s fries from her lunch bag.
“I worked hard for those,” she said, batting his hand away.
“You literally brought two packs. Don’t act like you weren’t planning to share.”
“I wasn’t.”
He smirked. “You’re a terrible liar.”
She tried not to smile, but it crept up anyway.
As they packed up their things, Jake hesitated. “You doing anything after school?”
“Just homework. Why?”
“There’s a student event. The gaming club’s setting up an arcade pop-up in the gym. Thought it might be fun to check out.”
Mia raised a brow. “You’re inviting me to... a school arcade night?”
“Yeah. But only if you’re cool enough.”
She laughed. “Wow. What an honor.”
“Seriously,” he said, more softly now. “You should come. No pressure. It’s just games and pizza.”
Mia bit her lip. “Alright. I’m in. Just don’t expect me to go easy on you.”
Jake’s grin returned. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
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The gym looked totally different that evening. Bright lights, loud music, and rows of rented arcade machines filled the space. Neon signs blinked from every corner. Students clustered around games like Dance Duel, Street Smash, and vintage pinball machines.
Mia walked in with Chloe, who had insisted on tagging along even though she had no interest in video games.
“Where’s your boyfriend?” Chloe teased as they scanned the crowd.
“He’s not—ugh, never mind.”
Jake found them near the Dance Duel setup, already laughing with a controller in hand.
“Took you long enough,” he said as Mia walked up.
“I had to drag her out of the house,” Chloe said.
Jake chuckled. “You ready?”
“For what?”
He pointed to the racing game nearby. “Let’s see how fast you really are.”
Mia narrowed her eyes playfully. “Prepare to lose.”
They slipped into side-by-side seats and grabbed the wheels. As the countdown began, Mia’s heart thudded in her chest—partly from the game, partly from how close they were sitting. His arm brushed hers every time he adjusted his grip.
The game started, and chaos followed. Jake crashed within the first ten seconds, yelling in frustration. Mia, surprisingly, held her lead, weaving through animated traffic like a pro.
“I didn’t see that coming,” Jake muttered when she won. “Rematch.”
“Bring it.”
They played three rounds—Mia winning two of them—and then drifted to other games, laughing more than either of them had all week. Chloe eventually got bored and left to chat with some other friends, but Mia barely noticed. Her world had slowly narrowed to just her and Jake.
“Alright,” Jake said, walking her toward the photo booth by the corner. “We’re making memories.”
“Photos? Really?”
“Yes. Everyone takes cheesy photos in these things.”
They squeezed into the booth, and as the countdown flashed on the screen, Mia made a silly face. Jake smirked and pointed at her just as the first picture snapped.
The second frame showed them laughing.
The third caught her mid-smile.
The last... was quieter. Jake wasn’t looking at the camera. He was looking at her.
And Mia wasn’t sure if her heart stuttered because of the flash or because of him.
Outside the booth, she cleared her throat as the machine printed the photos. Jake handed her a strip. “Proof you had fun.”
Mia looked down at the photos. “Don’t show these to anyone.”
Jake grinned. “Too late. I already sent them to the yearbook committee.”
She elbowed him. “Liar.”
They walked slowly toward the exit as the event began to wind down. Somewhere, someone was playing a slow song on the speakers. Jake didn’t say anything, and for once, neither did she.
But something lingered in the air. Something unspoken.
As they stepped outside into the cool evening, Jake stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets. “Thanks for coming.”
“You were right. It was fun.”
He nodded. “You should do things like this more often.”
“I like quiet,” Mia said. “But… maybe I’ll start trying more things.”
He smiled, but it was softer this time.
They stood there for a few seconds—neither quite ready to leave.
Then Jake leaned in just a little. “You’re kind of hard to figure out, you know.”
Mia’s heart skipped. “Is that a bad thing?”
“No,” he said, his voice low. “Just makes me want to know more.”
Before she could respond, his phone buzzed. He checked it, sighed, then looked back at her.
“I should go. My ride’s here.”
Mia nodded, her voice caught somewhere between her throat and heart. “Yeah. Me too.”
As he turned to leave, he paused. “Hey, Mia?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad we’re friends.”
She swallowed. “Me too.”
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- Writer
