Video Game Girlfriend

Chapter 6

The next morning was like every other morning, get up, eat, shower, and then rush off to school. My plan is to just keep my head down for the rest of the school year until graduation, I can’t risk getting noticed for any other embarrassing feats. My first few classes went well, I got a few occasional glances and whispers, but I brushed them off and didn’t say anything. I didn’t even look at Vanessa, I’m sure she must have some thoughts of her own about me, but I wasn’t anywhere near ready for that. It was good while it lasted, I think to myself rubbing my hands in my eyes and sighing. Once lunch came around I grabbed my food and rushed to the computer lab. It’s much more of a sanctuary now than it ever was before, allowing me to get a small break from the torment of the rumor train passing through the halls. 

I quickly grab my tray of food, and run-walk to the computer lab, Holden and Kyle trailing behind me. I collapse into my chair and place my tray onto the table in front of me. 

“Hey man, don’t be like this dude, it's not that big of a deal.” Kyle says, taking his seat beside me.

“Yeah Blair, in a few days  people will forget and move on, no reason to be all gloomy until then.” Holden chimes in. They both look at me, urging me to get out of my slump. I understand where they’re coming from, but they can’t seriously expect me to just get over it in a day. The emotional wound is still oozing right now, it’ll take a while to heal.

“I know y’all probably think I’m a baby, but you guys don’t understand. Everywhere I turn someone is looking at me and whispering ro laughing and pointing. I can’t just be okay right now.” I say back to them. “Can we just not talk about it and get to the game, at least in that world I’m not some weeb.”

“Ahh yes, the great Lord Kiryu Kazuma, defender of nations!” Holden spouts boldly, standing up and placing his arm on his chest as he does so. 

“The only man to fight a whole pack of goblins on his own and come out barely scathed.” Kyle chimes in, swinging an imaginary sword around as he does so. 

“Alright guys, I get it, thank you, can we play now? We don’t have a lot of time here.” I say before booting up my computer. They each take their respective seats and power on their computers as well. Dylan walks in the classroom shortly thereafter and begins setting up his as well. Just as we’re about to dive into my much needed getaway, I hear a small cough come from behind me. Kyle and Dylan, who are seated across from Holden and I, both look up from their screens with quizzical looks on their faces. I turn around to see who the offender is, and am surprised to see Vanessa's small frame standing in the doorway to the classroom.

“Vanessa, hey, what’re you doing here?” I ask, confused as to why she’s here instead of in the cafeteria with everyone else.

“I saw you all walk down here and I wanted to see what you were up to.” She says shyly, looking down to her feet as she did so. 

“Oh, um this is the video game club, we meet here every day during lunch to practice and get ready for any upcoming competitions.” I tell her, standing from my chair as I do so. 

“Competitions?” She asks.

“Yeah, we're the ESports team for our school, they set up competitions with other schools in our division and we play against them tournament style.” 

“Oh, what game are y’all playing?” She asks.

“Well right now we’re playing an RPG, the season hasn’t started yet so we’re just playing this for now until it gets closer to that time.” I tell her. My confusion grows with every second. Most girls would have rolled there eyes and walked away out of boredom at this point, but she seems genuinely curious. 

“Cool, can I join?” She asks, a smile forming on her face as she takes a few steps forward to the empty seat in between myself and Kyle.

“Um, I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.” I say, stepping in between her and the empty seat. I look over my shoulder to the rest of the guys. They all have the same baffled expression I’m feeling. “Do you even know anything about ESports? Or gaming in general?” I ask her.

“Yes, actually, I do. My dad has all sorts of old gaming consoles, I grew up playing everything from Atari, to the Wii, Playstation, Xbox. You name it I’ve probably played it.” She said confidently, crossing her arms over her chest. I’ve never seen this level of confidence and fierceness from her. She’s normally so quiet and shy, soft spoken if you will. But, at this moment she seems to have broken from that. Her shoulders are pushed back, making her chest appear more puffed up. Her head was tilted more upright, and her right hip was c****d out. Everything about her at this moment was extremely hot, and it took me a second to get my bearings so I could respond to her statement. 

“Oh yeah?” I say coyly, “Then you won’t mind if we have a little quiz then will you?” I ask, calling her bluff. I don’t know why a girl like her would want anything to do with this club, or me for that matter. But, whatever the reason, she’ll have to come clean now, there’s no way she’ll agree to a pop quiz.

“Sure, let’s do it.” She said. My jaw drops, dumbfounded at the fact that she actually agreed to it.

“Uhh okay, give us a second to come up with some questions and then we can get started.” I say, looking at the guys in exasperation. She nods her head, and then walks back outside the door.

“I’ll be out here whenever you boys are ready,” She says. The rest of the guys get up and walk over to me.

“There’s no way she actually wants to be a part of this club, someone must have put her up to it.” Kyle says, looking around the group at all of us.

“Yeah, like maybe Hayley sent her in here to keep an eye on you and to make sure you weren’t planning on doing anymore announcements.” Holden chimes in. We all look to Dylan, who is closest to her, and her group of friends. But, he shakes his head.

“I haven’t heard anything.” He says. “Hayley’s not really the type to do something like that honestly.” I shake my head, even more confused than ever, never once has a girl wanted to even be in the same vicinity as us, and especially now with everything that happened yesterday. But, for her to be okay with all that, and to want to be in the group is even crazier. In any case she can’t be a part of the club, I don’t want to risk her spilling stuff about us to everyone else, this is supposed to be our safe space. We all talk for a few minutes and come up with a list of questions that are sure to stump her. 

“Vanessa, you can come back now.” I shout towards the hall. She walks in a few seconds later, I gesture towards an open chair we have set up in the center of the room. “Take a seat.” I say. She does so, crossing her legs and sitting back with her arms folded neatly over her chest. 

“Okay, we have come up with ten questions, varying in difficulty. If you get them all correct we’ll let you in. You get one chance to answer each question, if you get one wrong, you’re out. Got it?” Kyle says to her. She just smirks and nods her head at us.

“Alright, first question,” Holden says, looking at the paper in his hands that the questions are written on. “What do you use to play a console type game?”

“That’s the best y’all could come up with?” She asks us, half laughing. 

“If it’s so easy then answer the question,” I say.

“A controller” She replies, looking at me fiercely. Her bright green eyes piercing into my head.

“Okay, next question,” Kyle interjects our stare off, “In tetris, what shape makes up the blocks?” He asks.

“Squares.” She says. 

“Question three, Who is the villain in Super Mario?” Dylan continues.

“Bowser, are these going to get hard any time soon?” She asks, rolling her eyes. 

“Fine” I say, grabbing the list from Holden's hands. “Let’s kick this up a notch, question four, Star Fox came out on which console first?”

She leans forward in her chair, resting her elbows on her knees, “ Nintendo 64.”

“Okay, who is the chosen one in Mortal kombat?” I say, my stomach twisting at the fact that we're halfway through and she hasn’t gotten one wrong yet. Most girls Would’ve been stumped by question two.

“Lui Kang,” She replies, checking her nails whilst still displaying that smirk on her face.

“Six, for the super NES, what item came with it?” I say, trying desperately not to show her how freaked out I am.

“R.O.B., you know any day now y’all can come up with something that’s actually challenging.” She says, still looking over her nose at us. 

“Okay, speed round, last four questions, here we go.” I say glancing nervously at the last questions in my hand. “What does APC stand for?”

“Ability Power Carry”

“What movement in Smash Melee allowed characters to move faster?”

“Wave Dashing.”

“Which Link out of all the Link games is strongest?”

“Child Link.”

“In Alien Isolation, what is the main Characters name?”

“Ripley Junior.”

“What’s her first name?” I ask leaning down towards her, there’s no way she’ll get it right.

“Ellen.” She states, I throw my hands up and cheer. We’ve got her beat boys. ‘NO! Wait, I meant Amanda, Ellen is her mom…”

“Too bad, so sad little missy, you lost.” I say laughing, and high fiving the other guys.

“No, I didn’t.” She says behind me.

“Uh, Yes you did?” I say questioningly, “You got one wrong, those were the rules.”

“Yeah, but you said you only had ten questions. That last one was eleven. I got 10 right, and according to your “Rules” that means I win and I’m in.” She says smugly. I stare at her, my mouth agape as I glance over at the other guys. They all shrug at me and shake their heads.

“She’s right Blair.” Dylan says. “She got all ten right, that last one we didn’t even have written down.” I slump into my chair, defeated. My one safe space has now been invaded, I just can’t catch a break can I. I bury my face in my heads and huff silently into them.

“Well, looks like we need to say welcome to our newest member!” I hear Holden say. I glance up and see Kyle walk around me to the open seat, pulling it out for Vanessa. She struts swiftly to it and sits down, pulling herself up to the table and her new screen.

“Looks like I’m your new neighbor” She says smiling at me. I drop my head to my desk and groan, this is going to be a long year.