Oh shit.Of all the lies he could’ve come up with, why that one? I was completely fucked. The only thing I knew about video games was that the Mario theme song was annoyingly catchy.Dun dun dun, da dun da dun dun, da da dun dun, da dun dun, da dun dun.I internalized a shudder.That stupid fucking jingle.
I bit my lip tentatively while picking at the sides of my fingers. “Oh, um…yeah. I just don’t like to talk about it much.”
“Really? That’s actually kinda cool.” Dani nodded. “What’s your favorite game?”
I racked my brain, scrambling to claw for any references to video games that I had seen or read within the last few years.
“Actually.” I cleared my throat. “There’s a few, but if I have to choose one, then maybeWorld of Warcraft.”
Thank you,Ready Player Oneby Ernest Cline, for stopping me from drowning in a conversation I had no business being in.Ugh. Jesus, please save me from my own ignorance. Despite my unsteady confidence, my face held no emotion while Elliot, on the other hand, was struggling to mask his surprise. Thankfully, Dani seemed oblivious to this as she tilted her head to the side and nodded in approval.
“Oh, nice. An oldie, but a goodie.”
Andrew pursed his lips. “I would’ve pictured you as more of a Mario kind of girl.”
“Is that supposed to be an insult? Because Mario is epic,” Elliot chimed in. “Besides, she’s beaten me at Mario Party almost every time.”
“Well, Clarke,” Andrew hissed. “Since you’re so fond of video games, how about you play COD with us this Friday at Elliot’s place?”
“Actually, I have cheer on Fridays.”
“Oh, don’t worry. We don’t meet up until around six.”
“Oh.” I gnawed at the corner of my cheek. “Then yeah. Sounds good. I love COD.”
What the hell is COD?
“Okay then. Friday it is.”
“Great.” I clapped all too enthusiastically while running my hands through my locks as I discreetly turned toward Elliot with a tight-lipped smile.
He rubbed his hand on my thigh as if trying to calm my nerves. It was distracting for sure, but it did not take away from the anxiety piercing through my core.
What the hell had I gotten myself into?
“Are you really smoking at a time like this?”
“It’s not my fault you said you lovedWorld of Warcraft.”
I flicked the cigarette in his mouth with my fingertips, flinging it somewhere off in the distance. He let out a huff of annoyance. I shifted my weight on the cold concrete as the two of us sat on the stairs in front of the school.
Immediately after tutoring, I ushered us out the door of Mrs. Hawthorne’s classroom to a place where I could release my frustration without the prying eyes of nosy peers. I scrubbed my forehead with my hands, trying to mitigate the lines that were forming.
“You’re the one who said I liked video games!”
“I was trying to keep our cover!”
“I’d rather you say we were faking,” I mumbled under my breath.
“How do you even know about a game from 2004?”
“Books! I’m a bookworm, remember?” I exclaimed with a humorless laugh. “How else?”
“Lighten up, Princess. It’s just a stupid game. Don’t worry.”
“How can I lighten up when the only COD I know about is fish?”
A wave of laughter erupted from his throat. His features seemed to soften as he rested his hand on mine. The hairs on my arm stood at attention.
