Page 4 of Press Play

He doesn’t look at me; he’s too zoned in on a rather impressive drawing of an orc on the margins of his notes.

A typical teenage girl wouldn’t know what an orc is. Unless they played endless hours of the popular, massive online multiplayer game like I have. There, I can be whoever I want and roam the regions, completing quests and gathering mounts and pets. I use that game as an escape, and it’s the first thing that comes to mind when I see his drawing.

“Do you play?” My question surprises me. It’s like the bubble I surround myself in popped the moment that game comes to mind.

He slowly lifts his head, and his dark eyes meet mine. They almost shimmer under the blinding lights.

“Play what?” His voice is deep, intensifying the butterflies in my stomach.

“World of Swords and Fire,” I blurt out. “That orc looks just like a certain race in the game.”

The corner of his mouth tilts upward.

I gulp in response, and my cheeks burn. I just made a total idiot of myself. There’s no way this guy plays. He’s probably at the gym or hanging out with his friends. Why would he spend his free time in front of his computer? He probably has a girlfriend or?—

“Let me get this straight.” He shifts in his seat to face me. “You playWoSaF?”

“Yes.”

“No way,” he says with a wide smile. “What faction? Wait, before you tell me.” He scrambles out of his seat and drags a desk next to his, gesturing for me to sit.

Dropping my bag, I sit and wrap my arms around my stomach to try and settle it.

“What’s your name again?” he asks.

It doesn’t hurt my feelings. Since I miss a lot of time and don’t have any real connections, I tend to be forgotten about.

“Wren.”

“That’s such a cool name,” he remarks. “So, which faction do you play?”

“Human mage. It’s basic, but I enjoy the reputation boost. I’m a bit of a completionist.”

“I can respect that. I tend to main a dark elf knight, but I have a side character who’s a human. We should play together sometime.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” he chuckles. “Hand me your phone.”

I pull my out-of-date phone from my hoodie pocket and give it to him. He doesn’t tease me for the old technology. Instead, he enters his phone number and sends himself a quick text.

“We can play after we get some of this assignment done.”

“That sounds great,” I say with a shy smile. “By the way, what’s your character’s name?”

“Glavnir.”

My heart drops into my stomach, and the room starts to spin. It’s as if time stops.

He can’t mean Glavnir, the same Glavnir I’ve been playing with since the start of this past summer. There’s no way?—

“Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he says jokingly, but if only he knew that’s exactly how I feel.

“Glavnir, as in Glavnir Stormbringer?” I ask to be certain.

“Yes.” He draws the word out. “Why?”

“It’s me,” I mutter, afraid to voice the words. “Aralin.”

---