Page 45 of My Life with the Walter Boys
“Why does it matter what color my hair is?” I asked, as he clicked through all forty different styles.
“Because,” Alex said, as if I were being childish, “you’ll never be able to change it. You have to go with something you really love.”
When it came to choosing what race my character was, he got even more frustrated. The options consisted of humans, dwarves, demons, and fae, but I wouldn’t pick one until I knew which was the most successful.
“It’s a completely legitimate question, Alex,” I told him. “Which one is the best?”
“One isn’t better than another,” he tried to clarify. “I personally like the demons because I think they’re badass, but lots of people like fae too.”
“So I should be a demon?” I asked, moving the curser so it hovered over an ugly-looking creature with horns and scales.
“No, I’m not saying that.” Frustration tinged his voice. “Each race has a different skill set, so it all depends on what you enjoy playing the most.”
“But how can I know which one I like the most if I’ve never played the game before?”
Alex took a deep breath, trying to remain patient. “Just pick one, Jackie.”
“At least tell me which race will help me beat the game in the least time.”
“It doesn’t work like that,” Alex replied and snatched the mouse from my hand. Then, making my decision for me, he clicked on the human race. “The game is ongoing. It never ends.”
“Wait. You can’t win?” I said with a frown. “What’s the point of playing, then?”
“This isn’t like Monopoly or Candy Land—the point of the game is to improve your character.”
“Okay, whatever,” I said, taking the mouse back from him. I clicked on the fae, a willowy creature with pastel-colored wings. “But I don’t want to be human. That’s boring.”
I wasn’t very good atGathering of Gods. Everything moved so fast, and Alex would shout confusing instructions at me such as, “Employ your fire shield now!” or “Not that fire shield, your other one!” Still, after an hour and a half of struggling, I increased my character’s experience level from one to three. I was quite pleased with myself, but Alex wasn’t very optimistic.
“Definitely not a natural,” he said, as he logged out of the game, “but I’ll make a gamer out of you yet.”
“I doubt it,” I sighed, collecting my anatomy material. I’d wasted a good chunk of my study time trying to learn the game, and as a result, I knew I would be up late reviewing all my notes. “Thanks, though. I had fun.”
The door swung open before he could respond.
“Hey, Alex, I want to talk to you,” Cole said, strolling into the room. When he saw me sitting at the computer desk, he stopped. “Oh, I didn’t know you were here.”
“Um, yeah,” I replied.
“I guess I’ll have to come back later,” he said, turning to leave as if I’d caused some huge inconvenience.
“No, it’s okay,” I said, jumping to my feet. “We were just finishing up anyway.”
“Thanks for helping me study,” said Alex as he watched me pack up my satchel.
“That didn’t count as studying,” I told him with a laugh. “I need to spend at least another four hours on this.”
“You’re crazy,” Alex said as he handed me my notebook. “That was the most time I’ve spent on school, like, ever.”
“Then I’m glad I could help,” I said, offering him a smile. “See you tomorrow.”
“Night, Jackie,” he said as I turned to leave.
Cole was watching me from the doorway, his face blank. When I reached him, he didn’t move.
“Cole,” I said, raising an eyebrow. He stared at me for a moment longer before stepping aside and letting me leave. As I slipped out into the hallway, he slammed the door shut behind me.
***
