Hacked into my Feelings | Player Bouchard x Reader

Chapter 22 - Complicated Argument

The next day

Oh boy. Everything was a mess.

On the news channel, they were broadcasting & talking about the old building that had smoke coming out of it. They said that something blew up inside and guessed it was just some kids pulling a prank. Good thing they would never know the truth.

Y/n & Player stayed at Carmen's apartment overnight. After Player had upgraded everyone's VPN and made them impossible to track, the two neighbors went home. Shadowsan confirmed that VILE has left and will not be coming back for them.

Once Player and Y/n came home, they both got a massive scolding by their parents. They got yelled at and also got hugs. Their families were worried sick about them. Of course, the two friends told them their great excuse on why they were both missing & the parents believed them. Thank goodness.

Carmen Sandiego, Ivy, Zack, and Shadowsan all left Ontario to prepare for their next mission. Y/n didn't know them very well, but she wished them luck for the future. Player gave Y/n a bunch of side-eyes the whole time.

Y/n's POV

You are sitting on your bed, curled up in your blankets, still trying to process everything that has happened in the past day. Your brain is a clutter of unmatched lines & catastrophic thoughts.

So. You just went on a life-threatening mission with Player and his all-adult friends. You just found out a giant secret that your friend has been hiding for a very long time. You fought a bunch of foes and maybe almost killed one or two people. You made your parents worried sick by disappearing out of nowhere while Player was also gone. You witnessed Player in the most vulnerable, heartbreaking position ever. A lot has happened.

This may seem extremely cool to you, but in reality it's stressful. Yes, you are grateful you managed to save Player & not die, but a ton of pressure weighs on your shoulders now. And you feel like you have unfinished business to do.

Player... he has been fighting enemies and helping people steal. He is a professional hacker who can hack into the most secure websites and do whatever he wants. He helps his friends steal items in order to give them back to the original owner. He endangers his life and others and has been hiding this secret for 2 years. He is a completely different person underneath his friendly loser-looking appearance.

It all didn't sit right to you. How has he done this and not been caught? His parents don't know he's doing all of this important work behind their backs. Which means that Player has probably been lying to them for the past two years. It's weird to think about.

You decide to go and confront Player. You two haven't really spoken since the incident, so you get up and head to Player's house. You make sure to assure your parents that you're only going to Player's house and nowhere else.

At your neighbor's house, you knock on the door. Player answers it (thankfully) and stares at you with a tense look. You say, "Hey Player, just wanted to chat with ya."

"...Okay y/n," answered your friend. He has some sort of stern expression on his face, like he isn't too happy to be seeing you. Still, you can see the former softness in his eyes.

You two sit down in the living room. Player's parents are at work, so it's just the two of you. An uneasy atmosphere rises around you.

"So? What did you want to talk about?" Player crosses his arms and leans back in the armchair. You take a deep breath, telling yourself this won't affect your friendship with him.

"Player. I guess I... found out your secret. You've been hiding this for over two years. I'm impressed that you're a great hacker who can hack into any system that exists, but... you didn't tell anyone at all. I understand it's a heavy secret to keep, & you have to guard it with your life, but is it really worth it endangering your life and others' lives behind people's backs? You've probably been lying to your family and friends. You've probably been lying to everyone you come across. You've probably been lying to ME. Yes, your ability is cool and all, but still..."