Battling Hearts and High Scores: A Teenage RomCom

Battling Identities and Expectations

My screen flickers to life, revealing the chaotic cityscape of Steel Reckoning III. Gunfire and explosions erupt all around me. My avatar, a grizzled veteran in full body armor, crouches behind an overturned car, her heart pounding in sync with mine.

I duck as a bullet whizzes past my head. A quick glance at my HUD confirms what I already know—I'm low on health.

"Damn!" I mutter, mashing the buttons on my PS5 controller. I need to find cover. Fast.

Sprinting toward a nearby building, I navigate my character through alleyways, their movements growing more stealthy. My weapon kicks back as I fire off a round, but I keep my aim steady. A sudden flash of light blinds me, and I hear an outraged shout from another player in the lobby.

"That guy has to be hacking!" they rage, quitting the game as their character dies from a bomb attack.
I push open the door of a crumbling building and peer out, taking in the firefight still raging outside. I take aim and squeeze the trigger. A satisfying ping echoes as my bullet finds its mark. The enemy player slumps to the ground. I reload and push forward, adrenaline coursing through me.

The latest release of Steel Reckoning III is PlayStation's biggest hit in years. It's been five long years since the last game, and the hype is real. In just four weeks, it's become every gaming geek's new obsession. And, I've worked my way to one of the top ranks in the world.

Yeah, that's right—Shalom Fitch, Havenview's cheerleading Queen Bee, has a secret. I'm the best Steel Reckoning player out there. Not that anyone at school would ever believe me.

Another ping lights up my screen, showing my current points. The number makes my heart swell with pride—nearly 500 million. Shields collected, shields stolen, enemies eliminated. You name it, I've done it. I've earned this.

I grab another handful of Cheeto puffs, ignoring the orange dust coating my fingers, as I rampage through the battlefield. The frustrated yelps of other players come through my headset, but they should consider themselves lucky to be playing against QueenofChaos. I'm ranked number one, after all.
I glance at the leaderboard, expecting to see my usual dominance. But something catches my eye, and my heart skips a beat.

What the...?" I whisper, staring at the second-ranked player's score.

436,700,000.

That's as close as anyone's ever gotten to my rank. Whoever this is, they're serious competition. I almost choke on my Cheeto puff. My fingers hover over the buttons, tension building.

Suddenly, an odd, elderly-sounding voice crackles through my headset.
"Hey!"

Startled, I whip my character around to face the source of the voice. One of the soldier avatars, wearing an absurd amount of stacked armor, jogs toward me, a variety of weaponry strapped to their back.

"It's you," the voice says, full of awe.

"Me?" I reply, suspicious, my grip tightening on the controller. My character's machine gun stays trained on this unfamiliar player.

"Yeah. QueenofChaos," they say, reverence clear even through the static.

I feel a flicker of pride but stay on guard. "Who are you?"

There's a pause. The avatar stands still, like they're considering what to say next. The scratchy voice returns.

"Call me LordofLoot. Sorry, I'm kinda starstruck to run into a top-ranked player."

I frown. "Starstruck?" Something's off. "Uh—why does your voice sound like that? Is there something wrong with your mic?" I ask, still aiming my gun at him. What is this player's deal? I'm not letting my guard down for anyone.