Life 2.0. Vol III: One More Collection Of Mostly Short Sweet Stories

Bonding Over Shared Secrets

John had never felt like such an outsider in his own home. His father's recent remarriage had brought about a whirlwind of change, and he was still trying to adjust. The most notable addition to the family was his new step-sister, Trish. He couldn't believe he now had her living in his home. She was a carbon copy of the popular girls from his school, with her perfect blond hair, flawless makeup, and an endless parade of dresses and skirts. She was the exact opposite of him and one of the people he'd never be able to get along with at school or at home. Or so he thought.

From the day she and her mom moved in, John avoided her and she didn't go out of her way to engage with him either. She stayed burried in her phone or gone, hanging out with her friends and he stayed tucked away in his room. They may technically be family now, but they were still just as distant from one another as they always had been at school. Until the day that changed.

It was another Friday night and John was in his room, eyes glued to the TV screen as he navigated through the virtual battlegrounds of Call of Duty. The sounds of deep rumbling explosions and gunfire filled his room. He leaned forward in his gaming chair, intensely focused on the match, when suddenly there was a knock at his door half opened door.

"Come in," John called out, not taking his eyes off the screen.

Trish stepped in. "Oh my gawd, I thought I heard you playing Modern Warfare."

The online match John was playing had just ended so he turned to look at her, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "Yeah, I am. You play Call of Duty too?"

Trish nodded enthusiastically as she stepped into his room, shutting the door behind her. "I'm totally obsessed. I have all the games."

John grinned, leaning back in his chair. "No way. I didn't know you were into shooter games. I wouldn't have ever pegged you a gamer, period."

"You don't know a lot about me," Trish replied with a smirk. She plopped down on his bed, her thin flared miniskirt briefly exposing her neon pink boyshorts as she landed. "Let me watch you play. I'm curious to see how good you are."

John's eyes bugged out at the brief flash and he quickly turned away, afraid she would see his beet-red cheeks and know he had seen something he shouldn't have. He picked up his controller again and proceeded to join a match "Alright, but you better not get me too distracted. I'm quite good."

As John began playing, Trish watched intently, occasionally offering words of encouragement or advice. They fell into easy conversation, chatting about their favorite maps, weapons, and game modes. John was surprised by how much he was enjoying having her watch him play.

"I can't believe you have a kill/death ratio of 1.50," Trish said in awe. "You're actually pretty decent."

John laughed. "Thanks, I try my best. But I still get destroyed by the hardcore players online."

"Well, if you need tips from an expert, I'm your girl," Trish joked.

John rolled his eyes. "Expert, yeah right. What's your K/D?"

"2.00."

"No way!" John exclaimed, handing her his game controller. "You're lying. Show me."

As the night wore on, they took turns playing, seeing who could rack up the most kills. Trish turned out to be as skilled as she said she was, much to John's surprise and delight. They trash talked back and forth in a playful way as they competed.

At one point, Trish's mom poked her head in to check on them. "Is everything alright in here? I heard a lot of yelling and screaming."

Trish turned to her mom with a grin. "We're just having a friendly competition. John is pretty good at Call of Duty, not a good as me, but he's decent."