Chase & Adrienne

33

CHASE

SATURDAY NIGHT

I'm lying face-down on my couch in my dress pants, button-down shirt, and too tight black socks. The jacket got a little too hot for me, and Mom has this thing about "you kids' gosh darn shoes on my couch." I check my phone every ten seconds, like a child, despite the fact that I know it's not going to bring me what I want. Finally, I throw it down and pick up my XBOX controller instead, eager for a distraction. Literally no one from school is online because of the dance. I invite one of my online friends to join a party, this Australian guy named Brock. He's 25 and still lives with his parents, but his killer accent is just redeemable enough. 

"What's up, man?" I say into the headset, trying to empty my mind of Adrienne. "You down to play?"

"Sure thing, mate," he responds with his signature drawl. "Wanna kill some Zombies?"

I start the game. I unleash my thumbs on the controller, gluing my eyes to the screen. At least games like this are simple. You shoot zombies. You stay alive. There are no mixed signals, no unrequited love, no possible endings to lifelong friendship. There is only life and death. Simple.

"Get that ammo pack over there," I instruct. Brock's character runs over and retrieves it for us, refilling our magazines. There are zombies everywhere, limping after us in huge mobs. As we progress in rounds, the game gets harder. 

"No, no, no!" Brock mutters into the mic. He goes down, completely surrounded by a hoard of bloodthirsty zombies. There's no way I can revive him. I dodge and weave across the entirety of the virtual map, trying to get another gun. Before I know it, I'm completely out of ammunition. I try to knife the zombies, but it's no use. They overtake me. My character falls to the floor, trampled by the undead. The screen goes red. 

"YOU SURVIVED 27 ROUNDS" flashes across the screen. 

"Good run, mate," Brock breathes into the mic. "Good run."

"This is kind of sad," I tell him. 

"Not necessarily. 27's quite good actually."

"No, not that." I shake my head even though I know he can't see it. "There's a dance at my school tonight, and I think I'm the only one that's not there tonight. Pretty sad."

"It's not sad unless you make it sad, mate." 

There is a moment of silence as I let this sink in. I guess he's right. 

"Wanna play again?" Brock asks. 

"Yeah, man, I'll start it."

Just as the next game is beginning, I see my phone screen light up out of the corner of my eye.

"Hey, man," I interrupt. I can't pause the game, but I gotta check my phone. "Hold up, hold up. My phone's ringing."

My heart soars, only to plummet back down to Earth after realizing its just Carmen. I push the right side of my headset back from my ear and put Carmen on speakerphone. 

"Hello?" I return my eyes back to the screen. Carmen's voice is urgent. 

"You need to get over here right now, Chase."