The Monitor Masquerade

Level 28

READandyWRITE's POV

In case anyone was wondering, nothing ever happened at work. The store was going to be closing within the next year, and although no one said anything we all knew. The Game Stop that just opened up was just one of my problems. I was going to be jobless and girlfriend less. Not that I ever had one but Anya started to get more and more distance the past couple of weeks. I planned on getting her some cool DnD dice for Christmas but now, with it being only a week away I couldn't seem to bring myself to getting them for her. I kept looking at the website thinking of ones she might like, but none of them felt right. The door rang and I looked up. Lily walked in and hopped on the counter.

"You heard about what happened at the art store across the street?"

"The one Jordan works at? No what's up?"

"They just found a worker dead there."

"Holy shit what?"

"Yeah, one of the managers just had a heart attack. Some high schoolers were in there like minutes before it happened."

"That's crazy. Who called 911?"

"No one. The owner went in to relieve him and found him on the floor."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"That's crazy...I wonder if Jordan knows." Lily shrugged as I pulled out my phone to text him.

"So do you have any plans for Christmas?"

"Not really. Just family stuff I guess."

"What about that girl who came in here a while ago?"

I felt a sharp pain in my chest. "Anya? I told you she's just a friend."

"I can tell you like her."

"Well she doesn't like me like that so it doesn't really matter, does it?" I snapped.

"Well sorry." She hopped off the table. I let out a breath knowing I was being a dick. "I'm starting to collect all the issues of Saga."

"I thought you had them all."

"Yeah but now I want all the Volumes not just the issues."

"Well that was very misleading."

"Who pissed in your cereal this morning Andy?"

"Nothing I just-" I was thinking about Anya. "My team. We haven't been practicing lately because everyone is out on dates all the time. It's just annoying sometimes."

"GraceKelli has a guy now right?"

"Yeah. He's cool."

"I heard he's a casual gamer."

"Nothing wrong with that."

"But does he get it?"

"Get what?"

"That whole gaming thing? Like is he going to be able to go a weekend not talking to her knowing it's because of a gaming competition."

"I'm sure. This is what Kelli wants to do with her life so if he has a problem with that then he isn't the one. Plain and simple."

"Are you competing this weekend?"

"What's this weekend?"

"Garden Comp."

"Fuck is that really this weekend?"

"I take it that's a yes?"

"Yeah Kelli signed us up ages ago. She was in this whole, if we do everything more people will know who we are kind of thing."

"Well, better start practicing." She smiled. Lily had a nice smile. She was beautiful and there was no doubt about it. Her hair was brown like Anya's but Lily always had it in perfect ringlet curls. It was clear she knew a lot more about make up too. But she was also such a nerd. It was no doubt that whoever ended up with here would be lucky. It would be a have sex all day and video games all night kind of relationship. I looked at her a little more. She was really pretty. She liked what I liked. Lily was a catch. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

"No...you-you just look really nice today." Lily stopped in her tracks and turned towards me with a red face.

"Thank you?" She said as her face turned more red.

"You're welcome." I went back to  looking at my phone. Jordan still hadn't texted me.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You just did." Lily looked at me confused. "Yes, ask me something."

"Did you say that because you were being nice? Or were you flirting with me?" I looked down at how many messages I had sent Anya and still no answer. I thought about how upset she looked after that guy left. How she didn't even hug me after that walk. She barely answered me, barely talked to me anymore. I looked back a Lily with her perfect hair and made up face. 

"I don't know."

"Right."