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Chapter Seventeen

"How many plays do you think we can get through before you have to eat dinner?" Lukas asked.

After school, with Ryan glaring Dexter away every time he tried to approach me, I found myself in front of my computer screen again. I was busy shooting at an alien with my bow & arrow, taking minor damage as I fell off the edge of a small ledge of orange coral. I hated having the role of a Hunter, but I had to deal with it until the next round.

"I'd say about maybe another one or two," I replied, spamming my keyboard. The alien disappeared in a blue flash, and I began building up the coral reef, heading to wear Lukas was guarding the key. He had the role of Healer. "I got another alien. Pretty sure we can get the key now."

"Alright! Let's go!"

We were in Round Two, meaning that we were in a water realm. Lukas found a key near an Atlantis-inspired temple under the ocean. Luckily, there was a bunch of alien tokens surrounding it, so I was able to pick them up and kill them off. As I rushed towards the key, where Lukas stood guard, I heard a gunshot behind me. A bullet went flying past me, almost hitting my head. I could've been a headshot elimination. Immediately, I sprinted down the coral path, hearing the sound of bullets behind me.

"Hurry, hurry!" Lukas exclaimed, cheering me on. "Their aim sucks ass, so you can make it!"

"Their aim almost headshot me!" I yelled back. Lukas started laughing, picking up the key. He disappeared in a blue flash, and I puffed my cheeks out. "Did you seriously just leave me out here like fish bait?!"

"Hey! One of us has to get the key, yeah?"

"When I get that key, you're dead meat, Lukas! And stop laughing at me!"

~~~

"Don't think I forgot about when you ditched me for those two avatars to headshot my ass."

"Don't be so hung over on it. We won, didn't we?"

I sighed, leaning back in my chair as a blue banner flashed across my screen. I smiled slightly, "Yeah, yeah. You got a point there."

"Onto more important matters," Lukas said, and I heard him pause, almost as if he prepared to speak, "did Dexter get in trouble or something? Did he try to confront you? And Ryan?"

"It sounds like the school acknowledged his actions, but as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't seem that he's been punished yet," I replied, fidgeting in my seat. "My father is working on it with the police, but it's all really messy from what I can see. For the record, my father wants Dexter to be punished when he turns 18, the legal age of an adult, ya know? Today, Ryan's been acting like somewhat of an older brother to me, making sure Dexter kept away."

"But I thought Ryan was your bully?"

"Oh! I didn't tell you!" I exclaimed, suddenly remembering I never explained Ryan's part of the situation. "Ryan, before I went with Dexter, warned me about him. It was.. weird, to be completely honest." I couldn't help but smile slightly. "I guess I never expected him to warn me about anything, nonetheless care about me."

"So he doesn't bully you anymore?" Lukas asked.

"Yup," I confirmed.

Lukas sighed in relief, and I could hear his gloating happiness. "That's great! I just hope it remains that way. I really wouldn't want to see you get hurt by another person."

I blushed lightly.

Suddenly, a hand pulled on my headphone, lifting it off my left ear. I was about to turn around, but a familiar teasing voice said, "Oooh~... you like him~..."