“Come on,” she says. “I want to play more LotS. Lots of LotS. We can both play. Mom’ll let you use her computer and I’ll use my laptop.”
We’re supposed to work on our project proposal. That’s the whole reason I came over. But at just the thought of LotS, my breathing slows a little. Sixteen archery . . . seventeen computer . . . In LotS, I feel at home. In LotS, I’m in control.
“Can I go on your server?” Meg continues. “I want to see your underwater thing.”
My breathing slows even more. Nineteen chat log . . . “Probably. If the others say it’s okay.”
Hanging out in my server home is almost as good as being in my real home. Better, sometimes. Maybe Mom will bring over a bag of my stuff—earplugs, toothbrush, PJs—if I ask nicely. And we can work on the proposal tomorrow.
“Hurry up, slowpoke.” Meg holds out her hand, and I grasp it with one hand and the jump rope with the other as I ease back inside.
LEGENDS OF THE STONE
KittyKat has logged on.
[]Sythlight: Hi
KittyKat: hey
KittyKat: no one else is on?
[]Sythlight: Nice to see you, too. :P
KittyKat: sorry, I just wanted to ask if I can bring my friend on
[]Sythlight: Fine by me.
KittyKat: you don’t think I should ask everyone?
[]Sythlight: I’m sure it’s fine. I mean, if you’re really worried about it, you could talk to Lucien. But I haven’t seen him on here in a while.
KittyKat: that’s true. and if he’s not going to be online, he really can’t complain.
[]Sythlight: If anyone bothers you about it, just tell them I said it was ok.
KittyKat: because you’re the boss?
[]Sythlight: King of the world, actually.
KittyKat: oh, I didn’t know that. though I am the Supreme Emperor of the Universe, so that’s to be expected. I don’t concern myself with such pitiful, lowly matters.
[]Sythlight: So you’re the one I should talk to about that pay raise.
KittyKat: I wouldn’t recommend it. I have a policy of demoting anyone who asks for a raise.
[]Sythlight: Smart. I understand how you became the SEU.
KittyKat: and I behead anyone who is too lazy to spell out my entire title.
[]Sythlight: Oops. Forgive me oh Supreme Emperor of the Universe. I beseech thee.
KittyKat: well, fine, just this once. but don’t make the mistake again.
[]Sythlight: Never. So is your friend coming on now?
KittyKat: oh yeah right . . . give me a min
[]Sythlight has entered the badlands.
[]Sythlight was slain by a mutant shadowwolf.
[]Sythlight has entered the badlands.
[]Sythlight was slain by a mutant shadowwolf.
[]Sythlight has entered the badlands.
[]Sythlight was slain by a mutant shadowwolf.
MEGAdawn has logged on.
KittyKat: back
KittyKat: this is Meg
MEGAdawn: HIIIIIIII
[]Sythlight: ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HAPPENED WHILE YOU WERE GONE DON’T LOOK AT THE CHAT LOG
KittyKat: ha ha ha
MEGAdawn: oh good ur as good at this game as me!
[]Sythlight has entered the badlands.
KittyKat: want help getting your stuff back?
[]Sythlight: Sure. There’s a whole pack of them.
KittyKat: be right there. just giving Meg some gear
[]Sythlight was slain by a mutant shadowwolf.
MEGAdawn: lolol
[]Sythlight: I should probably actually gear up a little before heading in there.
KittyKat: be right there. where’d you die?
[]Sythlight: By the tower.
KittyKat has entered the badlands.
MEGAdawn has entered the badlands.
[]Sythlight has entered the badlands.
MEGAdawn: I hit one!
MEGAdawn was slain by a mutant shadowwolf.
MEGAdawn: welp I hit it once I’m calling that a win
[]Sythlight was slain by a mutant shadowwolf.
MEGAdawn: we’re good at this
[]Sythlight: Remember how I said I was going to gear up before going back in? Definitely should have done that.
KittyKat: okay, they’re all down. I’ll grab your stuff.
[]Sythlight: Thanks! Meet you at your castle.
[]Sythlight has entered the waterlands.
MEGAdawn: is that where I spawned?
KittyKat has entered the waterlands.
MEGAdawn: hiii
[]Sythlight: Hi
KittyKat: here’s your stuff
MEGAdawn: we should do one of those rift things
KittyKat: yes, I’m sure that’ll go well
[]Sythlight: Oh, come on. They just caught me by surprise the first time. After that, if I’d been geared up, I’d have destroyed that pack.
MEGAdawn: and I’m an expert at this game. from all my lumberlegs watching.
[]Sythlight: I watch him sometimes. He’s funny.
MEGAdawn: the funniest
MEGAdawn: i’m going to marry him one day
[]Sythlight: Does he know that?
MEGAdawn: in his heart i’m sure he does
[]Sythlight: lol
MEGAdawn: let’s do it do it do it
[]Sythlight: I’m game.
KittyKat: fine
KittyKat: but only that easy one in the drylands
MEGAdawn: YASSSSSS
MEGAdawn: TO THE RIFT!!!!!!!!!!!!
[]Sythlight: Lead the way.
KittyKat has entered the drylands.
MEGAdawn has entered the drylands.
[]Sythlight has entered the drylands.
CHAPTER 6
MEG
IF MY AVATAR AND LEGS’S GOT TOGETHER, THEY’D ACTUALLY MAKE A PRETTY cute couple. My green hair and his tree-stump legs against a nature background—the perfect fit. Though purple skin isn’t very nature-y. It is definitely badass, though, and Legs is badass, too. Sort of. More funny and kind, I guess.
“How many?” Kat’s question breaks into my thoughts.
I’m not admitting to her that I wasn’t listening. Again. I could just tell her about my ADHD, but what if it scares her away like it seems to do with everyone else? And it’s her own fault I’m so scattered. She insisted we work on our science proposal today, even though we stayed up way too late last night playing LotS.
“Um, ten,” I say.
She chews her lip and studies her page of neat, straight writing. “Do you know that many people?”
“What, ten people? Of course!”
“Okay.” She writes it down. “So this week we’ll both do some research on sugar so we can ensure our hypotheses make sense. I think this is a good start.”
A good start. Sweet. “Hey, don’t you think my avatar and Legs’s would make a cute couple?”
She purses her lips, and for a moment I think she’s going to ream me out for changing the topic, even though she basically just said we’re done. But then she says, “Well, his is quite a bit taller than yours. But your dwarf’s green hair would go well with his legs.”
I grin. “An excellent point.” The image of Legs’s face slips out of my mind and is replaced by another. “Hey, what did you think of Grayson?”
She looks back up from her paper. “Who?”
“Boxer Boy. I pointed him out in the caf, remember? Looks kind of like Legs.”
She shrugs. “I don’t think I actually saw him.”
“You didn’t? I’ll have to point him out again on Monday.” I wonder what type of character he’d play in LotS. An archer, obviously. “He’s a dragonlord archer,” I decide.
“Oh, cool,” Kat says, looking much more interested than she did a moment ago.