Our Final Game

Chapter 1

Rohan

The crowd thunders as we enter Riverside Stadium.

We’ve made it to the semi-finals, and this match will determine if we’re moving forward or if this is where our reign ends.

The camera pans to me, and the corners of my mouth upturn into a small smile.

I feel on top of the world; my performance has been spotless this season, and I don’t plan on coming down anytime soon.

I’m going to take us all the way to the end.

“Rohan Chandra! How you feeling tonight? You and your team have been on quite the streak,” the interviewer asks, pointing the mic towards me.

“I feel great, ready to play.” I smile.

“I’m sure you are. Lemme get out of you guys’ way!” He beams.

I look over to Zayne, the captain of our team, and give him a small nod before we head down to our seats. The other team is interviewed briefly. They’re extremely talented, obviously, to get as far as they have, but not talented enough. I settle into the seat and adjust the headset around my ears.

“Ready?” Milo grins. He’s always chipper. I think other players underestimate him because of that. They used to think he was a weak link, and we’ve used that to our advantage in the past.

“More than,” I say through the headset.

The other team is settled, and the crowd cheers as the lights dim and the match starts.

The game we play, Seeker, is a team-based shooter.

I’ve been playing since I was fourteen and was one of the first players to start competing later, when the game had finally gotten popular enough to be an e-sport.

My adrenaline surges as I snipe down my first player. They pretty much know by now to stay away from me, but my teammates are almost just as good, so there really isn’t anywhere for them to run. Zayne’s character jumps down next to me, taking down another player who I can hear cursing into his mic.

“Nice,” I mutter through a smile.

By the end of the game, we’ve pretty much won by a landslide. They’re either having the worst game of their life or we’re just that good, but whatever it is, I want to keep it going for as long as we can. Right before the clock strikes out, Lucas gets the final kill.

“Well, that was easy!” Milo laughs.

“Chill, Milo,” Zayne warns.

“I’m just saying, I wasn’t expecting them to suck so bad.” He laughs.

I shake my head, taking off the headset and heading to the center stage. We shake hands with the other team and stand off to the side for our ending comments. The interviewer walks over to me again, “I guess the streak continues, Rohan!”

“I guess it does.” I chuckle.

“So I’m assuming you’re ready for Tyson Moon and Team Eclipse?” He asks, and I try not to cringe at the question.

“Of course I’m ready for Tyson. He hasn’t even been able to beat me in practice for a while now,” I say, biting back a scoff.

“In practice,” the interviewer echoes. And I feel like he’s fucking with me a bit. I get that Tyson is a fan favorite, but so was I before he even started playing this fucking game.

“Yeah, and it’ll be the same in our upcoming match.” I sneer.

“What Ro means is we’re ready to take on anyone, we’ve been working hard to reclaim our title.

No matter who the opponent is. Thank you all for cheering us on,” Zayne says into the mic next to me.

I guess he could tell I was getting a little annoyed, flustered.

Why the fuck do we even have to do these stupid interviews anyway?

He asks the same questions every fucking time.

“Well, good luck to you guys. I’m sure your fans are waiting for your championship return.” The interviewer chuckles.

I feel the skin on my neck burn a little as I look up and catch a tall figure dressed in all black, hair perfectly coiffed on his stupid head as usual. A figure I could never miss, pulling his stupid, toxic cigarettes from his back pocket.

Tyson.

His piercing eyes look bored as ever as he stands from his seat and moves through the crowd before we can even make eye contact.

Not that I wanted to.

But what was he even doing here?

Always watching me.

What a fucking weirdo.

* * *

“Dude, I think Tyson came again!” Milo laughs.

“I know I saw him,” I say as I flop down onto the sofa.

We’re back at our little hangout spot, which is really just Milo’s basement room at his parents’ house, but it works.

Milo was some super genius who happened to drop out of university when he realized he was actually pretty good at gaming and could make it a career.

I just don’t think he thought it through too well because our game is popular, but it isn’t popular enough to support a lifestyle by itself yet.

So we all have part-time or even full-time jobs.

Safe to say his parents were not happy about that decision.

I guess he figured he could always go back.

The only reason my own parents let me pursue gaming is because I finished my engineering degree. But they also are under the impression I’m doing better than I actually am right now with my gaming career.

“I wonder why he shows up when he could literally just watch online,” Lucas says.

“Oh, I know why.” Milo grins, waggling his brows.

“Why?” I scoff.

“You know.” He says, his smile stretching even wider on his face.

“I really don’t, and you’re creeping me out. Whatever it is, I don’t wanna talk about him anymore. I feel good right now, and just thinking about him is giving me a fucking headache.” I let my eyes fall closed as I tilt my head back to the ceiling.

Can’t enjoy shit without Tyson being mentioned.

We win, we talk about Tyson.

We lose, we talk about Tyson.

Bane of my existence.

We’re constantly compared ever since he stole my title from me as the best player in our e-sport.

“I think you’re both obsessed with each other.” Milo laughs, and I shoot him a glare.

“I’m fucking not. He is, though!”

“Alright, alright, Milo, knock it off. You know how he gets,” Zayne says, shaking his head and throwing his bag over his shoulder, “I think I’m gonna head out, I’ve got work tomorrow.

See you guys for practice after. Don’t be fucking late,” he says, his voice stern, pointing at us before disappearing through the door.

“You know what, same. Good job, everyone. Bye.” I roll my eyes.

“Aww! Don’t be mad at me, Ro!” Milo whines, following behind me as I put my shoes on.

“I’m not.”

“Okay, you sure?” Milo pouts and pulls me into a hug. He can be so annoying sometimes, but I can’t help giving in. He’s too happy, and I hate seeing him all sad even though I know it’s bullshit.

“I’m sure.” I sigh, letting him squeeze me until I start to laugh. “Alright, let go!”

“Okay! See you tomorrow.” He beams.

“Yeah, see ya,” I say and wave at Lucas, who gives me a nod before I head out in the same way Zayne just left.

* * *

My apartment is warm and silent when I get back, and thank God.

Chicago winters are brutal. I’ve lived here all my life, but it feels like every winter my body forgets just how horrible it can be.

The stack of overdue bills still in the same place I left them on the coffee table.

I sigh, unwrapping my scarf and throwing it across the couch after kicking off my shoes.

I let my body sag against my gaming chair, relaxing a little before sitting up to start Understory.

A new game I got invited to beta test, and I’ve been loving it so far.

It’s a nice change of pace from Seeker. No competing, and while I love the rush of getting kills and scoring, there’s just something so peaceful and relaxing about grinding and completing quests.

Especially lately.

I click the panel to open my friends list to see he’s online.

And a smile splits across my face when I spot the green dot next to his name.

Starryeyes: hey.

My cheeks heat as soon as I type and send the message out.

I’ve been playing with this guy I met on here, and I feel kind of silly, but I think I might have a little crush on him or something.

So stupid, and I definitely need to go get laid soon.

Getting giddy over some dude on the game is crazy.

He could be a fifty-year-old dad of three with a beer gut for all I know.

But whatever, he’s so sweet and down-to-earth, and I love talking to him.

All the guys I’ve tried dating in the past few years have been serious fucking duds.

They always want just sex, which is totally fine with me; I love sex, it’s just that I’ve been wanting something more.

At least tease me a little before you try to fuck me.

So I’ve been staying away, holed up in my room. And now talking to a complete stranger.

But I can’t help it, me and this guy … We just clicked immediately after he helped me complete this stupid map I was struggling with a few months ago. He’s much higher level than me, been playing longer than me; it seems cause he’s really fucking good at this game.

I almost squeal when his reply flashes across my computer screen.

Zero: hey. how was your day? do anything fun?

Starryeyes: it was good! just hung out with some friends.

I haven’t told him I also play Seeker. And I don’t know; I guess I just want to be a little anonymous or have the two be separate. Especially since I play competitively. It’s peaceful this way. Like this is our little secret thing.

Zero: happy you had a good day.

Starryeyes: :) how was yours?

Zero: it was cool. got some work done. want me to lvl you?

Starryeyes: lol you’re always lvling me

Zero: what’s wrong with that lol?

Starryeyes: nothing, it’s just nice is all, thx

Zero: it’s cool I like doing it

Starryeyes: aww how sweet you must really like me

Zero: you’re funny lol

I bite my lip, shifting in my seat. Sometimes I wonder if he can tell I’m flirting with him a little.

Doesn’t seem like he minds. I never really ask him anything too personal, hence me not knowing if he could be a fifty-year-old creep.

Though he did tell me he’s around my age once. Not that he couldn’t be lying.

We head off to the map with monsters that out-level me. I hide away on a rock while he gains experience to level me.

I don’t know why, but this makes heat bloom across my face. I normally would never let anyone do anything for me while I just sit around, but I really like it when he lets me sit back. He lights the screen up with a special attack, one way beyond what he needs to use on monsters this level.

Starryeyes: ooohh you’re so strong, you showing off?

Zero: just for you

Starryeyes: i’m close don’t stop

Starryeyes: my exp bar that is

Zero: lmao you’re a fuckin trip you know that?

Starryeyes: :P

He uses a final attack that blitzes every monster on the map, and I level up. I make my character jump up and down.

Zero: niceee

Starryeyes: yaayy!! thxxx

Zero: np wanna head back or you want me to get you to half bar?

Starryeyes: nah its okie, let’s head back to town

Zero: alright i might have to get off soon tho its getting late

Starryeyes: noooo :( you have work?

Zero: yep. dw i’ll be on tomorrow night too probably. you gonna be on?

Starryeyes: yeah i think so :(

Zero: stop with the sad face lol no work for you tomorrow?

Starryeyes: yea but i don’t really care

And I really don’t care. I’m a part-time barista at a coffee shop.

It’s not like it’s a job I particularly wanted.

What I really wanted was to be able to make a living doing what I always loved, which was gaming.

And even if I wanted to work in an office slaving away, it’s been hard to find anything out here these days with no connections.

My software engineering degree is just a fucking dusty trophy at this point.

Welcome to the real world, I guess.

But whatever, I’m still happy to have something that makes up for what we don’t make playing Seeker professionally.

Zero: nah you should get some rest too

Starryeyes: ok daddy.

Zero: don’t start lol

Starryeyes: is it gonna make you stay on?

Zero: no lol

Starryeyes: you’re hurting me lol

Zero: go to bed you’ll feel better

Starryeyes: fineee there’s nobody else on here anyways lol

Zero: you play with other ppl?

Starryeyes: nah only you :P

Zero: good.

Starryeyes: lol anyways bye i guess

Zero: don’t be a brat, night

Starryeyes: night <3